Windows on the World of Jesus, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded: Time Travel to Ancient Judea [Paperback]

Bruce J. Malina (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1993 | Series: Time travel...

George Smith, a twentieth-century American, moved into a house with a large vineyard in the Eastern Mediterranean during the first century AD, going back in time and space. He needed help on his land and requested that individuals interested in work be at his place at 9 a.m. on August 8. No one showed up. Why not? This is just one of the sixty fun-to-read vignettes Bruce Malina cleverly presents in this book that explains the customs and culture of the world in which Jesus lived and taught. Each adventure depicts a twentieth-century North American encountering puzzling practices while visiting Judea during ancient times. These vignettes offer quick and easy access to the first-century Mediterranean world and relate to segments of the New Testament and other passages from the same cultural area.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bruce J. Malina is Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity of the Department of Theology at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press; 1st edition (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664254578
• ISBN-13: 978-0664254575
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #199,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful into first the culture of the bible., October 18, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Covington, Wa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Windows on the World of Jesus, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded: Time Travel to Ancient Judea (Paperback)

Bruce Malina did a great job giving an insight into the culture of the bible. He gives the reader examples of things and how they would be handled if they were to take place in the times of the bible. A must read for biblical culture enthusiasts.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good study of cultures, April 6, 2009

By 

Pat, Church Librarian (O'Fallon, MO United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Windows on the World of Jesus, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded: Time Travel to Ancient Judea (Paperback)

Each little segment takes a present-day American and drops him in first century Palestine. The American acts in an American way and the local inhabitants respond as their culture would dictate.

The book gives insight into Mediterranean culture of the 1st century. There are also similarities to cultures of today that are less developed economically.

4.0 out of 5 stars A great beginner's guide to the social world of the Bible, December 20, 2011

By 

EarendilTheBright (Earth) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Windows on the World of Jesus, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded: Time Travel to Ancient Judea (Paperback)

"Windows on the World of Jesus: Time Travel to Ancient Judea" is a novice's guide to understanding the social world of the Bible. Malina takes the interesting premise of modern Americans somehow traveling back in time to Biblical Judea and interacting with the natives there (don't put too much thought into it - the premise is just a conceit to contrast our two cultures). Malina begins each "Window" with a short, 1-2 paragraph anecdote of an interaction between members of the two cultures, usually ending with hostility or befuddlement and a question asking why the situation turned out the way it did. Such as:

"Steve Crown's business in first-century Judea took him through a number of villages outside of Jerusalem. One day as he passed through a certain village, he saw a group of old men congratulating one of their peers. His curiosity excited, Steve asked a bystander what was the occasion for the celebration. The bystander said that the old man's cronies were congratulating him because his oldest son, who just returned from a village on the Mount of Olives, had killed the old man's daughter, who had eloped with her boyfriend. Steve was rather horrified at the thought.

Why was this homicide an occasion for congratulations?"

Malina would then unpack all of the relevant cultural norms of the day so that the reader can understand what exactly is going on. In the case of the situation above, you'll learn that marriage arrangements are the exclusive right of the father and that by eloping, the daughter shamed her father and family. Also, the murderous son acted as a redeemer (a churchy term that has lost value due to overuse and misuse) by killing the offending family member and thereby restoring the lost honor of the family.

Situations covered in the book include the concept of honor and shame, interpersonal behavior, in-group behavior, intra-family relations, out-group behavior, loving-kindness, miscellaneous common values held by the people of the time, and how the Biblical world viewed time. Each section has its own subchapters that evaluate different elements that make it up (such as what is considered honorable by situation, gender, and age; who is considered part of an in-group/out-group and when, gender roles, and so on).

Each "Window" also contains relevant Biblical and extra-Biblical passages that serve to illuminate the lesson being taught.

The book is very readable and has the complete novice in mind - so if you're new to studying the social world of the Bible and are interested in it, this book won't intimidate you at all. Of course, it necessarily lacks depth but it's your guide through the shallower pools of the social sciences.

I do have a couple of complaints, though:

1) Malina repeats himself a lot - I feel that sometimes there are occasions when a number of different "Windows" say generally the same thing with only the slightest differences in the angle they use to explore Biblical culture and could have easily been combined. I found myself basically reading the same thing over and over again with very minor differences.

2) Malina's view on eschatology - Malina takes the interesting position that Jesus' supposed failed prophecy to return "soon" in the lifetime of "this generation" can be understood in light of a 1st Century Judean's view of time. In short, the ancient world lived in the present and very rarely looked into the future and planning for the future was often highly inaccurate. I don't have a problem with this. I do, however, have a problem with believing Jesus, with the knowledge of the Godhead, could give an inaccurate prophecy. Jesus was man, yes, but he wasn't just man. And in any case, a prophet that gave a failed prophecy is not from God and should be put to death (thank heavens Benny Henn and his ilk don't live in a theocracy). Preterism again shows it's strength here.

All-in-all, though, this book is a great first step for a novice and one that I'd recommend.