Review of: Peter Connolly, “Living in the Time of Jesus of Nazareth” (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983)

At first glance, the title and colourful cover of this thin hardback book makes it look like something you might have read at Sunday school. Holding it in your hands it lacks the gravitas that makes the casual browser think that this is anything more than a children’s book. This, however, would be a very unfair assessment. In actuality this book is an accessible and very succinct summary of the events leading up to the First Jewish Revolt against Rome from the start of Herod the Great’s reign. I wish this had been on the shelves in Sunday school!

At 96 pages this is a short work, however it still packs in a decent amount of historical background. Ironically given the title, there is very little about Jesus himself, Connolly spending perhaps two short paragraphs outlining the bare historical facts of his life. Instead, in chronological style he explains how various political events such as the rise of Herod, Anthony and Cleopatra’s downfall, Caligula’s reign, and so on, affected the course of events in Judaea up to the outbreak of the revolt. He then spends the final twenty pages examining the First Jewish Revolt up to and including the fall of Masada. While Connolly’s discussion of the historical events is not ground-breaking, it has the virtue of clarity and conciseness which makes it ideal for someone just starting to learn about the First Revolt period. You will not find yourself overwhelmed with information, which is an achievement given how complex this period is.

Perhaps more importantly though, alongside the chronological explanation of events, this book includes information about the culture and lifestyles of the Judaean people of all social classes, supported by a host of photos of archaeological artefacts as well as illustrations. In my opinion these illustrations are the highlight of the book and the primary reason I originally got myself a copy of it, as they have provided great inspiration when painting my Jewish Revolt miniatures.

In summary, if you are new to the period and looking for an introductory primer to get you started this is a good place to begin. I can also recommend this to people looking for painting inspiration. I found my copy for about £10, and I felt this was a reasonable price. If, however, you are looking for something a bit more in-depth, I would not recommend this. Instead, you may want to look at something like Neil Faulkner's "Apocalypse" (review to follow).