The Land & People Jesus Knew by J. Robert Teringo

The Land & People Jesus Knew: A Visual Handbook on Life in First-Century Palestine by J. Robert Teringo ISBN-13: 9780871237972 Hardcover: 264 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: November 1, 1985

Source: Borrowed from my local library.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Text and numerous illustrations present aspects of daily life in first-century Palestine as Jesus and his contemporaries might have known it.


My Review:
The Land & People Jesus Knew is a mainly-visual handbook covering many aspects of life in Palestine at the time of Jesus. Each page was full of black-and-white sketches that were historically accurate (based on the knowledge available when it was drawn) which illustrated some aspect of Jewish life. A brief paragraph or two described the information behind the illustrations.

I was pleased by the wide variety of topics discussed in the book. It covered information that I haven't found in other "daily life" books. However, it also didn't go into much depth on any topic. Overall, I found the book useful for getting a better idea of the setting that Jesus was born, lived, died (and rose) in.

Topics covered: animals and plants; landscapes and crops of various towns and regions mentioned in N.T.; what village and town life was like, types of houses most people lived in, daily routines, common houseware items, daily and common chores, foods, clothing; growing and raising grain, grapes, figs, olives, sheep; job of carpenter, potter, fisherman, baker, beekeeper, barber, banker, brickmaking, builder, butcher, cook, cheesemaker, coppersmith, dyer, fuller, gardener, herdsmen, innkeeper, quarry hewer, jailor, day laborer, merchant, smith, shoemaker, physician, stonemason, tanner, tax collector, tent maker, midwife, domestic servant, weaver, professional wailer; about Jerusalem; religious groups, holy and feast days, the temple, synagogues; the cultural customs; traders and merchants; the government system (Roman and Jewish) in Palestine; the Roman army.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Sample Page: