Digital Logos Edition
This book is a collection of thirteen articles on various aspects of how archaeological evidence enlightens our understanding of the life and death of Jesus and the culture in which he lived. Nine of the book’s thirteen essays were published previously, though several of these have been revised or augmented for inclusion in the present book; four of the book’s essays are new. Several of the essays deal with the death of Jesus and the burial practices of his day.
The book’s introduction explains the value of material culture (i.e., archaeological evidence) for interpreting Jesus and the Gospels and discusses the limits of such evidence. Also, the author is including several of his own photos in this book.
This is a splendid collection of state-of-the-question essays. On topic after topic having to do with archaeology and the historical Jesus, Evans shows himself to be not only exceedingly well informed but also judicious. This book has much to teach all of us.
—Dale C. Allison, Jr., Richard J. Dearborn Professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary
Craig Evans offers here an exciting collection of essays written over the last twenty years. He integrates at a deep level his maturing reflections about the history of Jesus and the findings of recent archaeology. The thorough scholarship in each chapter is truly impressive. For anyone interested in the interchange between biblical scholars and archaeologists, this is a must read. Evans has produced a real gem, truly a book that will benefit all students of Jesus in his first-century world.
—Douglas E. Oakman, Professor of New Testament, Pacific Lutheran University
In this book, Craig Evans exposes the misuse of archaeology involved in some sensational claims about Jesus and early Christianity. Even more importantly, he shows that archaeology properly used has much to contribute to a realistic understanding of Jesus and his movement. Evans demonstrates a rare mastery of the primary sources, and his judgments even on very controversial issues are fair and balanced. He convincingly shows that the canonical Gospels, although confessing Jesus as the Son of God, nevertheless depict him as a down-to-earth first-century Jew.
—Rainer Riesner, Professor Emeritus of New Testament, University of Dortmund, Germany