Light from the Ancient Past, Vol. 2: The Archaeological Background of the Hebrew-Christian Religion

by Jack Finegan

Book Overview

A photograph, map, or diagram illustrates the text for every site described in this pilgrimage to Palestine, beginning with places connected with John the Baptist and proceeding to Bethlehem and Nazareth, Samaria and Galilee, Jerash, Caesarea, Jericho, the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, and Emmaus. Each entry concludes with a brief bibliography of pertinent literature. Professor Finegan's knowledge of Christian theology and history plus his command of...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0691002088
• ISBN13: 9780691002088
• Release Date: November 1969
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Length: 536 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

One volume history of the monotheistic religions

How old are the oldest surviving secular books? Old testaments? New Testaments? What is the oldest representation of the face of Jesus. How is papyrus made? What is vellum, parchment, etc. How old is writing? What do Sumer, Babylon, Akkadia, Egypt, Greece, have to do with modern religions? When were the catacombs rediscovered? How were the ancient languages deciphered? Finegan's masterpiece would be my choice were I allowed to have but one book in my history library. Written for the educated and open minded layman, it presents six thousand or so years of history of the religious history of western man in one large volume with as complete a coverage as is possible in one work, with plenty of the tidbits of trivia required to keep history interesting. The photos are well selected and Finegan treats the whole without giving a glimpse into his personal religious philosophy or detracting from the others he is bringing to light. I have loaned my copy out twice and twice had much trouble in getting it back. It is a book I read and reread and is one which can be opened at random for a quick ten minutes or so of enlightenment.