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The Archaeology of the New Testament: The Life of Jesus and the Beginning of the Early Church, revised edition
Jack Finegan
(Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press, 1992) 409 pp., $29.95, paper
Significantly revised after more than 20 years, this guide takes the reader on a historical journey through the sites and objects connected with the life of Jesus and early Christianity. Relevant drawings, maps and detailed plans enhance the text, and each item is accompanied by an illustration and a bibliographical source for additional information. To the helpful list of ancient sources and other background material in the original, the author has added a table of months in the Roman, Egyptian, Macedonian and Hebrew calendars; a list of Jewish Christian and Gentile Christian bishops of the Jerusalem church with explanatory comments; and an outline of festivals of the early Church. The archaeological and historical material has been considerably expanded. New material includes recent studies of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the history of the early Church; and traditional theories, as well as radical new theories, on the dates of the birth, the ministry and the death of Jesus. In addition, numerous recent excavations are covered. This exhaustive compilation of material is a scholastic treasure for the serious student of New Testament archaeology.
The Wall-Paintings of Thera
Christos Doumas, transl. by Alex Doumas
(Athens: The Thera Foundation, 1992) 191 pp.,$75.00
Paradoxically, the very forces of nature that usually serve to destroy sometimes act as agents of preservation, as in the case of the exquisite wall paintings unearthed among the volcanic ruins on the ancient Aegean island of Thera (now Santorini). These wall paintings, protected for 35 centuries by volcanic ash from the eruption that destroyed the island, are the earliest examples of large-scale painting from the ancient Greek world. The paintings were discovered during the excavation of Akrotiri on Thera initiated by the late Professor Spyridon Marinatos. Photographs of the paintings that have been restored so far—about 42, half of which were never before accessible to the general public—are now available in this beautifully produced book. The book features 170 full-color illustrations, depicting each scene in full as well as blown up to reveal details; scenes include richly dressed women gathering saffron for dye, young boys carrying fish, antelopes flirting and a wild duck in flight. Professor Doumas, director of the excavations at Akrotiri since 1974, guides the reader through the book with commentaries and observations on what these extraordinary paintings can teach us about ancient Aegean civilization.
Jewish History and Thought: An Introduction
An Introduction, Menahem Mansoor
(Hoboken, NJ: Ktav, 1991) 583 pp., $19.95, paper
Presented in outline form, this book provides extensive coverage of Jewish history, culture, religion and thought from the Biblical time of the patriarchs through the 20th century. The book provides transliterations for any necessary Hebrew words. Based on Professor Mansoor’s 20 years of experience teaching Jewish history at the University of Wisconsin, the book also contains chronological charts, extensive bibliographies and a helpful glossary. Teachers, students, laypersons and adult study groups will not want to pass over this valuable reader-friendly tool for Jewish studies.
Archaeology and Bible History
Joseph P. Free, revised and expanded by Howard F. Vos
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992) 304 pp., $17.99, paper
Out of print since 1976, this revised edition retains the old-fashioned Bible-centered flavor of the original. Tracing Bible history from creation to the development of the early Church, Professor Vos includes up-to-date archaeological and historical material as well as a completely revised bibliography, maps and more than 45 black-and-white illustrations. Its historically orthodox position will appeal especially to pastors, Sunday school teachers, laypersons and students who view archaeology as a vehicle for understanding and confirming the Bible rather than undermining it. To widen the book’s scope, some sections approach issues of Biblical interpretation and criticism that are not strictly archaeological in nature.
The Archaeology of the New Testament: The Life of Jesus and the Beginning of the Early Church, revised edition
