The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah: New Updated Edition [Hardcover]

Alfred Edersheim (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1993

One of the best known and most important references on the life of Christ ever written, Alfred Edersheim's The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah is a storehouse of information on the background of the New Testament. This classic work successfully portrays the streets, the marketplaces, the religious conflicts, the people, and the places of Jesus' earthly ministry.

Edersheim divides his work into five sections, or books:
• Book 1—The Preparation for the Gospel
Introductory historical, religious, political, and cultural material based on the author's extensive knowledge of Jewish lore and customs.
• Book 2—From Bethlehem to Jordan
The background of Herod and his reign, St. John the Baptist and his message, and the birth and baptism of Jesus.
• Book 3—From Jordan to the Mount of Transfiguration
Thirty-seven chapters explore the miracles and teachings of Jesus' early ministry.
• Book 4—The Descent into the Valley of Humiliation
A history of the latter part of Jesus' ministry from the Transfiguration to the journey to Jerusalem.
• Book 5—The Cross and the Crown
A chronicle of each day of Passion Week, from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection.
• Appendices
Valuable background material on Jewish history, tradition, and law.

Editorial Reviews

Review

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--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

About the Author

Alfred Edersheim (1825-89) was a Vienna-born biblical scholar who converted from Judaism to Christianity. A veteran minister and missionary to the Jews of Romania, Edersheim left an enduring and priceless legacy to followers of Christ. Among his most widely read works are The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, and Bible History Old Testament.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1136 pages
• Publisher: Hendrickson Pub; Updated edition (July 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0943575834
• ISBN-13: 978-0943575834
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure Trove, December 5, 2004

By 

Anne Rice "Anne Rice" (Little Paradise, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah: New Updated Edition (Hardcover)

When you are tired of the endless controversies in current Biblical scholarship, when you're worn down from the specialist studies of language in this or that gospel, or the cynical books that claim to expose this and that redaction, when you want merely to exist in a rich, vital, eloquent literary world, securely based in scholarship itself, in which Second Temple Jerusalem comes to life, in which you can see Nazareth as if you were there, in which you can feel the pulse of the commerce and communications, and pilgrim crowds of the time of Christ -- then pick up this book. Dip into it by subject or time period. And you'll love it. Of course it was written by a believing man with a great generous soul. But it's thoroughly documented, and has immense and timeless insight to offer on many subjects. For some, it might be a rich corrective to the mini-series, and movies about Jesus which portray his surroundings as so meager and primitive, with no sense of the grandeur of the Holy City, and the complexity and variety of the village life that Jesus might have known. Jesus didn't live in the Stone Age as motion pictures and documentaries would have one believe. He lived in the busy world of Augustus and Tiberius Caesar. And this book embraces that period with vast wisdom and knowledge. It is outdated, yes. But the period in which it was written (late 1800's) is no doubt partly responsible for it's profound simplicty and overwhelming charm. Happy reading.

63 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Vintage Masterpiece, February 7, 2000

By 

T. Mark - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah: New Updated Edition (Hardcover)

While somewhat outdated, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah remains a magnificent reference to the historical and cultural setting to the days of Jesus of Nazareth. Although written some 70 years prior to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Edersheim's great work still offers highly valuable information and insight on the Gospels and related events. One of the more striking features of the book is the appendix list of 400+ Old Testament passages which were tagged by the ancient rabbis as being messianically applied. An absolute must for anyone who wish to study the Jewish expectations of the Messiah surrounding the days when the Nazarene Carpentar walked the Earth. Place this vintage masterpiece in your library, and you will find yourself going back to it time and time again.

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to beat for Jewish NT insight, May 13, 2002

By 

Dr. J. Sarfati (Brisbane, Queensland Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah: New Updated Edition (Hardcover)

This classic work is a goldmine of information about the context of the Gospels. Many of the events and sayings in Jesus's become even clearer when we understand the widespread Rabbinic teachings of His day. Edersheim's insight into the famous "Thou art Peter" is most interesting -- yes, Jesus was speaking Hebrew but he DID mean to distinguish petros and petra, because these names had also been incorporated into Hebrew and Aramaic. It's also very important to see how Jewish writers interpreted Messianic prophecies to see that the NT writers were following accepted procedure.

For something more modern, I recommend Dr Arnold Fruchtenbaum's books, especially Messianic Christology.