exciting read, 12 Oct 2007
I thought that as Mark is the shortest gospel it would be sketchy and dull This book brought Mark to me as a vivid exciting read with a huge build up of tension in the story. I was as gripped as by any thriller. I thoroughly recommend it.

Comprehensive but very readable, 14 Sep 2007
Wright approaches the gospel of Mark, as with all the books in his 'For Everyone' series, in a gentle manner, covering the story bit by bit in no more than three pages. Excellent introductions in his own words, with a readable and concise commentary. By no means heavy, but accurate, and can be used for brief daily study. Highly recommended.

A brilliant read, 10 Sep 2007
Easy to read and understand, this book gave me not only the historical background to the gospel, but also a greater understanding of the deeper meaning behind every part of it. It is a book to which I shall keep returning.

Easy read, well explained well worth it, 02 Apr 2002
This book is a really great explanation of the gospel; it is written in plain english and explains the gospel, the context it is written in and the content is simple but informative. i got a lot from this book and i'm now collecting the other books in the series. Buy it, it's worth it

exciting read, 12 Oct 2007
I thought that as Mark is the shortest gospel it would be sketchy and dull This book brought Mark to me as a vivid exciting read with a huge build up of tension in the story. I was as gripped as by any thriller. I thoroughly recommend it.

Comprehensive but very readable, 14 Sep 2007
Wright approaches the gospel of Mark, as with all the books in his 'For Everyone' series, in a gentle manner, covering the story bit by bit in no more than three pages. Excellent introductions in his own words, with a readable and concise commentary. By no means heavy, but accurate, and can be used for brief daily study. Highly recommended.

A brilliant read, 10 Sep 2007
Easy to read and understand, this book gave me not only the historical background to the gospel, but also a greater understanding of the deeper meaning behind every part of it. It is a book to which I shall keep returning.

Easy read, well explained well worth it, 02 Apr 2002
This book is a really great explanation of the gospel; it is written in plain english and explains the gospel, the context it is written in and the content is simple but informative. i got a lot from this book and i'm now collecting the other books in the series. Buy it, it's worth it

Fascinating pre-New Testament writings..., 25 Oct 2007
This has been gathering dust on my shelf for a few years now, and I've only just got round to reading it. The five books of 1st Enoch range from the utterly fascinating to sure-fire cures for insomnia.

Written between the old and new testaments, it gives a fascinating insight into what some Jewish groups believed at that time (for example, several editions of Enoch were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.)

Anyone with an interest in the New Testament could learn a lot by reading Enoch. Attitudes of people in the gospels have clearly been coloured by the content and even vocabulary of Enoch. And, of course, it's even quoted in Jude and 2 Peter. Parts of it are so startlingly similar to the book of Revelation that it must surely have provided a visual vocabulary for the writer of that book.

For the background and relevance of Enoch, I *highly* recommend "Exploring Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period" by Larry R Helyer. It provides a great survey of a wide range of this and other books, from the 'Testament of Moses' to Josephus, and from the Dead Sea scrolls to Philo - and much more!

History of the angels, 14 Jun 2003
A good formerly heretical work, that details the SECOND FALL of the angels, and early human pre-history from a biblical perspective. the work at points includes parralels where differences have arrisen between two available translations.
The book has the journey of enoch through the heavens a truely epic view of heaven not often found in scripture, and also details the workings of cosmology to primitive humans. The main attraction for me was the details of the angelic nature and society something only breifly delt with at best if at all. The only other strong direct references would be in Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah. Good for an theologian or personw ishing to expand there spiritual understanding.

A much neglected key to a better understanding., 12 Jun 2002
This impressive translation is a true masterpieceand worthy of the uttermost attention. Any book that had the Church "Fathers" as spooked as this one did demands to be read. Unlike the mostly ridiculous Gnosic gospels also excluded from the Bible, this ancient Jewish text carries a divine authority that demands it be taken seriously. The very fact that the prophecies of Enoch were fulfilled to the letter in the timeframes suggested, should be reason enough for Christans to want to study it. The prophecy concerning the judgement of a wicked generation, seventy generations from Enoch (Christ's contemporary generation according to the gospel of Luke) found a devastating fulfillment in the fiery destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, exactly as Christ predicted would befall his own generation!The majority of Christians may not accept Enoch as scripture but clearly Christ and his disciples did and I'm sure that Christ would agree that the majority are rarely, if ever right. Why not read these texts for yourself and make up your own mind what you believe? Maybe, as more and more Christians explore the Jewish roots of their faith, true Christianity will be restored and the foundations of "Churchianity" will be trampled into the dust where they belong! A truly compelling read and I very much urge you to try it.

Standard edition of Enoch, 11 Jun 2002
For those that are not familiar with Book of Enoch, in brief, it is a 3rd-2nd Century BC Jewish text based on an imaginative expansion of Genesis 6:2 (the sons of God and the daughters of men), which tells the story of 200 angels intermarrying with human women prior to the flood, and was something of a bestseller in the days of Jesus and the apostles. It was kept firmly out of the New Testament canon but survived in Egypt and Ethiopia, to be rediscovered by western scholars in the Victorian era. In 1948 fragments of up to 7 copies were found in Qumran, where they had been buried since AD69.

Since the work was first made available to the general public (notably in this edition reprinted here) it has attracted a growing following among those who find the Bible lacking in the angels-and-sex department.

I should make clear that the 3 stars given here are for the work of R.H. Charles, a very serious and respectable scholar in his day, and not for the content of the Book of Enoch itself. Although this work is now out of copyright the advantage of buying a reprint by the original publishers in 1910, SPCK, is that you get Charles' necessary introduction. There is a more modern translation in Charlesworth's two-volume edition of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (Doubleday), however the fragments of Enoch found in the Dead Sea Scrolls have not made as much of an impact on Book of Enoch as one might imagine - the primary source text being Coptic.

If I was asked to rate the book itself I would give it the minimum 1 star as given by the apostle Peter's review of the Book of Enoch in 2Peter 2:16 "cleverly devised tales" and 2:3 "false words".

It is true that Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch, but the bit he quotes happens to be the only part directly drawn from the Old Testament(Jude 14 = 1 Enoch 1:9 = Deuteronomy 33:2). Jude's comment that Michael would not accuse fallen angels is also related to Book of Enoch, because in Enoch he does exactly what Jude says never happened.

And fascinating reading for anyone else..., 11 Oct 2001
I would simply like to endorse everything written by the previous reviewer. I came across this text by accident while gathering research for a project which at first bore very little connection with its themes. It took hold of my imagination, and soon became pivotal. And there it sits, quietly overlooked, burning ferociously. A dramatic eye-opener.

exciting read, 12 Oct 2007
I thought that as Mark is the shortest gospel it would be sketchy and dull This book brought Mark to me as a vivid exciting read with a huge build up of tension in the story. I was as gripped as by any thriller. I thoroughly recommend it.

Comprehensive but very readable, 14 Sep 2007
Wright approaches the gospel of Mark, as with all the books in his 'For Everyone' series, in a gentle manner, covering the story bit by bit in no more than three pages. Excellent introductions in his own words, with a readable and concise commentary. By no means heavy, but accurate, and can be used for brief daily study. Highly recommended.

A brilliant read, 10 Sep 2007
Easy to read and understand, this book gave me not only the historical background to the gospel, but also a greater understanding of the deeper meaning behind every part of it. It is a book to which I shall keep returning.

Easy read, well explained well worth it, 02 Apr 2002
This book is a really great explanation of the gospel; it is written in plain english and explains the gospel, the context it is written in and the content is simple but informative. i got a lot from this book and i'm now collecting the other books in the series. Buy it, it's worth it

Fascinating pre-New Testament writings..., 25 Oct 2007
This has been gathering dust on my shelf for a few years now, and I've only just got round to reading it. The five books of 1st Enoch range from the utterly fascinating to sure-fire cures for insomnia.

Written between the old and new testaments, it gives a fascinating insight into what some Jewish groups believed at that time (for example, several editions of Enoch were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.)

