The World Jesus Knew: Beliefs & Customs from the Time of Jesus: Beliefs and customs from the time of Jesus

by Anne Punton (Author)

• New

  Paperback
  2009

  $11.65

  This book is an attempt to explain, in lay terms, the world that Jesus took as his reference point. The kinds of houses in which he dwelt; the education he received; the clothes he would have worn; the language he spoke; the terrain and climate; the agricultural methods; the cultural assumptions; the religious customs; the festivals; the Temple; the synagogue; the scriptures; the opposition and the political currents - all of these formed the soil in which Jesus the man was nurtured. Each chapter covers a distinct aspect, and opens a whole new range of understanding which we are likely to miss. For instance, a rich symbolism concerned with water and light, and linked with the Feast of Tabernacles, underlies John 7 and 8, but much of this will probably escape us. Previously published by Monarch and then Moody, this classic reference work has been unavailable for several years.

• Used

  Paperback
  2000

  $3.25

  The Bible speaks to all, but it is basically a Middle-Eastern text which reflects a culture very different from that in the contemporary West. The purpose of this book is to explain something of the beliefs and customs which lie behind the pages of the Gospels. Once the background is understood, people can start to appreciate what they read. For example, many of Jesus's parables are based on agricultural images which really make sense only when they readers understand the Oriental ways of working the land. Understanding the pageantry of Jewish feasts opens up a whole dimension to Jesus's ministry. Each chapter covers a distinct aspect of the life of Jesus: his home, his childhood, his clothes, his language, his prayers and his customs. The book should be useful as a reference tool.