Reviews

The Jesus of the Bible

The Jesus of the Bible, published by Barbour Publishing in March 2009, is an impressive book for its cover price of less than $15.

The book’s author, Steven M. Miller, begins with a look at Jesus’ homeland. With maps, illustrations and amazing photographs, Miller shows the farmland of Galilee, compares the desert of Negev to a martian landscape, and gives not only a sense of the history of Palestine, but also how the geography affected the people of the area.

The explanation of life under Roman rule that follows is fascinating, and includes bits of history I’ve never heard before. Miller’s ability to mesh the chronology of Jesus inside the larger history of Rome in a very reader-friendly fashion makes for very interesting reading.

Miller then takes the reader on a romp through life in Jesus’ time. He explains what life was like for the Jewish men, women and children of Jesus’ day, and takes the life of Jesus as chronologically as possible, explaining the significance of events from his first astounding temple visit, to his temptation in the desert to his disturbingly specific details of what Jesus probably experienced during his crucifixion. Every story is beautifully and effectively illustrated by drawings, maps, satellite images, photographs or piece of artwork.

Although it is clear that Miller is writing as a Christian, and that he believes the Bible’s chronology of the events surrounding the life of Christ is true, he writes in a non-proselytizing, journalistic tone that makes it quite readable for non-Christians as well. He also doesn’t avoid issues that may make many Christians uncomfortable, from the pagan origins of the dates of Christian holidays, to the parallels between Christian and other ancient beliefs, he questions whether Jesus might have plagiarized the Lord’s Prayer, and examines possible celestial events that might have been seen as the “star of the east” that heralded the birth of Jesus.

Whether you believe the Bible is the word of God or just a fascinating piece of ancient literature, this book will engage you, and draw you into a world much different than our own. It will give you a feel for the times and places described in the Gospels, and add a touch of reality to a sometimes other-worldly story.