Anyone with an interest in the New Testament could learn a lot by reading Enoch. Attitudes of people in the gospels have clearly been coloured by the content and even vocabulary of Enoch. And, of course, it's even quoted in Jude and 2 Peter. Parts of it are so startlingly similar to the book of Revelation that it must surely have provided a visual vocabulary for the writer of that book.

For the background and relevance of Enoch, I *highly* recommend "Exploring Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period" by Larry R Helyer. It provides a great survey of a wide range of this and other books, from the 'Testament of Moses' to Josephus, and from the Dead Sea scrolls to Philo - and much more!

History of the angels, 14 Jun 2003
A good formerly heretical work, that details the SECOND FALL of the angels, and early human pre-history from a biblical perspective. the work at points includes parralels where differences have arrisen between two available translations.
The book has the journey of enoch through the heavens a truely epic view of heaven not often found in scripture, and also details the workings of cosmology to primitive humans. The main attraction for me was the details of the angelic nature and society something only breifly delt with at best if at all. The only other strong direct references would be in Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah. Good for an theologian or personw ishing to expand there spiritual understanding.

A much neglected key to a better understanding., 12 Jun 2002
This impressive translation is a true masterpieceand worthy of the uttermost attention. Any book that had the Church "Fathers" as spooked as this one did demands to be read. Unlike the mostly ridiculous Gnosic gospels also excluded from the Bible, this ancient Jewish text carries a divine authority that demands it be taken seriously. The very fact that the prophecies of Enoch were fulfilled to the letter in the timeframes suggested, should be reason enough for Christans to want to study it. The prophecy concerning the judgement of a wicked generation, seventy generations from Enoch (Christ's contemporary generation according to the gospel of Luke) found a devastating fulfillment in the fiery destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, exactly as Christ predicted would befall his own generation!The majority of Christians may not accept Enoch as scripture but clearly Christ and his disciples did and I'm sure that Christ would agree that the majority are rarely, if ever right. Why not read these texts for yourself and make up your own mind what you believe? Maybe, as more and more Christians explore the Jewish roots of their faith, true Christianity will be restored and the foundations of "Churchianity" will be trampled into the dust where they belong! A truly compelling read and I very much urge you to try it.

Standard edition of Enoch, 11 Jun 2002
For those that are not familiar with Book of Enoch, in brief, it is a 3rd-2nd Century BC Jewish text based on an imaginative expansion of Genesis 6:2 (the sons of God and the daughters of men), which tells the story of 200 angels intermarrying with human women prior to the flood, and was something of a bestseller in the days of Jesus and the apostles. It was kept firmly out of the New Testament canon but survived in Egypt and Ethiopia, to be rediscovered by western scholars in the Victorian era. In 1948 fragments of up to 7 copies were found in Qumran, where they had been buried since AD69.

Since the work was first made available to the general public (notably in this edition reprinted here) it has attracted a growing following among those who find the Bible lacking in the angels-and-sex department.

I should make clear that the 3 stars given here are for the work of R.H. Charles, a very serious and respectable scholar in his day, and not for the content of the Book of Enoch itself. Although this work is now out of copyright the advantage of buying a reprint by the original publishers in 1910, SPCK, is that you get Charles' necessary introduction. There is a more modern translation in Charlesworth's two-volume edition of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (Doubleday), however the fragments of Enoch found in the Dead Sea Scrolls have not made as much of an impact on Book of Enoch as one might imagine - the primary source text being Coptic.

If I was asked to rate the book itself I would give it the minimum 1 star as given by the apostle Peter's review of the Book of Enoch in 2Peter 2:16 "cleverly devised tales" and 2:3 "false words".

It is true that Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch, but the bit he quotes happens to be the only part directly drawn from the Old Testament(Jude 14 = 1 Enoch 1:9 = Deuteronomy 33:2). Jude's comment that Michael would not accuse fallen angels is also related to Book of Enoch, because in Enoch he does exactly what Jude says never happened.

And fascinating reading for anyone else..., 11 Oct 2001
I would simply like to endorse everything written by the previous reviewer. I came across this text by accident while gathering research for a project which at first bore very little connection with its themes. It took hold of my imagination, and soon became pivotal. And there it sits, quietly overlooked, burning ferociously. A dramatic eye-opener.

A good introduction for the study of Jesus, 23 Aug 2007
This is a good introduction for those interested in studying the historical figure of Jesus. Deceptively short as the text is quite small, Sanders provides a welcome antidote to the sensationalist pseudo-history such as Holy Blood Holy Grail and others.

Sanders is correct to state that the study of the historical Jesus is a perilous and frustrating task, not least due to the lack of sources. Sanders cleverly provides a setting for Jesus, putting him fully in his times of first century Galilee and Judaea. He places Jesus vis a vis Judaism and the political climate of Jesus' time. The strength of this book is that it is not encumbered with theology, but is an appraisal of Jesus the man, someone who had, or believed he had, an intimate relationship with God and who saw himself as the man to prepare the Jews for the coming of the kingdom. As Sanders correctly concludes, as a result Jesus was more of a teacher and a prophet than a preacher of repentance.

All in all a recommended book for both Christians and non-Christians wanting a good introduction to Jesus, without sensationalism, be it theological or pseudo-historical.




Infromative, 11 Feb 2006
This is an excellent and readable study of the historical figure of Jesus.

Certainly a Helpful Introduction, 29 Dec 2005
This work provides not just an Introduction to reconstructing the life of the historical Jesus, but also to the modes of biblical criticism. The chapter on the Method and Setting of Jesus' Ministry is particularly valuable, and rightly points out misconceptions about the amount of time Jesus would have spent in Judea as opposed to his native Galilee. The book is well written, and the information it provides set down clearly for comfortable reading. In places more detail might be useful, especially regarding the primary and secondary sources that he uses, although these discrepancies are totally rectified by his more in depth works, such as the celebrated 'Jesus and Judaism,' and his work on Paul.

As to his conclusions, they are both conservative and forward looking. This is not a contradiction, as Sanders really pioneers the view that much can be known about the historical Jesus, while at the same time not straying drastically outside generally accepted scholarly thought. His is a careful, but worthy, reconstruction of the life and times of arguably the most influential figure in history.

Authoritative review of Jesus' life, 01 Oct 2005
Whilst books like the Da Vinci Code continue to dominate people's thinking on religion, books like these based in fact provide a welcome read. This book in particular is probably the best historical book I have read.

Sanders has not only created a book that is authorative and intelletucual, but he does what other academics fail to do - he makes it readable. Sanders focuses only on what can be proved or dissproved and rarely goes into speculation. If he does he always tempers it with a 'we infer'. Sanders goes into some detail about the historical setting of Jerusalm and Jewdasim at Jesus' time to build his case.

What he doesn't do is go into great details about his birth or upbringing, because quite simply, he has no proof or knowledge of it.

Very much a recommended read for all those that interested in trying to understand the facts of Jesus' life as opposed to speculating on it.

Enjoyable, informative, authoritative, 17 Aug 2004
Professor Sanders must be one of those rare academics who can write well for the general public, neither over-simplifying the content nor boring the reader with excessive detail. The book has just the right balance of readability and credibility, and there are new insights on every page. Particularly interesting were the first few chapters, covering the historical and political background. We are all aware that Palestine was "occupied" by the Roman Empire at this period, but what was the nature of the occupation? Was it, for example, comparable to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in the early 1940s? The answer apparently is no, and the situation in Galilee was very different from that in Jerusalem. The book paints a clear picture of what life was like for ordinary people living in that region around that time. In dealing with the events of Jesus's life, Sanders always makes clear the degree of certainty of any assertion. There is a scale, with "beyond all reasonable doubt" at one end and "as likely as not" at the other. People who want simple answers in black and white may be disappointed by this, but ancient history is not an exact science. This is surely the honest approach.

