Jesus and His Times (Reader's Digest Books) [Hardcover]

Editors of Reader's Digest (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1987

A perfect companion to the family Bible, Jesus and His Times' evocative text and captions place the reader in the middle of the action of the most famous story in history. More than 400 photographs, drawings and reconstructions, most in full color.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Readers Digest; fifth edition (September 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895772574
• ISBN-13: 978-0895772572
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #226,326 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Book About Jesus and His Culture, July 19, 2007

By 

kone "kone" (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Jesus and His Times (Reader's Digest Books) (Hardcover)

This is a very good book for the student of faith who seeks a more thorough understanding of what life was like during the time that Jesus lived in the flesh on earth. Rich with photographs, drawings and maps, this book is a visual treat as well as providing much insight through the text.

The book is hard-cover, very study and well-made, and is 336 pages in length. There are 10 main chapters and some appendicies. The book begins with the significance of the expectation of a Messiah and his birth in Bethlehem. Then the political intrigue of the day is presented, especially a history of Herod the Great and the Roman Empire. The daily life of a typical Jew is then presented, how a person lived, what they did, what they ate, and how they raised their families. Jerusalem has a chapter dedicated to itself, with emphasis on the Temple that King Herod built for the Jews. The middle chapters deal with education, trade, travel, and religious conflicts of the time. Finally, the last two chapters explain the mision of the Messiah and how the gospel of his teachings spread after his death and resurrection.

This is not a book that is an easy or casual "fun' read. It is written for the more serious student of faith and the Bible. The information is detailed and quite extensive. A very thorough job was done in putting this book together. The reader can use it as a text book to teach themselves the cultural and religious signficance of the time. It is a good book to read for insight into Biblical times and Biblical narratives (scriptures).

At .01 cent (used), this book is a steal.

konedog

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The very best, May 11, 2007

By 

Dr. James Gardner (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jesus and His Times (Reader's Digest Books) (Hardcover)

This is undoubtedly the best book ever written about life in the times of Jesus. It is comprehensive yet detailed, with voluminous illustrations, maps, geneaologies, etc. There are chapters on village life, schooling, trade and travel, and internal politics. A few chapters are devoted to Jesus' life, and here the editors make a number of mistakes. For example:

- they seem unaware that the proper translation of almah is "young woman" and not "virgin" (p. 17)

- they make the common error of translating "tekton" as "carpenter" (p. 26)

- they seem unaware of the fact that the village of Nazareth didn't exist as a village at the time of Jesus (p. 91) and it was more than a century after Jesus' death that a synagogue was build there. As a consequence, they translate his name as "Jesus of Nazareth" when in fact the proper translation is "Jesus the Nazarene."

But these errors are few and relatively minor, when weighed against the plethora of interesting details that they supply.

Anyone looking for a desciption of what life was like in the times of Jesus needs to get this book. This isn't necessarily the best book about the life of Jesus, but it surely is the best book about his times.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book!, February 27, 2007

By 

Mr. Chris J. Grego (Shamokin, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jesus and His Times (Reader's Digest Books) (Hardcover)

I only rated this book at 5 stars because I couldn't go any higher. To think I got a copy of it for $.01 (a penny) plus shipping is unreal. Talk about a steal! This is one of the best books about the life and times of our Lord Jesus Christ that you'll ever find. The pictures of the Holy Land alone are worth it but there's so much more. By all means, get your copy NOW!!!!