A compelling new treatment of the historical Jesus introduces the "fatherless son" theory, postulating that this role marginalized young Jesus and laid the foundation for his later ministry. Original.

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.

Jesus: His Story in Stone is a reflection on still-existing stone objects that Jesus would have known, seen, or even touched. Each of the seventy short chapters is accompanied by a photograph taken on location in Israel. Arranged chronologically, the one-page meditations compose a portrait of Christ as seen through the significant stones in His life, from the cave where He was born to the rock of Calvary. While packed with historical and archaeological detail, the book’s main thrust is devotional, leading the reader both spiritually and physically closer to Jesus.

Originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral)--University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark, 2005.

A biblical guide to all the Christian holy sites around the Sea of Galilee and Northern Israel. Each biblical site in the book provides information on the location, historical background, places of interest, Bible verses, Bible teaching, faith lesson, and a place for journaling and note-taking. At each biblical site, this book will provide you with information about the location, historical background, places of interest, Bible verses, Bible teaching, a faith lesson, and a place for journaling, and note-taking. This book will bring the Holy Land to life as you understand more fully the biblical context in which it took place.

'Being Jewish in Galilee, 100-200 CE' provides the first in-depth archaeological study of Galilee's Jewish society in the period of 100-200 CE. The period of 100-200 CE was a lively one in the history of Galilee, northern Israel - one leaving a considerable mark upon Jewish history in general. The destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 CE, as well as the failures of the two revolts, lead to Galilee becoming the heartland of Jewish settlement in Palestine. Our reconstruction of Galilee's Jewish society during this period has been primarily informed, however, by a single retrospective voice - the later rabbinic writings. This obviously brings with it certain limitations, not least of which is its reliability. A new source from which to understand the period in question is therefore desirable. 'Being Jewish in Galilee, 100-200 CE' provides an in-depth archaeological study of Galilee's Jewish community in the period concerned. It explores evidence of infrastructure, art and architecture, as well as ritual practices from this period in Galilee by drawing comparisons with the period before and by contextualizing this material within the broader cultural environment of the Roman East. Set within debates of cultural interaction in the Roman East in general, the book offers an archaeological understanding of what 'being Jewish' meant to the Jewish communities in Galilee during this period; and in what way these communities differed from their Phoenician, Syrian and Arab neighbors. Rick Bonnie is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Centre of Excellence in Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions and the Centre of Excellence in Ancient Near Eastern Empires, both situated within the University of Helsinki. He holds degrees in archaeology from Leiden University (MA) and the KU Leuven (PhD).

In New Testament scholarship, the study of space has been underrepresented in comparison with the study of time. While Jesus’ life and ministry have been intensively explored in terms of eschatology—i.e., with time significance—space has tended to be treated as simply a given room or inactive backdrop where events took place. Interest in the space where Jesus ministered has, however, gradually increased, and space has received greater attention from sociological and literary perspectives. In particular, spatial investigations into the social circumstances of Galilee, the place of origin of Jesus’ missional movement, have begun to attract serious scholarly attention. The important functions of space in literature are also becoming better recognized: spatial settings serve not only to generate atmosphere but also to disclose the purposes and themes of narratives. This book explores Jesus’ Galilean ministry in Mark 4:35—8:21 through the use of spatial analysis, dividing space into three categories: social, geographical, and allusive. The study of each space discovers social, literary, and theological implications of Jesus’ missional movement in Galilee.