Professor Sanders has been studying this period since the 1960s and appears to be regarded as knowledgeable on Jesus (as well as on Paul). I am not in a position to judge, but certainly the book seems more authoritative than some similar titles written by journalists or by those with a proselytising agenda. Although raised in the Church of England, I read this book as a complete layman. I was aware that I had no idea how much of what I had been taught was true in a historical sense and how much was mere legend, tradition or the personal opinion of my teachers, and I was starting to ask questions like "who wrote the gospels, and when?" and "what did Jesus ACTUALLY say?". This book has taught me a great deal about the origins of this vast religion.

There is perhaps too much emphasis on dates. To the lay reader, the exact years of Jesus's birth and death are less interesting than what happened in between. And while I'm looking for faults, I could mention that there are a few things that are not well explained. For example, the Pharisees are referred to as a party, but what is meant by "party" in this context? Is it something equivalent to a modern political party? Obviously not, though just what kind of a group they were is still not clear to me. But there are few such omissions. All in all, this book gave me the information that I wanted in an enjoyable form, and I happily recommend it.

exciting read, 12 Oct 2007
I thought that as Mark is the shortest gospel it would be sketchy and dull This book brought Mark to me as a vivid exciting read with a huge build up of tension in the story. I was as gripped as by any thriller. I thoroughly recommend it.

Comprehensive but very readable, 14 Sep 2007
Wright approaches the gospel of Mark, as with all the books in his 'For Everyone' series, in a gentle manner, covering the story bit by bit in no more than three pages. Excellent introductions in his own words, with a readable and concise commentary. By no means heavy, but accurate, and can be used for brief daily study. Highly recommended.

A brilliant read, 10 Sep 2007
Easy to read and understand, this book gave me not only the historical background to the gospel, but also a greater understanding of the deeper meaning behind every part of it. It is a book to which I shall keep returning.

Easy read, well explained well worth it, 02 Apr 2002
This book is a really great explanation of the gospel; it is written in plain english and explains the gospel, the context it is written in and the content is simple but informative. i got a lot from this book and i'm now collecting the other books in the series. Buy it, it's worth it

Fascinating pre-New Testament writings..., 25 Oct 2007
This has been gathering dust on my shelf for a few years now, and I've only just got round to reading it. The five books of 1st Enoch range from the utterly fascinating to sure-fire cures for insomnia.

Written between the old and new testaments, it gives a fascinating insight into what some Jewish groups believed at that time (for example, several editions of Enoch were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.)

Anyone with an interest in the New Testament could learn a lot by reading Enoch. Attitudes of people in the gospels have clearly been coloured by the content and even vocabulary of Enoch. And, of course, it's even quoted in Jude and 2 Peter. Parts of it are so startlingly similar to the book of Revelation that it must surely have provided a visual vocabulary for the writer of that book.

For the background and relevance of Enoch, I *highly* recommend "Exploring Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period" by Larry R Helyer. It provides a great survey of a wide range of this and other books, from the 'Testament of Moses' to Josephus, and from the Dead Sea scrolls to Philo - and much more!

History of the angels, 14 Jun 2003
A good formerly heretical work, that details the SECOND FALL of the angels, and early human pre-history from a biblical perspective. the work at points includes parralels where differences have arrisen between two available translations.
The book has the journey of enoch through the heavens a truely epic view of heaven not often found in scripture, and also details the workings of cosmology to primitive humans. The main attraction for me was the details of the angelic nature and society something only breifly delt with at best if at all. The only other strong direct references would be in Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah. Good for an theologian or personw ishing to expand there spiritual understanding.

A much neglected key to a better understanding., 12 Jun 2002
This impressive translation is a true masterpieceand worthy of the uttermost attention. Any book that had the Church "Fathers" as spooked as this one did demands to be read. Unlike the mostly ridiculous Gnosic gospels also excluded from the Bible, this ancient Jewish text carries a divine authority that demands it be taken seriously. The very fact that the prophecies of Enoch were fulfilled to the letter in the timeframes suggested, should be reason enough for Christans to want to study it. The prophecy concerning the judgement of a wicked generation, seventy generations from Enoch (Christ's contemporary generation according to the gospel of Luke) found a devastating fulfillment in the fiery destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, exactly as Christ predicted would befall his own generation!The majority of Christians may not accept Enoch as scripture but clearly Christ and his disciples did and I'm sure that Christ would agree that the majority are rarely, if ever right. Why not read these texts for yourself and make up your own mind what you believe? Maybe, as more and more Christians explore the Jewish roots of their faith, true Christianity will be restored and the foundations of "Churchianity" will be trampled into the dust where they belong! A truly compelling read and I very much urge you to try it.

Standard edition of Enoch, 11 Jun 2002
For those that are not familiar with Book of Enoch, in brief, it is a 3rd-2nd Century BC Jewish text based on an imaginative expansion of Genesis 6:2 (the sons of God and the daughters of men), which tells the story of 200 angels intermarrying with human women prior to the flood, and was something of a bestseller in the days of Jesus and the apostles. It was kept firmly out of the New Testament canon but survived in Egypt and Ethiopia, to be rediscovered by western scholars in the Victorian era. In 1948 fragments of up to 7 copies were found in Qumran, where they had been buried since AD69.

Since the work was first made available to the general public (notably in this edition reprinted here) it has attracted a growing following among those who find the Bible lacking in the angels-and-sex department.

I should make clear that the 3 stars given here are for the work of R.H. Charles, a very serious and respectable scholar in his day, and not for the content of the Book of Enoch itself. Although this work is now out of copyright the advantage of buying a reprint by the original publishers in 1910, SPCK, is that you get Charles' necessary introduction. There is a more modern translation in Charlesworth's two-volume edition of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (Doubleday), however the fragments of Enoch found in the Dead Sea Scrolls have not made as much of an impact on Book of Enoch as one might imagine - the primary source text being Coptic.

If I was asked to rate the book itself I would give it the minimum 1 star as given by the apostle Peter's review of the Book of Enoch in 2Peter 2:16 "cleverly devised tales" and 2:3 "false words".

It is true that Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch, but the bit he quotes happens to be the only part directly drawn from the Old Testament(Jude 14 = 1 Enoch 1:9 = Deuteronomy 33:2). Jude's comment that Michael would not accuse fallen angels is also related to Book of Enoch, because in Enoch he does exactly what Jude says never happened.

And fascinating reading for anyone else..., 11 Oct 2001
I would simply like to endorse everything written by the previous reviewer. I came across this text by accident while gathering research for a project which at first bore very little connection with its themes. It took hold of my imagination, and soon became pivotal. And there it sits, quietly overlooked, burning ferociously. A dramatic eye-opener.

A good introduction for the study of Jesus, 23 Aug 2007
This is a good introduction for those interested in studying the historical figure of Jesus. Deceptively short as the text is quite small, Sanders provides a welcome antidote to the sensationalist pseudo-history such as Holy Blood Holy Grail and others.

Sanders is correct to state that the study of the historical Jesus is a perilous and frustrating task, not least due to the lack of sources. Sanders cleverly provides a setting for Jesus, putting him fully in his times of first century Galilee and Judaea. He places Jesus vis a vis Judaism and the political climate of Jesus' time. The strength of this book is that it is not encumbered with theology, but is an appraisal of Jesus the man, someone who had, or believed he had, an intimate relationship with God and who saw himself as the man to prepare the Jews for the coming of the kingdom. As Sanders correctly concludes, as a result Jesus was more of a teacher and a prophet than a preacher of repentance.

All in all a recommended book for both Christians and non-Christians wanting a good introduction to Jesus, without sensationalism, be it theological or pseudo-historical.




Infromative, 11 Feb 2006
This is an excellent and readable study of the historical figure of Jesus.

Certainly a Helpful Introduction, 29 Dec 2005
This work provides not just an Introduction to reconstructing the life of the historical Jesus, but also to the modes of biblical criticism. The chapter on the Method and Setting of Jesus' Ministry is particularly valuable, and rightly points out misconceptions about the amount of time Jesus would have spent in Judea as opposed to his native Galilee. The book is well written, and the information it provides set down clearly for comfortable reading. In places more detail might be useful, especially regarding the primary and secondary sources that he uses, although these discrepancies are totally rectified by his more in depth works, such as the celebrated 'Jesus and Judaism,' and his work on Paul.

