Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit
by Jodi Magness
ISBN-13: 9780802865588
Paperback: 375 pages
Publisher: Eerdmans
Released: April 12th 2011
Source: Bought.
Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit Jodi Magness unearths “footprints” buried in both archaeological and literary evidence to shed new light on Jewish daily life in Palestine from the mid-first century b.c.e. to 70 c.e. — the time and place of Jesus’ life and ministry.
Magness analyzes recent archaeological discoveries from such sites as Qumran and Masada together with a host of period texts, including the New Testament, the works of Josephus, and rabbinic teachings. Layering all these sources together, she reconstructs in detail a fascinating variety of everyday activities — dining customs, Sabbath observance, fasting, toilet habits, burial customs, and more.
My Review:
Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit discussed Jewish purity issues from the time of Jesus. The author looked at various literary sources from that time (including the Bible and Qumran texts) and compared this to what has been found through archaeology. Were certain rulings by rabbis followed by the general population? The author treated the Bible as just another text from the time period, though she wasn't disrespectful. She focused a lot on the Qumran community, both literary texts and archaeological discoveries. This book was academic in tone but easy enough to follow. There were some pictures at the center of the book illustrating some of the archaeological finds that she talked about. While I did learn some interesting things, it has a rather narrow focus on Jewish purity.
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.
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