Jesus and His World: The Archaeological Evidence

by Craig A. Evans

Overview

In this provocative work, world-renowned scholar Craig A. Evans presents the most important archaeological discoveries that shed light on the world of Jesus of Nazareth. Evans takes on many sensational claims that have been proposed in recent books and peddled in the media, and uses actual archaeological findings to uncover the truth about several key pieces of Jesus' world. For example, what was the village of Nazareth actually like in the time of Jesus? Did synagogues really exist, as the Gospels say? What does archaeology tell us about the ruling priests who condemned Jesus to death? Has the tomb of Jesus really been found, as has been claimed? Evans's engaging prose enables readers to understand and critique the latest theories--both the sober and the sensational--about who Jesus was and what he lived and died for.

Questions for discussion and reflection are available at www.wjkbooks.com, making this book ideal for group or individual study.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611641646
Publisher:	Westminster John Knox Press
Publication date:	03/16/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Craig A. Evans is an esteemed, internationally recognized biblical scholar, author, and a regular guest on TV documentaries. He is John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Theological Seminary. He was formally Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Acadia Divinity College. Before coming to Acadia, Evans taught at Trinity Western University in British Columbia for twenty-one years, where he directed the graduate program in biblical studies and founded the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute. He is the author or editor of more than fifty books and hundreds of articles and reviews. Evans has lectured at Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, and Yale. He also regularly lectures and gives talks at popular conferences and retreats on the historical Jesus, archaeology, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Bible.

Table of Contents

List of figures ix

Preface xi

List of abbreviations xiii

Introduction 1

1 In the shadow of Sepphoris: growing up in Nazareth 13

2 Among the devout: religious formation in the synagogue 38

3 In the books: reading, writing and literacy 63

4 Confronting the establishment: ruling priests and the temple 89

5 Life with the dead: Jewish burial traditions 113 Summing up 141

Appendix 1 Have we found the family tomb of Jesus? 144

Appendix 2 What did Jesus look like? 148

Notes 153

Suggestions for further reading 175

Index of ancient writings and sources 179

Index of modern names 185

Index of subjects 188

Editorial Reviews

The study of biblical archeology has been the domain of experts and skeptics for a long time. Lay people have often avoided this fascinating study, assuming it’s all too complicated to comprehend. This fascinating work proves that you don’t have to be either a scientist or a doubter to truly understand the times and places that populate the New Testament. And you can conclude that the Bible’s people and places really existed. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Acadia Divinity College, has taken an engrossing look at the cities, structures, cultural practices, and political and religious intrigues that surrounded Jesus and his world. Written for the nonexpert, he carefully lays out in simple terms the many archeological discoveries that enrich and confirm the New Testament documents, giving readers a reason to believe and a basis for confidence in the scriptural accounts. In a field crowded with critics, this brief work is a refreshing and readable alternative and will be warmly welcomed by many, scholars and students alike. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"A masterful, erudite, and well-written review of the archaeology of the world of Jesus. Highly recommended for scholars and students alike." Shimon Gibson, Chair of the Department of Archaeology, University of the Holy Land, Jerusalem, and author of The Final Days of Jesus: Archaeology as Evidence

"This book, by a leading New Testament scholar, is a user-friendly introduction to what the main issues are, and what archaeology can contribute to the search for the Jesus of history. Evan's book is a fine and useful entry point for considering important but often neglected sources and their impact on our understanding of the historical Jesus." Anders Runesson, Associate Professor of New Testament and Early Judaism, McMaster University

"Craig Evans has done a favor for the lay public, college students, seminary students, and likely more than a few scholars in the writing of this book. We expect clarity, accuracy, and detailed knowledge from Evans, and he delivers it. Readers at many levels will be grateful for being spared archaeological jargon and for his many insights." James F. Strange, Professor of Religious Studies and Director of Graduate Studies, University of South Florida

"Although written for non-experts, this up-to-date survey of a truly fascinating topic has much to teach the experts, too. Particularly noteworthy is the thought-provoking case for widespread literacy in Jesus' Jewish world, a case that goes against much recent work." Dale C. Allison Jr., Errett M. Grable Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

"Craig Evans has a gift for synthesizing large swaths of complicated, technical material, identifying its most significant implications, and making it accessible to non-specialists. Scholars, students, and general readers will benefit from this engaging overview of how archaeological finds illuminate the life of Jesus, from Galilee to the grave." Mark A. Chancey, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Southern Methodist University

"In 1943 F. F. Bruce, the distinguished New Testament scholar wrote a classic work, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? Many challenges to the credibility of the Gospels have been raised since then by some skeptical scholars. Craig Evans, with a mastery of all of the relevant archaeological, inscriptional and literary evidence answers in a lucid exposition the question discussed by Bruce with a resounding 'Yes'." Edwin M. Yamauchi, Professor Emeritus of History, Miami University

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