As to his conclusions, they are both conservative and forward looking. This is not a contradiction, as Sanders really pioneers the view that much can be known about the historical Jesus, while at the same time not straying drastically outside generally accepted scholarly thought. His is a careful, but worthy, reconstruction of the life and times of arguably the most influential figure in history.

Authoritative review of Jesus' life, 01 Oct 2005
Whilst books like the Da Vinci Code continue to dominate people's thinking on religion, books like these based in fact provide a welcome read. This book in particular is probably the best historical book I have read.

Sanders has not only created a book that is authorative and intelletucual, but he does what other academics fail to do - he makes it readable. Sanders focuses only on what can be proved or dissproved and rarely goes into speculation. If he does he always tempers it with a 'we infer'. Sanders goes into some detail about the historical setting of Jerusalm and Jewdasim at Jesus' time to build his case.

What he doesn't do is go into great details about his birth or upbringing, because quite simply, he has no proof or knowledge of it.

Very much a recommended read for all those that interested in trying to understand the facts of Jesus' life as opposed to speculating on it.

Enjoyable, informative, authoritative, 17 Aug 2004
Professor Sanders must be one of those rare academics who can write well for the general public, neither over-simplifying the content nor boring the reader with excessive detail. The book has just the right balance of readability and credibility, and there are new insights on every page. Particularly interesting were the first few chapters, covering the historical and political background. We are all aware that Palestine was "occupied" by the Roman Empire at this period, but what was the nature of the occupation? Was it, for example, comparable to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in the early 1940s? The answer apparently is no, and the situation in Galilee was very different from that in Jerusalem. The book paints a clear picture of what life was like for ordinary people living in that region around that time. In dealing with the events of Jesus's life, Sanders always makes clear the degree of certainty of any assertion. There is a scale, with "beyond all reasonable doubt" at one end and "as likely as not" at the other. People who want simple answers in black and white may be disappointed by this, but ancient history is not an exact science. This is surely the honest approach.

Professor Sanders has been studying this period since the 1960s and appears to be regarded as knowledgeable on Jesus (as well as on Paul). I am not in a position to judge, but certainly the book seems more authoritative than some similar titles written by journalists or by those with a proselytising agenda. Although raised in the Church of England, I read this book as a complete layman. I was aware that I had no idea how much of what I had been taught was true in a historical sense and how much was mere legend, tradition or the personal opinion of my teachers, and I was starting to ask questions like "who wrote the gospels, and when?" and "what did Jesus ACTUALLY say?". This book has taught me a great deal about the origins of this vast religion.

There is perhaps too much emphasis on dates. To the lay reader, the exact years of Jesus's birth and death are less interesting than what happened in between. And while I'm looking for faults, I could mention that there are a few things that are not well explained. For example, the Pharisees are referred to as a party, but what is meant by "party" in this context? Is it something equivalent to a modern political party? Obviously not, though just what kind of a group they were is still not clear to me. But there are few such omissions. All in all, this book gave me the information that I wanted in an enjoyable form, and I happily recommend it.

A delight...highly recommended., 01 Aug 2008
From the first page through to the last, this book is a real delight. I honestly treasure it.

In the past I have found commentaries to be books I only use as resource material, too heavy for much general reading. Understanding the scriptures is important to me and I am very grateful that the author chose to pass on his knowledge in such a gentle, engaging style. It means I can come home after a long day at work, help the kids with their homework and then have enough energy left to delve into the bible.

This is a book I look forward to opening each evening. Its like sitting down with a wise, learned old friend to discuss the bible together. Tom Wright has turned me from being a tired student into an avid reader.

I am totally impressed and have bought the lot. The whole set so far.

I want to shake him by the hand.

Thank you Tom.

Neil Hardisty.






Makes up to date scholarship on Luke easily accessible, 07 Jun 2002
Tom Wright is to be congratulated on making up to date scholarship on Luke's gospel not only easily accessible, but a source of inspiration and worship.
Wright begins each section of the book with a fresh translation of a few verses followed by a detailed commentary, usually beginning with a helpful illustration.
Each section takes about ten minutes to read. The book therefore lends itself to daily devotional reading
Within our Church congregation the book is being enjoyed by someone who has two M.A. degrees in theology, as well as some who have become Christians within the last few months.
Recommended for everyone who wants to take a fresh look at Luke's gospel.

exciting read, 12 Oct 2007
I thought that as Mark is the shortest gospel it would be sketchy and dull This book brought Mark to me as a vivid exciting read with a huge build up of tension in the story. I was as gripped as by any thriller. I thoroughly recommend it.

Comprehensive but very readable, 14 Sep 2007
Wright approaches the gospel of Mark, as with all the books in his 'For Everyone' series, in a gentle manner, covering the story bit by bit in no more than three pages. Excellent introductions in his own words, with a readable and concise commentary. By no means heavy, but accurate, and can be used for brief daily study. Highly recommended.

A brilliant read, 10 Sep 2007
Easy to read and understand, this book gave me not only the historical background to the gospel, but also a greater understanding of the deeper meaning behind every part of it. It is a book to which I shall keep returning.

Easy read, well explained well worth it, 02 Apr 2002
This book is a really great explanation of the gospel; it is written in plain english and explains the gospel, the context it is written in and the content is simple but informative. i got a lot from this book and i'm now collecting the other books in the series. Buy it, it's worth it

Fascinating pre-New Testament writings..., 25 Oct 2007
This has been gathering dust on my shelf for a few years now, and I've only just got round to reading it. The five books of 1st Enoch range from the utterly fascinating to sure-fire cures for insomnia.

Written between the old and new testaments, it gives a fascinating insight into what some Jewish groups believed at that time (for example, several editions of Enoch were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.)

Anyone with an interest in the New Testament could learn a lot by reading Enoch. Attitudes of people in the gospels have clearly been coloured by the content and even vocabulary of Enoch. And, of course, it's even quoted in Jude and 2 Peter. Parts of it are so startlingly similar to the book of Revelation that it must surely have provided a visual vocabulary for the writer of that book.

For the background and relevance of Enoch, I *highly* recommend "Exploring Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period" by Larry R Helyer. It provides a great survey of a wide range of this and other books, from the 'Testament of Moses' to Josephus, and from the Dead Sea scrolls to Philo - and much more!

History of the angels, 14 Jun 2003
A good formerly heretical work, that details the SECOND FALL of the angels, and early human pre-history from a biblical perspective. the work at points includes parralels where differences have arrisen between two available translations.
The book has the journey of enoch through the heavens a truely epic view of heaven not often found in scripture, and also details the workings of cosmology to primitive humans. The main attraction for me was the details of the angelic nature and society something only breifly delt with at best if at all. The only other strong direct references would be in Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah. Good for an theologian or personw ishing to expand there spiritual understanding.

A much neglected key to a better understanding., 12 Jun 2002
This impressive translation is a true masterpieceand worthy of the uttermost attention. Any book that had the Church "Fathers" as spooked as this one did demands to be read. Unlike the mostly ridiculous Gnosic gospels also excluded from the Bible, this ancient Jewish text carries a divine authority that demands it be taken seriously. The very fact that the prophecies of Enoch were fulfilled to the letter in the timeframes suggested, should be reason enough for Christans to want to study it. The prophecy concerning the judgement of a wicked generation, seventy generations from Enoch (Christ's contemporary generation according to the gospel of Luke) found a devastating fulfillment in the fiery destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, exactly as Christ predicted would befall his own generation!The majority of Christians may not accept Enoch as scripture but clearly Christ and his disciples did and I'm sure that Christ would agree that the majority are rarely, if ever right. Why not read these texts for yourself and make up your own mind what you believe? Maybe, as more and more Christians explore the Jewish roots of their faith, true Christianity will be restored and the foundations of "Churchianity" will be trampled into the dust where they belong! A truly compelling read and I very much urge you to try it.

