Behind the Scenes of the New Testament

Barnett's book is an easy and enjoyable-to-read text on a subject that could easily become dry and uninteresting. Well-written and thought provoking, Barnett has done a good job of helping the reader come into the historical situation of first-century Jews and Jesus. He gives insightful commentary and well documented evidence of the atrocious behavior of King Herod, known in the Gospels as the killer of the Bethlehem infants. After reading Barnett's analysis one realizes Herod was totally capable of such a travesty. He also gives a good background to the parables of Christ, showing how Jesus' choice of topics blended well with the his small-town rural background. Well done and I think, a quick read. Should be helpful to anyone wanting to understand the historical background of the New Testament more fully.