Palestine in the Time of Jesus

Palestine in the Time of Jesus is written to introduce the reader to the culture of the first century both AD and BC. The interesting discussions center around the views of kinship and hospitality, money and the distribution of wealth and goods, and the Temple and how it was viewed by the common man. There are a good number of charts and graphs to assist the reader in putting things together. The intent of the book is to help the reader bridge the difficult gap between our time and culture and that of the first century. The biggest negative, in my view, is the author does not take a high view of the Bible and leans heavily upon liberal form criticism. That being said, anyone who reads this book will get closer to understanding the world of the New Testament.

I was pleasantly surprised with Hanson & Oakman's work. Thorough yet accessible scholarship on the concrete social and political realities of first century Palestine, essential for understanding the formative context in which the historical and human Jesus developed. Includes helpful glossaries and detailed social- scientific diagrams of the structures of Palestinian society. I highly recommend this book for anyone seriously interested in understanding the social, political, and economic realities of Jesus' time!

Wow. I've read a bunch of books in this area and, having read this one, I wish I had just read this one first and saved myself a lot of time. This book presents a thorough yet accessible view of Palestinian society at the time of Jesus, covering the major social structures in the areas of family, politics, economy, and religion. For me, the book's key feature was its wonderfully clear organization, but I also appreciated the concise writing and illuminating examples. I was also impressed by the authors' affirmative efforts to point those interested in further information and research in the right direction, including reference to a website building on their work. A wonderful overview and fine piece of work.

I used this text for the first time with my students in the Fall semester of 1999. Not only did I enjoy reading the text, but the students found it to be accessable and understandable. The ancient world came alive, not only for me, but also for my students. A great introduction to the ancient cultural surroundings of the New Testament.

This book is an excellent and extremely readable guide to the culture of 1st century Palestine. It clarifies the context in which Jesus conducted his ministry, identifying the dominant power structures which contrasted to his own kingdom "community." The book approaches its subject from a sociological perspective, identifying the dynamics within four social domains -- kinship, politics, economics and religion. These categories made the subject matter come alive. The content was more readable and relevant than any previous book on 1st century Palestine culture I had read. The book's usefulness is enhanced by the charts generously interspersed throughout the text. Occasional comparisons between the ancient world and modern society helped to clarify key points. Each chapter also contained a brief section entitled "Applying the Perspectives," which posed pertinent and thought-provoking questions about the implications of the content -- how it provides insight into interpretation of one of Jesus' teachings and how that insight might be applied to our own day and time. Dr. Hanson and Dr. Oakman should be applauded for making such rich content accessible and understandable to today's reading audience. This book would be valuable to a wide variety of readers -- it is challenging enough for seminary students and pastors but free of the academic gobbledygook that could make it intimidating or "not worth the time" for "non-professionals." As a lay person who seeks a deeper understanding of the Jesus story and how it applies to contemporary issues, I am grateful for this excellent resource.