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Longest Week Trilogy
The Longest Week by Nick Page
Reconstructing the moments, day by day, hour by hour, Nick Page examines the historical evidence to discover what really happened during Jesus' final days.
Paperback
First published February 19, 2009
15 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Nick Page
214 books47 followersNick Page lives in Oxfordshire, UK, with his wife Claire, their three daughters and a dog called Bill.
As well as writing books, he works with a number of campaign groups and NGOs. He is also a popular speaker for churches, church weekends and other events. events, etc.
His main focus is on church history – particularly the early church. Recent work includes A Nearly Infallible History of Christianity, and the Longest Week trilogy.
As well as writing many books for adults (or at least those who think they are adult) he has also written many books for children.
As well as writing books, he works with a number of campaign groups and NGOs. He is also a popular speaker for churches, church weekends and other events. events, etc.
His main focus is on church history – particularly the early church. Recent work includes A Nearly Infallible History of Christianity, and the Longest Week trilogy.
As well as writing many books for adults (or at least those who think they are adult) he has also written many books for children.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 26, 2010
To be honest it's not often I'll pick up a book from the genre 'Christian Life'. That said, this book, by a Christian, looks at events of the week leading up to the crucifiction with an engaging eye that helps paint a realistic historical picture of events that occurred there, dispelling much of what might have appeared as amazing prophetic insight and making it clear that those ancient days didn't make the people primitive simpletons in awe of every amazing occurence.
I'm borrowing this book from the library, after looking at several other books that attempt to draw up an image of a historical Jesus. The first few pages made it clear to me that I'd like the style of writing.
I finished the book in a few days. It's a good read, which avoids discussing the topic of miracles, but concentrates on the things we can prove, or make intelligent guesses about based on historical factors. It looks at the other major players of the story, officials representatives of the Jewish temple and the Roman empire, and sees where they were in their particular careers, and what Jesus represented to them. Ultimately it's an interesting read to anyone who grew up with bible stories, and wants to wipe away the 'fairy-tale' sheen to put it into real context.
I'm borrowing this book from the library, after looking at several other books that attempt to draw up an image of a historical Jesus. The first few pages made it clear to me that I'd like the style of writing.
I finished the book in a few days. It's a good read, which avoids discussing the topic of miracles, but concentrates on the things we can prove, or make intelligent guesses about based on historical factors. It looks at the other major players of the story, officials representatives of the Jewish temple and the Roman empire, and sees where they were in their particular careers, and what Jesus represented to them. Ultimately it's an interesting read to anyone who grew up with bible stories, and wants to wipe away the 'fairy-tale' sheen to put it into real context.
July 30, 2023
Nick Page’s great skill as a writer is taking a vast library of scholarly material and synthesising it into a readable, coherent and fast-paced narrative, normally leavened with a topping of bad jokes and worse puns. In The Longest Week, his account of the last week in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, Page does the former extremely well but mostly leaves out the jokes and puns – it’s not that easy to joke about a man being put to death in possibly the most excruciating fashion devised by the human imagination.
The book is particularly good on bringing out the wider Roman and Jewish context, integrating much of the recent archaeological information about what life was like in first-century Palestine. Page paints vivid pictures of the main political players, Pilate, Temple grandees Annas and Caiaphas, and Herod Antipater, showing how each was shaped by the forces around them but how, interestingly, they could all have played their hands differently had they been less insouciant about sacrificing an insignificant life to their own political interests.
While the book is excellent on the political and historical context, Page’s take on the intersection of the historical and theological contexts in the person of Jesus is quite strongly coloured by a Protestant reading of the history and theology: nothing wrong in itself but alternative readings are given short shrift.
Overall, an enjoyable and generally enlightening primer on the week upon which human history hinges.
The book is particularly good on bringing out the wider Roman and Jewish context, integrating much of the recent archaeological information about what life was like in first-century Palestine. Page paints vivid pictures of the main political players, Pilate, Temple grandees Annas and Caiaphas, and Herod Antipater, showing how each was shaped by the forces around them but how, interestingly, they could all have played their hands differently had they been less insouciant about sacrificing an insignificant life to their own political interests.