Standard edition of Enoch, 11 Jun 2002
For those that are not familiar with Book of Enoch, in brief, it is a 3rd-2nd Century BC Jewish text based on an imaginative expansion of Genesis 6:2 (the sons of God and the daughters of men), which tells the story of 200 angels intermarrying with human women prior to the flood, and was something of a bestseller in the days of Jesus and the apostles. It was kept firmly out of the New Testament canon but survived in Egypt and Ethiopia, to be rediscovered by western scholars in the Victorian era. In 1948 fragments of up to 7 copies were found in Qumran, where they had been buried since AD69.

Since the work was first made available to the general public (notably in this edition reprinted here) it has attracted a growing following among those who find the Bible lacking in the angels-and-sex department.

I should make clear that the 3 stars given here are for the work of R.H. Charles, a very serious and respectable scholar in his day, and not for the content of the Book of Enoch itself. Although this work is now out of copyright the advantage of buying a reprint by the original publishers in 1910, SPCK, is that you get Charles' necessary introduction. There is a more modern translation in Charlesworth's two-volume edition of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (Doubleday), however the fragments of Enoch found in the Dead Sea Scrolls have not made as much of an impact on Book of Enoch as one might imagine - the primary source text being Coptic.

If I was asked to rate the book itself I would give it the minimum 1 star as given by the apostle Peter's review of the Book of Enoch in 2Peter 2:16 "cleverly devised tales" and 2:3 "false words".

It is true that Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch, but the bit he quotes happens to be the only part directly drawn from the Old Testament(Jude 14 = 1 Enoch 1:9 = Deuteronomy 33:2). Jude's comment that Michael would not accuse fallen angels is also related to Book of Enoch, because in Enoch he does exactly what Jude says never happened.

And fascinating reading for anyone else..., 11 Oct 2001
I would simply like to endorse everything written by the previous reviewer. I came across this text by accident while gathering research for a project which at first bore very little connection with its themes. It took hold of my imagination, and soon became pivotal. And there it sits, quietly overlooked, burning ferociously. A dramatic eye-opener.

A good introduction for the study of Jesus, 23 Aug 2007
This is a good introduction for those interested in studying the historical figure of Jesus. Deceptively short as the text is quite small, Sanders provides a welcome antidote to the sensationalist pseudo-history such as Holy Blood Holy Grail and others.

Sanders is correct to state that the study of the historical Jesus is a perilous and frustrating task, not least due to the lack of sources. Sanders cleverly provides a setting for Jesus, putting him fully in his times of first century Galilee and Judaea. He places Jesus vis a vis Judaism and the political climate of Jesus' time. The strength of this book is that it is not encumbered with theology, but is an appraisal of Jesus the man, someone who had, or believed he had, an intimate relationship with God and who saw himself as the man to prepare the Jews for the coming of the kingdom. As Sanders correctly concludes, as a result Jesus was more of a teacher and a prophet than a preacher of repentance.

All in all a recommended book for both Christians and non-Christians wanting a good introduction to Jesus, without sensationalism, be it theological or pseudo-historical.




Infromative, 11 Feb 2006
This is an excellent and readable study of the historical figure of Jesus.

Certainly a Helpful Introduction, 29 Dec 2005
This work provides not just an Introduction to reconstructing the life of the historical Jesus, but also to the modes of biblical criticism. The chapter on the Method and Setting of Jesus' Ministry is particularly valuable, and rightly points out misconceptions about the amount of time Jesus would have spent in Judea as opposed to his native Galilee. The book is well written, and the information it provides set down clearly for comfortable reading. In places more detail might be useful, especially regarding the primary and secondary sources that he uses, although these discrepancies are totally rectified by his more in depth works, such as the celebrated 'Jesus and Judaism,' and his work on Paul.

As to his conclusions, they are both conservative and forward looking. This is not a contradiction, as Sanders really pioneers the view that much can be known about the historical Jesus, while at the same time not straying drastically outside generally accepted scholarly thought. His is a careful, but worthy, reconstruction of the life and times of arguably the most influential figure in history.

Authoritative review of Jesus' life, 01 Oct 2005
Whilst books like the Da Vinci Code continue to dominate people's thinking on religion, books like these based in fact provide a welcome read. This book in particular is probably the best historical book I have read.

Sanders has not only created a book that is authorative and intelletucual, but he does what other academics fail to do - he makes it readable. Sanders focuses only on what can be proved or dissproved and rarely goes into speculation. If he does he always tempers it with a 'we infer'. Sanders goes into some detail about the historical setting of Jerusalm and Jewdasim at Jesus' time to build his case.

What he doesn't do is go into great details about his birth or upbringing, because quite simply, he has no proof or knowledge of it.

Very much a recommended read for all those that interested in trying to understand the facts of Jesus' life as opposed to speculating on it.

Enjoyable, informative, authoritative, 17 Aug 2004
Professor Sanders must be one of those rare academics who can write well for the general public, neither over-simplifying the content nor boring the reader with excessive detail. The book has just the right balance of readability and credibility, and there are new insights on every page. Particularly interesting were the first few chapters, covering the historical and political background. We are all aware that Palestine was "occupied" by the Roman Empire at this period, but what was the nature of the occupation? Was it, for example, comparable to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in the early 1940s? The answer apparently is no, and the situation in Galilee was very different from that in Jerusalem. The book paints a clear picture of what life was like for ordinary people living in that region around that time. In dealing with the events of Jesus's life, Sanders always makes clear the degree of certainty of any assertion. There is a scale, with "beyond all reasonable doubt" at one end and "as likely as not" at the other. People who want simple answers in black and white may be disappointed by this, but ancient history is not an exact science. This is surely the honest approach.

Professor Sanders has been studying this period since the 1960s and appears to be regarded as knowledgeable on Jesus (as well as on Paul). I am not in a position to judge, but certainly the book seems more authoritative than some similar titles written by journalists or by those with a proselytising agenda. Although raised in the Church of England, I read this book as a complete layman. I was aware that I had no idea how much of what I had been taught was true in a historical sense and how much was mere legend, tradition or the personal opinion of my teachers, and I was starting to ask questions like "who wrote the gospels, and when?" and "what did Jesus ACTUALLY say?". This book has taught me a great deal about the origins of this vast religion.

There is perhaps too much emphasis on dates. To the lay reader, the exact years of Jesus's birth and death are less interesting than what happened in between. And while I'm looking for faults, I could mention that there are a few things that are not well explained. For example, the Pharisees are referred to as a party, but what is meant by "party" in this context? Is it something equivalent to a modern political party? Obviously not, though just what kind of a group they were is still not clear to me. But there are few such omissions. All in all, this book gave me the information that I wanted in an enjoyable form, and I happily recommend it.

A delight...highly recommended., 01 Aug 2008
From the first page through to the last, this book is a real delight. I honestly treasure it.

In the past I have found commentaries to be books I only use as resource material, too heavy for much general reading. Understanding the scriptures is important to me and I am very grateful that the author chose to pass on his knowledge in such a gentle, engaging style. It means I can come home after a long day at work, help the kids with their homework and then have enough energy left to delve into the bible.

This is a book I look forward to opening each evening. Its like sitting down with a wise, learned old friend to discuss the bible together. Tom Wright has turned me from being a tired student into an avid reader.

I am totally impressed and have bought the lot. The whole set so far.

I want to shake him by the hand.

Thank you Tom.

Neil Hardisty.






Makes up to date scholarship on Luke easily accessible, 07 Jun 2002
Tom Wright is to be congratulated on making up to date scholarship on Luke's gospel not only easily accessible, but a source of inspiration and worship.
Wright begins each section of the book with a fresh translation of a few verses followed by a detailed commentary, usually beginning with a helpful illustration.
Each section takes about ten minutes to read. The book therefore lends itself to daily devotional reading
Within our Church congregation the book is being enjoyed by someone who has two M.A. degrees in theology, as well as some who have become Christians within the last few months.
Recommended for everyone who wants to take a fresh look at Luke's gospel.

