Jesus of Nazareth, The Historical Perspective

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The purpose of this book is to make the Scriptures "come alive" by tying the stories of the Bible closely to the well-known people and events of the time. For example, we all know the story of Jesus' birth at Bethlehem, but how many of us realize that Herod the Great, who ruled over Judea when Jesus was born, was put upon the throne by the Roman General Mark Antony, and that Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide less than 25 years before Jesus was born. The first question many ask regarding the life of Jesus of Nazareth is: "Do you mean he actually existed?" The answer is: "Of course he did." The historical record establishes beyond a doubt that Jesus lived in Galilee and that he was crucified in Jerusalem by Pontius Pilate. Presenting those historical facts, not reconstructed fantasy, is the aim of Charles Daudert's research and his purpose in writing this book. And here, he correctly observes that-far more than any other religious system in the world-Christianity's Holy Book deals in fact-solid, sober fact-in its historical segments. Only one other religion in the world can also make that claim, since its Holy Book is similarly factual, and that is Christianity's parent, namely Judaism History buffs looking for more detailed information on the life of Jesus and the early Church will find the sources quoted in this book to be rich, rewarding and reliable. Others, whose curiosity regarding Jesus and the early Christians may have been aroused by popular movies or television programs, but who are overwhelmed by Bibles consisting of 2000 pages of small print, will find this book a comfortable place to begin.