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John Dominic Crossan
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Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts Paperback – November 25, 2003

by John Dominic Crossan (Author), Jonathan L Reed (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 121 ratings
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The premier historical Jesus scholar joins a brilliant archaeologist to illuminate the life and teaching of Jesus against the background of his world.

There have been phenomenal advances in the historical understanding of Jesus and his world and times, but also huge, lesser known advances in first–century Palestine archaeology that explain a great deal about Jesus, his followers, and his teachings. This is the first book that combines the two and it does it in a fresh, accessible way that will interest both biblical scholars and students and also the thousands of lay readers of Biblical Archaeology Review (150,000+ circulation), National Geographic, and other archaeology and ancient history books and magazines. Each chapter of the book focuses on a major modern archaeological or textual discovery and shows how that discovery opens a window onto a major feature of Jesus's life and teachings.

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  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    HarperCollins
  4. Publication date
    November 25, 2003
  5. Dimensions
    9.26 x 6.12 x 0.95 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0060616342
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0060616342
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“First-century Palestine comes alive here...another winner for Crossan.” — Booklist

"This is a fascinating and exhilarating study, which breathes new life into the quest for the historical Jesus." — Karen Armstrong, author of A History of God

"An original, nuanced synthesis of archaeological finds and textual exegesis, one that is rich in insights and in provocative interpretations." — Michael Coogan, Professor of Religious Studies, Stonehill College, editor, The New Oxford History of the Biblical World

"Comprehensive, expertly integrated, and powerfully illuminating...in keeping with the best of current archaeological theory and method." — William G. Deever, Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Arizona

“An original, nuanced synthesis of archaeological finds and textual exegesis, one that is rich in insights and in provocative interpretations.” — Michael Coogan, Professor of Religious Studies, Stonehill College, editor, The New Oxford History of the Biblical World

“A fascinating, beautifully illustrated and elegantly written account of the life and times of Jesus.” — Publishers Weekly

“Lucid arguments, elegant prose, beautiful illustrations and skillful weaving of academic disciplines...will edify everyone who reads it.” — Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

From the Back Cover

The premier historical Jesus scholar joins a brilliant archaeologist to illuminate the life and teaching of Jesus against the background of his world.

There have been phenomenal advances in the historical understanding of Jesus and his world and times, but also huge, lesser known advances in first–century Palestine archaeology that explain a great deal about Jesus, his followers, and his teachings. This is the first book that combines the two and it does it in a fresh, accessible way that will interest both biblical scholars and students and also the thousands of lay readers of Biblical Archaeology Review (150,000+ circulation), National Geographic, and other archaeology and ancient history books and magazines. Each chapter of the book focuses on a major modern archaeological or textual discovery and shows how that discovery opens a window onto a major feature of Jesus's life and teachings.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins; Revised, Updated ed. edition (November 25, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0060616342
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060616342
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.26 x 6.12 x 0.95 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 121 ratings

About the author

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John Dominic Crossan

John Dominic Crossan

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John D. Crossan is generally acknowledged to be the premier historical Jesus scholar in the world. His books include The Historical Jesus, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, and Who Killed Jesus? He recently appeared in the PBS special "From Jesus to Christ."

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
121 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book excellent, powerful, and worthwhile. They also describe it as interesting and educational. Opinions differ on the content, with some finding it rich and approachable, while others say it provides poor information and lacks photos.

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ReadabilityEnlightened content
10 customers mention "Readability"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book excellent, powerful, and worthwhile. They say it's interesting and educational.

"A powerful book by one of the foremost experts in the study of Jesus and the biblical text...." Read more

"...knowledge on the subject matter, yet present it in beautiful, readable prose that rivets rather than alienates...." Read more

"...Good book..." Read more

"...While I was disappointed in this regard, it is still well worth the read." Read more

15 customers mention "Enlightened content"10 positive5 negative

Customers find the content rich, approachable, and interesting. They say it provides an archaeological perspective. However, some readers feel the book lacks depth and substance.