A Valuable Addition to the Student of Greek's Library , 01 Feb 2008
I have been studying Classical Greek for eight months and have been alternating between Peter Jones's book and that of John Taylor, both available on Amazon.

However I have also found this volume to be an extremely valuable tool for a number of reasons. Firstly the text is packed with apt tests and practices throughout for which the answers are provided. As I am not in a class nor have a teacher I find that this is extremely useful aid.

Also as I have a Roman Catholic upbringing the biblical phrases given as grammatical examples have the added effect of driving home the point.

The grammar is taught in a logical and helpful manner and a real sense of progress is experienced. The layout and print used is pleasing on the eye which is important when one is likely to spend some hours gazing over the text.

It is a pleasure finally to hear the spoken Greek in the CD but I was slightly disappointed that this was spoken in an American accent given the English University background to the book. Also I have some issues with the pronunciation. I think I prefer Peter Jones's tape to this CD. You can buy the book independent of the CD

Superb, 04 Aug 2005
This book is by far the clearest introduction to N.T. Greek I have seen, especially for home study without access to a tutor. By contrast, I found Mounce utterly impenetrable.
It assumes no prior knowledge at all, and takes you right from first principles (alphabet etc), explaining grammatical terms as they arise.
The only slight point which bothers me is that the book does not give stress marks, so if you are studying at home you have no guidance as to how words sound. I find this a drawback, becuase it is easier to learn vocabulary if you can hear the words in your mind.
Very highly recommended.

The distillation of great tutorials, 24 Apr 2005
Having been taught by Jeremy at Oxford, I was eagerly anticipating the release of his revision of the classic 'Wenham' textbook.

I wasn't disappointed. The same clarity of thinking, logical presentation, and clear and clever explanations permeate the book as much as they did the classroom.

This is the book form of numerous handouts, scribbled examples, and the result of feedback from many students - both those who struggled and thrived as they tackled the task of learning Greek - and it shows.

It features extra material, such as an excellent parsing guide, and numerous excercises which test and stretch the student.

If you are looking for a textbook written by an experienced teacher, a textbook whose genesis was in the tuition of real students, and written by a scholar for whom New Testament Greek is not only an essential daily tool, but something which can help illuminate the understanding of the bible in the faith community, look no further.

Very highly recommended.

exciting read, 12 Oct 2007
I thought that as Mark is the shortest gospel it would be sketchy and dull This book brought Mark to me as a vivid exciting read with a huge build up of tension in the story. I was as gripped as by any thriller. I thoroughly recommend it.

Comprehensive but very readable, 14 Sep 2007
Wright approaches the gospel of Mark, as with all the books in his 'For Everyone' series, in a gentle manner, covering the story bit by bit in no more than three pages. Excellent introductions in his own words, with a readable and concise commentary. By no means heavy, but accurate, and can be used for brief daily study. Highly recommended.

A brilliant read, 10 Sep 2007
Easy to read and understand, this book gave me not only the historical background to the gospel, but also a greater understanding of the deeper meaning behind every part of it. It is a book to which I shall keep returning.

Easy read, well explained well worth it, 02 Apr 2002
This book is a really great explanation of the gospel; it is written in plain english and explains the gospel, the context it is written in and the content is simple but informative. i got a lot from this book and i'm now collecting the other books in the series. Buy it, it's worth it

Fascinating pre-New Testament writings..., 25 Oct 2007
This has been gathering dust on my shelf for a few years now, and I've only just got round to reading it. The five books of 1st Enoch range from the utterly fascinating to sure-fire cures for insomnia.

Written between the old and new testaments, it gives a fascinating insight into what some Jewish groups believed at that time (for example, several editions of Enoch were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.)

Anyone with an interest in the New Testament could learn a lot by reading Enoch. Attitudes of people in the gospels have clearly been coloured by the content and even vocabulary of Enoch. And, of course, it's even quoted in Jude and 2 Peter. Parts of it are so startlingly similar to the book of Revelation that it must surely have provided a visual vocabulary for the writer of that book.

For the background and relevance of Enoch, I *highly* recommend "Exploring Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period" by Larry R Helyer. It provides a great survey of a wide range of this and other books, from the 'Testament of Moses' to Josephus, and from the Dead Sea scrolls to Philo - and much more!

History of the angels, 14 Jun 2003
A good formerly heretical work, that details the SECOND FALL of the angels, and early human pre-history from a biblical perspective. the work at points includes parralels where differences have arrisen between two available translations.
The book has the journey of enoch through the heavens a truely epic view of heaven not often found in scripture, and also details the workings of cosmology to primitive humans. The main attraction for me was the details of the angelic nature and society something only breifly delt with at best if at all. The only other strong direct references would be in Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah. Good for an theologian or personw ishing to expand there spiritual understanding.

A much neglected key to a better understanding., 12 Jun 2002
This impressive translation is a true masterpieceand worthy of the uttermost attention. Any book that had the Church "Fathers" as spooked as this one did demands to be read. Unlike the mostly ridiculous Gnosic gospels also excluded from the Bible, this ancient Jewish text carries a divine authority that demands it be taken seriously. The very fact that the prophecies of Enoch were fulfilled to the letter in the timeframes suggested, should be reason enough for Christans to want to study it. The prophecy concerning the judgement of a wicked generation, seventy generations from Enoch (Christ's contemporary generation according to the gospel of Luke) found a devastating fulfillment in the fiery destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, exactly as Christ predicted would befall his own generation!The majority of Christians may not accept Enoch as scripture but clearly Christ and his disciples did and I'm sure that Christ would agree that the majority are rarely, if ever right. Why not read these texts for yourself and make up your own mind what you believe? Maybe, as more and more Christians explore the Jewish roots of their faith, true Christianity will be restored and the foundations of "Churchianity" will be trampled into the dust where they belong! A truly compelling read and I very much urge you to try it.

Standard edition of Enoch, 11 Jun 2002
For those that are not familiar with Book of Enoch, in brief, it is a 3rd-2nd Century BC Jewish text based on an imaginative expansion of Genesis 6:2 (the sons of God and the daughters of men), which tells the story of 200 angels intermarrying with human women prior to the flood, and was something of a bestseller in the days of Jesus and the apostles. It was kept firmly out of the New Testament canon but survived in Egypt and Ethiopia, to be rediscovered by western scholars in the Victorian era. In 1948 fragments of up to 7 copies were found in Qumran, where they had been buried since AD69.

Since the work was first made available to the general public (notably in this edition reprinted here) it has attracted a growing following among those who find the Bible lacking in the angels-and-sex department.

I should make clear that the 3 stars given here are for the work of R.H. Charles, a very serious and respectable scholar in his day, and not for the content of the Book of Enoch itself. Although this work is now out of copyright the advantage of buying a reprint by the original publishers in 1910, SPCK, is that you get Charles' necessary introduction. There is a more modern translation in Charlesworth's two-volume edition of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (Doubleday), however the fragments of Enoch found in the Dead Sea Scrolls have not made as much of an impact on Book of Enoch as one might imagine - the primary source text being Coptic.

If I was asked to rate the book itself I would give it the minimum 1 star as given by the apostle Peter's review of the Book of Enoch in 2Peter 2:16 "cleverly devised tales" and 2:3 "false words".

It is true that Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch, but the bit he quotes happens to be the only part directly drawn from the Old Testament(Jude 14 = 1 Enoch 1:9 = Deuteronomy 33:2). Jude's comment that Michael would not accuse fallen angels is also related to Book of Enoch, because in Enoch he does exactly what Jude says never happened.

And fascinating reading for anyone else..., 11 Oct 2001
I would simply like to endorse everything written by the previous reviewer. I came across this text by accident while gathering research for a project which at first bore very little connection with its themes. It took hold of my imagination, and soon became pivotal. And there it sits, quietly overlooked, burning ferociously. A dramatic eye-opener.

A good introduction for the study of Jesus, 23 Aug 2007
This is a good introduction for those interested in studying the historical figure of Jesus. Deceptively short as the text is quite small, Sanders provides a welcome antidote to the sensationalist pseudo-history such as Holy Blood Holy Grail and others.

