Books Jesus Read

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Books Jesus Read

Continuing the Conversation

Explore the Books Jesus Read further by reading a contemporary translation such as The New Oxford Annotated Apocrypha: New Revised Standard Version . Reading the entire Apocrypha, rather than just selections, will introduce you to the traditional arrangement of these writings, as well as characters and plot twists not included in the present volume. Study Bibles that include the Apocrypha provide introductions to specific books and footnotes that will help you understand the historical context. There is much to learn from these and other resources cited below in For Further Reading. The Afterword to Books Jesus Read described how the Jews of Jesus’ day may have expected a Messiah patterned after Judas Maccabeus. As you reread Maccabees, the differences between Judas and Jesus Christ will likely stand out, but consider also where their outlooks, motives, and characters align. Beyond those differences, 1–2 Maccabees, as already mentioned, are separate books with distinctive points of view. Reading them back-to-back will introduce you to a Jewish-Diaspora perspective. 1 1 Maccabees reflects the traditional Jewish pride and arrogance that typified the Sadducees of Jesus’ day. 2 Maccabees, on the other hand, portrays Israel as at least partly to blame for her own fall and speaks of the need for repentance. 2 Maccabees also invokes the name of God more often and speaks freely

1 Diaspora Judaism – communities of Jews outside Israel, established as Jews fled persecution. Many scholars believe 2 Macc was authored in Alexandria, Egypt, home to the largest Jewish diaspora community in antiquity.