Killing Jesus: A History

of more recent times, but the men who wrote the history of that period were very much concerned with getting their facts straight and telling the story as completely as possible. The Romans were very keen to chronicle their times, going so far as to publish a daily gazette known as the acta diurna , which was handwritten in Rome and posted throughout the city and distributed to Rome’s many provinces. Its contents included information on such newsworthy events as crimes, marriages and divorces, and the upcoming schedule of gladiator battles. Sadly, not a single copy has survived to this day, but our knowledge that such a thing as the acta diurna once existed shows a commitment to the historical record.
    This is a book that gives context to the life of Jesus, so it was also necessary to dig into a variety of other peripheral data in order to describe everything from the shape of a Galilean fishing boat to the type of roof on a Nazarene home. For these facts, like so many other details about that period, we are indebted to the men and women who spend their lives engaged in researching the historicity of biblical times.
    And travel, as always, was a vital aspect of our research. Seeing the sights that Jesus saw, walking on the same streets (now buried beneath Jerusalem but accessible, thanks to recent excavations), and even climbing to the top of the Mount of Olives to view the Temple walls from that epic vantage point added immensely to the descriptions that you have read in this book. It is compelling beyond words to read a version of events, such as those found in the Gospels, and to then stand at one of those very sites to gain a new perspective on this most pivotal time in world history.
    There are a number of different versions and translations of the Bible in existence, ranging from the time-honored King James Version to the New Jerusalem Bible. For the sake of consistency, we have used just one, Zondervan’s New International Version Study Bible, which offers not just the words and depictions of Jesus’s life but also detailed sidebars about everything from the height of the Temple to a time line depicting Jesus’s ministry.
    In addition to the Jewish, Greek, and Roman authors that have already been referenced in the text of Killing Jesus , what follows is a detailed list of the many sources upon which we leaned. While lengthy, this list is by no means exhaustive and is grouped by subject matter.
    Rome : Rome and Jerusalem , by Martin Goodman, is eminently readable and highly recommended, as is Rubicon , by Tom Holland. Various other books were consulted for detailed information about life in the Roman Republic and among the legions. Chief among them were The Complete Roman Legions , by Nigel Pollard and Joanne Berry, and The Roman Army , edited by Chris McNab, which offer amazing insight into not just the lives of soldiers and leaders but also the evolution of Rome from a fledgling city to a vast empire. Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament , taken from a series of lectures by A. N. Sherwin-White, provides a more academic view of those times, while Jerusalem, by Simon Sebag Montefiore, allows a great overview of the contentious relationship between Rome and Judea. The Joy of Sexus , by Vicki Leon, explores lust and longing in the Roman world. Religions of Rome , by Mary Beard, John North, and Simon Price, offers insight into the deity of Julius Caesar. Caesar , by Theodore Dodge, describes the slaughter of the Germans that made the Rubicon incident necessary. And Ralph Ellis’s Cleopatra to Christ and Joann Fletcher’s Cleopatra the Great provide many insights into Cleopatra.
    And there’s no better way to pass the time on a transatlantic plane flight than to immerse oneself in Martin Hengel’s Crucifixion and its countless details about the many ways the Romans used the cross to torment their enemies.
    Powerful Figures in Judean Politics : It’s not going too far out on a limb to say that Helen K. Bond is the eminent authority here, delving into the life of both Pilate and Caiaphas with Pontius Pilate in History and Interpretation and Caiaphas: Friend of Rome and Judge of Jesus? Her scholarship is riveting and filled with valuable nuggets of insight and information. Herod , by Peter Richardson, is nothing short of monumental, fleshing out the life of one of history’s most ruthless individuals. The Army of Herod the Great , by Samuel Rocca, offers not just minute details but also