Sanders is correct to state that the study of the historical Jesus is a perilous and frustrating task, not least due to the lack of sources. Sanders cleverly provides a setting for Jesus, putting him fully in his times of first century Galilee and Judaea. He places Jesus vis a vis Judaism and the political climate of Jesus' time. The strength of this book is that it is not encumbered with theology, but is an appraisal of Jesus the man, someone who had, or believed he had, an intimate relationship with God and who saw himself as the man to prepare the Jews for the coming of the kingdom. As Sanders correctly concludes, as a result Jesus was more of a teacher and a prophet than a preacher of repentance.

All in all a recommended book for both Christians and non-Christians wanting a good introduction to Jesus, without sensationalism, be it theological or pseudo-historical.




Infromative, 11 Feb 2006
This is an excellent and readable study of the historical figure of Jesus.

Certainly a Helpful Introduction, 29 Dec 2005
This work provides not just an Introduction to reconstructing the life of the historical Jesus, but also to the modes of biblical criticism. The chapter on the Method and Setting of Jesus' Ministry is particularly valuable, and rightly points out misconceptions about the amount of time Jesus would have spent in Judea as opposed to his native Galilee. The book is well written, and the information it provides set down clearly for comfortable reading. In places more detail might be useful, especially regarding the primary and secondary sources that he uses, although these discrepancies are totally rectified by his more in depth works, such as the celebrated 'Jesus and Judaism,' and his work on Paul.

As to his conclusions, they are both conservative and forward looking. This is not a contradiction, as Sanders really pioneers the view that much can be known about the historical Jesus, while at the same time not straying drastically outside generally accepted scholarly thought. His is a careful, but worthy, reconstruction of the life and times of arguably the most influential figure in history.

Authoritative review of Jesus' life, 01 Oct 2005
Whilst books like the Da Vinci Code continue to dominate people's thinking on religion, books like these based in fact provide a welcome read. This book in particular is probably the best historical book I have read.

Sanders has not only created a book that is authorative and intelletucual, but he does what other academics fail to do - he makes it readable. Sanders focuses only on what can be proved or dissproved and rarely goes into speculation. If he does he always tempers it with a 'we infer'. Sanders goes into some detail about the historical setting of Jerusalm and Jewdasim at Jesus' time to build his case.

What he doesn't do is go into great details about his birth or upbringing, because quite simply, he has no proof or knowledge of it.

Very much a recommended read for all those that interested in trying to understand the facts of Jesus' life as opposed to speculating on it.

Enjoyable, informative, authoritative, 17 Aug 2004
Professor Sanders must be one of those rare academics who can write well for the general public, neither over-simplifying the content nor boring the reader with excessive detail. The book has just the right balance of readability and credibility, and there are new insights on every page. Particularly interesting were the first few chapters, covering the historical and political background. We are all aware that Palestine was "occupied" by the Roman Empire at this period, but what was the nature of the occupation? Was it, for example, comparable to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in the early 1940s? The answer apparently is no, and the situation in Galilee was very different from that in Jerusalem. The book paints a clear picture of what life was like for ordinary people living in that region around that time. In dealing with the events of Jesus's life, Sanders always makes clear the degree of certainty of any assertion. There is a scale, with "beyond all reasonable doubt" at one end and "as likely as not" at the other. People who want simple answers in black and white may be disappointed by this, but ancient history is not an exact science. This is surely the honest approach.

Professor Sanders has been studying this period since the 1960s and appears to be regarded as knowledgeable on Jesus (as well as on Paul). I am not in a position to judge, but certainly the book seems more authoritative than some similar titles written by journalists or by those with a proselytising agenda. Although raised in the Church of England, I read this book as a complete layman. I was aware that I had no idea how much of what I had been taught was true in a historical sense and how much was mere legend, tradition or the personal opinion of my teachers, and I was starting to ask questions like "who wrote the gospels, and when?" and "what did Jesus ACTUALLY say?". This book has taught me a great deal about the origins of this vast religion.

There is perhaps too much emphasis on dates. To the lay reader, the exact years of Jesus's birth and death are less interesting than what happened in between. And while I'm looking for faults, I could mention that there are a few things that are not well explained. For example, the Pharisees are referred to as a party, but what is meant by "party" in this context? Is it something equivalent to a modern political party? Obviously not, though just what kind of a group they were is still not clear to me. But there are few such omissions. All in all, this book gave me the information that I wanted in an enjoyable form, and I happily recommend it.

A delight...highly recommended., 01 Aug 2008
From the first page through to the last, this book is a real delight. I honestly treasure it.

In the past I have found commentaries to be books I only use as resource material, too heavy for much general reading. Understanding the scriptures is important to me and I am very grateful that the author chose to pass on his knowledge in such a gentle, engaging style. It means I can come home after a long day at work, help the kids with their homework and then have enough energy left to delve into the bible.

This is a book I look forward to opening each evening. Its like sitting down with a wise, learned old friend to discuss the bible together. Tom Wright has turned me from being a tired student into an avid reader.

I am totally impressed and have bought the lot. The whole set so far.

I want to shake him by the hand.

Thank you Tom.

Neil Hardisty.






Makes up to date scholarship on Luke easily accessible, 07 Jun 2002
Tom Wright is to be congratulated on making up to date scholarship on Luke's gospel not only easily accessible, but a source of inspiration and worship.
Wright begins each section of the book with a fresh translation of a few verses followed by a detailed commentary, usually beginning with a helpful illustration.
Each section takes about ten minutes to read. The book therefore lends itself to daily devotional reading
Within our Church congregation the book is being enjoyed by someone who has two M.A. degrees in theology, as well as some who have become Christians within the last few months.
Recommended for everyone who wants to take a fresh look at Luke's gospel.

A Valuable Addition to the Student of Greek's Library , 01 Feb 2008
I have been studying Classical Greek for eight months and have been alternating between Peter Jones's book and that of John Taylor, both available on Amazon.

However I have also found this volume to be an extremely valuable tool for a number of reasons. Firstly the text is packed with apt tests and practices throughout for which the answers are provided. As I am not in a class nor have a teacher I find that this is extremely useful aid.

Also as I have a Roman Catholic upbringing the biblical phrases given as grammatical examples have the added effect of driving home the point.

The grammar is taught in a logical and helpful manner and a real sense of progress is experienced. The layout and print used is pleasing on the eye which is important when one is likely to spend some hours gazing over the text.

It is a pleasure finally to hear the spoken Greek in the CD but I was slightly disappointed that this was spoken in an American accent given the English University background to the book. Also I have some issues with the pronunciation. I think I prefer Peter Jones's tape to this CD. You can buy the book independent of the CD

Superb, 04 Aug 2005
This book is by far the clearest introduction to N.T. Greek I have seen, especially for home study without access to a tutor. By contrast, I found Mounce utterly impenetrable.
It assumes no prior knowledge at all, and takes you right from first principles (alphabet etc), explaining grammatical terms as they arise.
The only slight point which bothers me is that the book does not give stress marks, so if you are studying at home you have no guidance as to how words sound. I find this a drawback, becuase it is easier to learn vocabulary if you can hear the words in your mind.
Very highly recommended.

The distillation of great tutorials, 24 Apr 2005
Having been taught by Jeremy at Oxford, I was eagerly anticipating the release of his revision of the classic 'Wenham' textbook.

I wasn't disappointed. The same clarity of thinking, logical presentation, and clear and clever explanations permeate the book as much as they did the classroom.

This is the book form of numerous handouts, scribbled examples, and the result of feedback from many students - both those who struggled and thrived as they tackled the task of learning Greek - and it shows.

It features extra material, such as an excellent parsing guide, and numerous excercises which test and stretch the student.

If you are looking for a textbook written by an experienced teacher, a textbook whose genesis was in the tuition of real students, and written by a scholar for whom New Testament Greek is not only an essential daily tool, but something which can help illuminate the understanding of the bible in the faith community, look no further.