"...approach with that of an expert archaeologist has produced a work of great clarity...." Read more

"...However, it will provide the reader with an interesting perspective from a more archaeological point of view, which will be of interest to the non-..." Read more

"...and typically writes for his peers at an advanced level, Extremely detailed, well sourced and nuanced, this is not for the faint of heart or the..." Read more

"...It is not always easy to follow the conclusions offered, however, once I was past the first few pages, I was hooked...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Punkmom
5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Fascinating
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
The authors did an excellent job comparing and contrasting the written words of the Gospel writers, Josephus, and other histories of the times and places where Jesus was born and traveled. It is not always easy to follow the conclusions offered, however, once I was past the first few pages, I was hooked. As an amateur student of the Bible, I found the book provocative and thoughtful.
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Avid Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars For Those Who Like to Dig Deeper
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2013
Verified Purchase
In preparing for an upcoming trip to Israel and Palestine, I wanted to understand more about the ancient sites that would help me to connect to what life was like in the times of Jesus and how to read the biblical accounts of his ministry with more insight. "Excavating Jesus" may have lingered more on the details of the archeology for me, but I found the book describing the layers of scriptural writing to be fascinating. The diagrams and pictures that portray what life was like during Jesus' time as well as the political context provided vivid images and more appreciation of why Jesus' path of radical teachings inevitably led to the crucifixion. The book also laid a foundation of historical understanding for why the current political conflicts are so deeply imbedded in the Jewish-Christian-Muslim cultures that go back millenia. I skimmed some of the more obtuse details while my husband, the wannabe archeologist, just devoured them. While he loved all the details, I sought the bigger picture. Both of us were satisfied when we read this book. We are now even more eager for our trip to Palestine.
4 people found this helpful
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pj
5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful book by one of the foremost experts in ...
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
A powerful book by one of the foremost experts in the study of Jesus and the biblical text. To catch a glimpse of who Jesus was and is as well as to read the biblical text within the context of that time and place is to understand more fully how those same stories are even more applicable to human kind today. A must read for anyone who considers themselves persons of faith.
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Maximus
5.0 out of 5 stars Jeus in his time and culture
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2014
Verified Purchase
Another excellent book from John Crossan. The result of combining his anthropological/historical approach with that of an expert archaeologist has produced a work of great clarity. As Crossan points out in all his works, who Jesus was in the flesh we will never know. He is hidden behind the gospels and an accumulation of nearly two thousand years of dogmas and theology. The Gospels are exactly what they say they are: Good News about Jesus the Christ. They proclaim his death and resurrection. They have never purported to be Good History or an autobiography, just revelation through the creative reworking of his signs and teachings.
But Crossan has brought the man Jesus of Nazareth a little closer to us in his detailed analysis of the times and culture of the Roman Empire, in which milieu Jesus lived.
All John Crossan's works are challenging to the committed Christian, especially his views on the "creative imagination" of the four Evangelists as well as the resurrection and the divinization of Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah, Son of God.
2 people found this helpful
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David M. James
3.0 out of 5 stars Out of date.
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
I was looking for an unbiased description of both archeological and and textual facts for the life of Jesus. Instead it is a fairly good description of archeological evidence of the time of publication (2001) and an assumption by the authors that the gospel writers were writing to make Jesus look good. Non-cannon books such as the Gospel of Thomas or Q Source are given equal status for accuracy as Mark, Luke, etc. No real evidence has ever been found for the “Q Source”, it is simply a construct based upon assumptions about differences between Mathew and Luke. Many assumptions in the book are simply based on probability such as Jesus “couldn’t” have been literate since the likely literacy rate of the Nazareth are was thought to be 3%. Maybe that makes sense if you only assume Jesus was merely a man who had to conform to the expectations of his village. He clearly had more initiative than that even without considering He just might be who He said He was. If you are a believer this book will not help much and is now out of dates anyway.
7 people found this helpful
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Ed Barton
4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting combination of archaeology, anthropology and theology.
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2012
Verified Purchase
An interesting combination of archaeology, anthropology and theology. Focusing on the discoveries of archaeological significance in Israel over the last 100 years or so, the book takes the reader through such discoveries as the James ossuary, the Temple Mount, the ruins at Qumran and other sites (notably Ceasaria Maritima, Sepphoris, Nazereth and Capernaum) to compare what archaeology says with what was written - both by contemporary authors (Josephus, Philo, etc) as well as the Biblical accounts to arrive at a picture of first century Judea.

John Dominic Crossan has written many books on the subject of the historical Jesus, and this is not going to broach any new insights if you are familiar with his work. However, it will provide the reader with an interesting perspective from a more archaeological point of view, which will be of interest to the non-religious reader in particular.
3 people found this helpful
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