The Final Days of Jesus: The Archaeological Evidence [Hardcover]

Shimon Gibson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 3, 2009

We all know that Jesus spent his last week in Jerusalem. In fact, it is from this small window of his final seven days that almost all historical data surrounding Jesus has been collected. Few theologians and historians have had direct access to the ancient buried city of Jerusalem, let alone to remains dating specifically from the time of Jesus. This book is the first book of its kind to examine the final days of Jesus using the full array of archaeological discoveries dug up in Jerusalem.Renowned archaeologist Shimon Gibson has been has been digging in Jerusalem since the 1970s and has been directly connected to every discovery pertaining to Jesus and the first century. And it is this unprecedented and extraordinary access to all the key archaeological finds of Jesus during his final days that cannot be found in any other publication about Jesus. Describing the events of the final days of Jesus chronologically, beginning with his entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey and ending with his burial in a tomb after having been crucified, this remarkable work is packed with all relevant archaeological discoveries known to have a bearing on the story of the final days of Jesus in Jerusalem.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“An expert archaeologist’s valuable insights on the final days of Jesus.” (Geza Vermes, FBA, University of Oxford, author of JESUS THE JEW and THE PASSION )

“For over 25 years, Gibson, a distinguished archaeologist, has excavated in and near Jerusalem’s walls. The book, directed to a wide audience, is rigorously scientific, and frequently brilliant. It is a must read for all Jews and Christians who are curious about Jesus and his final fateful week in Jerusalem.” (James H. Charlesworth, George L. Collord Professor of New Testament Language and Literature, Princeton University )

“A well-written guide to the archaeology behind Jesus’ death and burial, written by one of Jerusalem’s finest archaeologists.” (Jonathan L. Reed, author of the HarperCollins Visual Guide to the New Testament )

“Gibson’s book punctures fourth century mythology with first century evidence drawn from intimate knowledge of the great city of Jerusalem. Gibson’s background in landscape archaeology and his analyses of the physical evidence...combine to provide a provocative series of observations and insights.” (Herb Krosney, author of The Lost Gospel: The Quest for the Gospel of Judas Iscariot )

“Shimon Gibson, an archaeologist with many years of experience working in Israel, presents an up-to-date and credible description of discoveries relating to Jesus’ last days. Gibson synthesizes evidence from archaeology and the New Testament to craft a clear and enjoyable account.” (Jodi Magness, Professor of Early Judaism, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill )

About the Author

Shimon Gibson is a British-born, world-renowned archaeologist who completed his Ph.D. on ancient landscapes in the Levant at the Institute of Archaeology, University College, London. Specialising in the Holy Land, Gibson is the author of more than 100 research articles and the co-author of two scientific monographs on the antiquities of Jerusalem. Gibson is also the co-editor of the Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land and the editor of The Illustrated Dictionary and Concordance of the Bible. Gibson is a Senior Associate Fellow at the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem, and an Adjunct Professor of Archaeology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. During the past twenty years he has conducted numerous excavations and field surveys in different parts of Israel. He was the head of the Research and Scientific Reports Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority from 1995 to 1999.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; 1 edition (March 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061458481
• ISBN-13: 978-0061458484
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,054,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear and Concise with some interesting new ideas, April 20, 2009

By 

julier "julier" (Virginia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Final Days of Jesus: The Archaeological Evidence (Hardcover)

This is a very clear and concise presentation of Mr. Gibson's view of the historical Jesus. I was able to read this book in two days. It's a fascinating account, and hard to put down. In some ways, it's more of a clarification of historical events, such as, which way Jesus took to Jerusalem, what might have happened when he rode into town on the donkey, and what might have happened during those stories of Jesus raising the dead. There's an excellent section of ancient Jewish burial practices, and also a section on the Shroud of Turin. I commend Mr. Gibson for a thoughtful discussion of the trial of Jesus, and his fascinating presention of a new location for where it may have taken place. In addition, Mr. Gibson gives a detailed first hand account of a discovery in Jerusalem of a crucified man.

But my disappointment with this book is that Mr. Gibson gives a big wind up in a section called "who moved the stone" and then lets the reader down without having the courage to really answer the question, basically saying he'll leave it to believers to decide. And on the question as to the final resting place of Jesus, Mr. Gibson says it's where Christians say it is traditionally without presenting much evidence for his conclusions after the previous sections of his book are filled with lots of details elsewhere. It's almost as if he wants to present new material without going too far as to offend any readers. Nonetheless, for those who are interested in the historical Jesus and first century biblical archaeology, this book is a very interesting addition to the discussion which I highly recommend.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Archeoligic evidence for the crucifixion and burial of Jesus, April 15, 2009

By 

T. Chet Johns "idle time" (Anderson, South Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Final Days of Jesus: The Archaeological Evidence (Hardcover)

I bought this book for research I was doing on the historical evidence for the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The author evidently is an archeological historian who had done much work in Israel. Was very complete on the tombs and some on history of crucifixion. Would have liked more evidence on resurrection but overall an interesting book. Author has good writing style that's easy to follow. Assorted photographs included as well.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Dubious Disciple Book Review, January 17, 2011

By 

Dubious Disciple "Lee Harmon" (White Bear Lake, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Final Days of Jesus: The Archaeological Evidence (Hardcover)

If you're interested in the historical Jesus, you'll be fascinated by this book. Shimon is a thorough researcher and archaeologist. He is up-to-date on current scholarship, while at the same time providing new insights and theories, with a writing style that keeps you reading. Shimon excels in vividly portraying the everyday life of Jesus and his times. You'll learn the geography, the rituals, and the lifestyle of first-century Jews as you walk in the shoes of Christ through the final days of his life.

Shimon cautions that "some of my conclusions regarding Jesus and Jerusalem may be controversial," but throughout the book I found all of his arguments to be logical and carefully documented.

I'm one of those fanatics that marks his books up with highlights and margin notes, and this is one of those books where I've got bright paragraphs and blue ink on every other page. I sometimes look over my notes as I prepare to write my reviews, but I simply don't have the time to reread everything this book taught me. I'll just leave it at this: If a book's value can be measured by how much you learn from it, then this one deserves the praise I give it.