Very highly recommended.

Daily readings to enlighten, 18 Jul 2004
I wanted to go 'back to basics' with some of the gospels, and chose Tom Wright's versions because although he is clearly a committed Christian, he is not emotional or dogmatic. He is an eminent scholar, and understands Jewish history and the context of the world into which Jesus was born, and both in this book and others I have read by him beforehand, this has truly enlightened my view of the gospels and Jesus himself. My personal experience of reading the Bible has always been one of 'new layers of revelation' - one can read a story or passage at different times and extract new levels of meaning. And so Tom Wright is helping me to do this once again.

I have never been disciplined when it comes to reading my Bible daily - but I am finding it easy with this study:

- It includes the daily reading, so you only need to take this book with you when you're out and about

- It includes a write up setting the reading in context and points to make you think

- The write up is long enough to be thought provoking but not so long as to lose one's attention!

I will definitely be buying more books in this series!

exciting read, 12 Oct 2007
I thought that as Mark is the shortest gospel it would be sketchy and dull This book brought Mark to me as a vivid exciting read with a huge build up of tension in the story. I was as gripped as by any thriller. I thoroughly recommend it.

Comprehensive but very readable, 14 Sep 2007
Wright approaches the gospel of Mark, as with all the books in his 'For Everyone' series, in a gentle manner, covering the story bit by bit in no more than three pages. Excellent introductions in his own words, with a readable and concise commentary. By no means heavy, but accurate, and can be used for brief daily study. Highly recommended.

A brilliant read, 10 Sep 2007
Easy to read and understand, this book gave me not only the historical background to the gospel, but also a greater understanding of the deeper meaning behind every part of it. It is a book to which I shall keep returning.

Easy read, well explained well worth it, 02 Apr 2002
This book is a really great explanation of the gospel; it is written in plain english and explains the gospel, the context it is written in and the content is simple but informative. i got a lot from this book and i'm now collecting the other books in the series. Buy it, it's worth it

Fascinating pre-New Testament writings..., 25 Oct 2007
This has been gathering dust on my shelf for a few years now, and I've only just got round to reading it. The five books of 1st Enoch range from the utterly fascinating to sure-fire cures for insomnia.

Written between the old and new testaments, it gives a fascinating insight into what some Jewish groups believed at that time (for example, several editions of Enoch were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.)

Anyone with an interest in the New Testament could learn a lot by reading Enoch. Attitudes of people in the gospels have clearly been coloured by the content and even vocabulary of Enoch. And, of course, it's even quoted in Jude and 2 Peter. Parts of it are so startlingly similar to the book of Revelation that it must surely have provided a visual vocabulary for the writer of that book.

For the background and relevance of Enoch, I *highly* recommend "Exploring Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period" by Larry R Helyer. It provides a great survey of a wide range of this and other books, from the 'Testament of Moses' to Josephus, and from the Dead Sea scrolls to Philo - and much more!

History of the angels, 14 Jun 2003
A good formerly heretical work, that details the SECOND FALL of the angels, and early human pre-history from a biblical perspective. the work at points includes parralels where differences have arrisen between two available translations.
The book has the journey of enoch through the heavens a truely epic view of heaven not often found in scripture, and also details the workings of cosmology to primitive humans. The main attraction for me was the details of the angelic nature and society something only breifly delt with at best if at all. The only other strong direct references would be in Ezekiel, Daniel and Isaiah. Good for an theologian or personw ishing to expand there spiritual understanding.

A much neglected key to a better understanding., 12 Jun 2002
This impressive translation is a true masterpieceand worthy of the uttermost attention. Any book that had the Church "Fathers" as spooked as this one did demands to be read. Unlike the mostly ridiculous Gnosic gospels also excluded from the Bible, this ancient Jewish text carries a divine authority that demands it be taken seriously. The very fact that the prophecies of Enoch were fulfilled to the letter in the timeframes suggested, should be reason enough for Christans to want to study it. The prophecy concerning the judgement of a wicked generation, seventy generations from Enoch (Christ's contemporary generation according to the gospel of Luke) found a devastating fulfillment in the fiery destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, exactly as Christ predicted would befall his own generation!The majority of Christians may not accept Enoch as scripture but clearly Christ and his disciples did and I'm sure that Christ would agree that the majority are rarely, if ever right. Why not read these texts for yourself and make up your own mind what you believe? Maybe, as more and more Christians explore the Jewish roots of their faith, true Christianity will be restored and the foundations of "Churchianity" will be trampled into the dust where they belong! A truly compelling read and I very much urge you to try it.

Standard edition of Enoch, 11 Jun 2002
For those that are not familiar with Book of Enoch, in brief, it is a 3rd-2nd Century BC Jewish text based on an imaginative expansion of Genesis 6:2 (the sons of God and the daughters of men), which tells the story of 200 angels intermarrying with human women prior to the flood, and was something of a bestseller in the days of Jesus and the apostles. It was kept firmly out of the New Testament canon but survived in Egypt and Ethiopia, to be rediscovered by western scholars in the Victorian era. In 1948 fragments of up to 7 copies were found in Qumran, where they had been buried since AD69.

Since the work was first made available to the general public (notably in this edition reprinted here) it has attracted a growing following among those who find the Bible lacking in the angels-and-sex department.

I should make clear that the 3 stars given here are for the work of R.H. Charles, a very serious and respectable scholar in his day, and not for the content of the Book of Enoch itself. Although this work is now out of copyright the advantage of buying a reprint by the original publishers in 1910, SPCK, is that you get Charles' necessary introduction. There is a more modern translation in Charlesworth's two-volume edition of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (Doubleday), however the fragments of Enoch found in the Dead Sea Scrolls have not made as much of an impact on Book of Enoch as one might imagine - the primary source text being Coptic.

If I was asked to rate the book itself I would give it the minimum 1 star as given by the apostle Peter's review of the Book of Enoch in 2Peter 2:16 "cleverly devised tales" and 2:3 "false words".

It is true that Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch, but the bit he quotes happens to be the only part directly drawn from the Old Testament(Jude 14 = 1 Enoch 1:9 = Deuteronomy 33:2). Jude's comment that Michael would not accuse fallen angels is also related to Book of Enoch, because in Enoch he does exactly what Jude says never happened.

And fascinating reading for anyone else..., 11 Oct 2001
I would simply like to endorse everything written by the previous reviewer. I came across this text by accident while gathering research for a project which at first bore very little connection with its themes. It took hold of my imagination, and soon became pivotal. And there it sits, quietly overlooked, burning ferociously. A dramatic eye-opener.

A good introduction for the study of Jesus, 23 Aug 2007
This is a good introduction for those interested in studying the historical figure of Jesus. Deceptively short as the text is quite small, Sanders provides a welcome antidote to the sensationalist pseudo-history such as Holy Blood Holy Grail and others.

Sanders is correct to state that the study of the historical Jesus is a perilous and frustrating task, not least due to the lack of sources. Sanders cleverly provides a setting for Jesus, putting him fully in his times of first century Galilee and Judaea. He places Jesus vis a vis Judaism and the political climate of Jesus' time. The strength of this book is that it is not encumbered with theology, but is an appraisal of Jesus the man, someone who had, or believed he had, an intimate relationship with God and who saw himself as the man to prepare the Jews for the coming of the kingdom. As Sanders correctly concludes, as a result Jesus was more of a teacher and a prophet than a preacher of repentance.

All in all a recommended book for both Christians and non-Christians wanting a good introduction to Jesus, without sensationalism, be it theological or pseudo-historical.




Infromative, 11 Feb 2006
This is an excellent and readable study of the historical figure of Jesus.

Certainly a Helpful Introduction, 29 Dec 2005
This work provides not just an Introduction to reconstructing the life of the historical Jesus, but also to the modes of biblical criticism. The chapter on the Method and Setting of Jesus' Ministry is particularly valuable, and rightly points out misconceptions about the amount of time Jesus would have spent in Judea as opposed to his native Galilee. The book is well wr