So I’ve been reading “Desire of the Everlasting Hills, The World Before and After Jesus” by Thomas Cahill. It’s part of his Hinges of History series. This is a fascinating book that places (So far as I’ve read) Jesus and now Paul in their historical context. It’s great reading, and it has been very thought provoking.

I hadn’t realized that Jesus was born into a time when Israel had a false King, a false priesthood, and many believed they were living in the time of Apocalypse (Old Testament style). Jesus came in the exactly wrong way by their standards for a messiah. He didn’t come bearing a sword but a message of peace.

What I really like about this book is not just that it is well written. But also that it deals with the gospels and how they can be seen as historical documents. When I’ve finished the book I’ll post some more thoughts here.