The Galilean

Combining New Testament study with the terseness of thriller writing, Theissen conveys the Gospel story in the imaginative prose of a novel. This is a story of our times, or how the gospels might have turned out if they were written by John Le Carre: racy, readable and full of incident.

A theology of how Christianity and Judaism can be separate but linked by their roots in Scripture; presents a thorough study of Jesus as teacher seen from a Jewish perspective.

Drawing on his years of field experience in Galilee, the author illustrates how the archaeological record has been misused by New Testament scholars, and how synthesis of the material culture is foundational for understanding Christian origins in Galilee and the Jewish culture out of which they arose.

In his history of the Jewish nation, Josephus wrote only of the death of Jesus, not mentioning one detail of his life. In contrast, the life of Judas the Galilean was chronicled from his temple cleansing to his grandson's suicide at Masada. Yet, Josephus did not tell us how Judas died. Is it possible that Judas and Jesus are the same person? Just a few of the similarities are listed below. Both Judas and Jesus cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem. Like Jesus, Judas was anointed King or Messiah by his followers in Galilee. The organizations of the teachers were identical. The second-in-command to Jesus was nicknamed Cephas. Josephus called Judas' second, Sadduc. Barabbas was released in the trial of Jesus during the reign of Pilate. Judas was arrested by Herod the Great and later released to the Jewish crowd. Jesus was interrogated by Annas and later crucified because of his stand against Roman taxation. Judas led the tax revolt against Roman taxation in 6 AD. Annas became High Priest in 7 AD.

In a fragmented, divisive, and secular world, a follower of John the Baptist miraculously appears to continue the mission he had pursued in the ancient world. As his journey unfolds, he visits many of the world's leaders to warn them of a coming transformation. Though they ignore him, the popularity of his message grows. At the same time, a young woman starts her own mission through inspirational speeches, railing against the leaders of our society and their lack of spiritual life. The two join together to bring on the coming transformation, but numerous enemies attack them and try to prevent their work.

Amanda Witmer presents an investigation of exorcism in the activities of the historical Jesus, particularly the connection between spirit possession and exorcism on the one hand and the socio-political context of first-century Galilee on the other. Witmer draws on research from the areas of sociology, anthropology, archaeology and biblical studies to illuminate this aspect of Jesus' career, as well as the broader social implications of spirit possession in those he treated and the exorcisms themselves. Evidence found in the strands underlying the Synoptic Gospels is evaluated using the criteria of authenticity and comparative analysis in order to establish early and historical material. Questions posed and answered concern the historical plausibility of Jesus' role as exorcist, the possibility that his own career began with a period of spirit possession, and the meaning that his exorcisms conveyed to his first-century audience. Thus, the methodology includes textual analysis, sociological analysis of general cultural patterns within which first-century Palestine can be fitted, and anthropological analysis of the plausible functions of both spirit possession and exorcism in agrarian societies.

In order to provide an up-to-date report and analysis of the economic conditions of first-century C.E. Galilee, this collection surveys recent archaeological excavations (Sepphoris, Yodefat, Magdala, and Khirbet Qana) and reviews results from older excavations (Capernaum). It also offers both interpretation of the excavations for economic questions and lays out the parameters of the current debate on the standard of living of the ancient Galileans. The essays included, by archaeologists as well as biblical scholars, have been drawn from the perspective of archaeology or the social sciences. The volume thus represents a broad spectrum of views on this timely and often hotly debated issue. The contributors are Mordechai Aviam, David A. Fiensy, Ralph K. Hawkins, Sharon Lea Mattila, Tom McCollough, and Douglas Oakman.