While the book is excellent on the political and historical context, Page’s take on the intersection of the historical and theological contexts in the person of Jesus is quite strongly coloured by a Protestant reading of the history and theology: nothing wrong in itself but alternative readings are given short shrift.
Overall, an enjoyable and generally enlightening primer on the week upon which human history hinges.
April 17, 2020
This is such a great read. I've wanted to read it in the week before Easter for several years, but only now (during lockdown) have managed it (well, to be honest, just about within the week. I skipped a few bits to keep up and then came back to them). But it's amazing. Like a feast, almost like being at the Feast, immersing you smells and sounds and sights of first century Jerusalem, and also in the power play and politics. Written with Nick's signature wry sense of humour and clever turn of phrase, its like something between a political thriller, a detective story and a historical account, explaining the background to things you thought you knew but never really understood and never dared to ask. The way he explains the formidable power and might of the occupying Romans together with the stranglehold of the Temple authorities, and the individual motives at play, is especially fascinating. An antidote to dusty theology, (not that there's anything wrong with that) this book really brings Easter, and the resurrection story, complete with all its astonishing and outrageous power and might, alive.
February 23, 2021
This is the first book I have read by Nick Page so I wasn’t sure what to expect. He looks at the known events of the week leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. Concentrating mainly on the New Testament ( it’s the largest body of evidence) and comparing with other secular historians accounts, he lists the events in the order they happened. I thought I was reasonably familiar with the story but having it set out step by step brings a bit more clarity to it. Well researched without any obvious theological bias I enjoyed the journey through the Jerusalem of 2000 years ago. Having read it in the run up to Easter really gives a new perspective to the occasion. Not a book of apologetics but well worth a read. If you’re a Christian I think you’ll enjoy it, if you’re not but have an open mind it should give you a good insight to the gospel story.
February 21, 2021
A interesting book to read at the start of Lent ( or leading up to Easter). In some sense this book is different from that of Page’s usual books (no wit and humour in this book). But the usual level of research and detail. He makes some interesting observations and suggestions when it comes to different name characters in the gospel. One of these include Lazarus being the young man who fled naked from the garden of Gethsemane. I do like Nick Page’s books. This wasn’t a disappointment.
May 13, 2024
An utterly captivating look at the historical Jesus. This book deals conversationally and yet sensitively with the last week of Jesus' life, giving fresh insight and deeper relevance to the scriptural accounts, and bringing to light things that many Passion Play directors would find it much easier to ignore. Dynamic and at ties surprisingly humorous, The Longest Week is very obviously a labour of love.
September 2, 2024
To this layman's eye, Nick Page does a good job of mashing the four gospels into a coherent chronology of the last week of Jesus's life. Where he ventures into theory, he says so and says why. Along the way we get many interesting digressions into locations and traditions and exactly why this or that happened, and the result is to bring the Jesus of the Passion well and truly alive. (Which of course he is anyway ...)
May 4, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. The combination of a detailed timeline of the events of Jesus’ life along with scripture references and historical and geographic facts surrounding his life, death and resurrection really helped to immerse me into the period during this read. I highly recommend this book!
June 14, 2018
So many books have been written about the last week in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. I read this in the run up to Easter and found it informative and thought-provoking. Gives unusual background insights and makes one think again which has to be good.
November 10, 2019
It was an impulse buy.
Sadly, it wasn't my cup of tea.
Sadly, it wasn't my cup of tea.
April 22, 2022
Really enjoyed reading this book. A history book a geography book and a bible all in one.
July 9, 2022
One of the very few books I've read over and over.
January 27, 2014
How well do you think you know what happened in the week leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth? If all you've ever read about it was the Bible and all you've ever heard about it was in church or sunday school, you will be in for a journey.
Nick Page applies a wealth of modern scholarship in dissecting the narratives we do have. He helps to sort out inconsistencies and to help understand a large amount of unspoken detail. After all, the original audiences for the Gospels were only a generation or two after the events described. They were intimately familiar with how life worked in the Greco-Roman world in ways we are not.
And it is because we are not that the church has made so many little errors in their teaching down through the ages. Page tends to comment on these only in passing, usually preferring to let his research stand on its merits and gently refute popular misconception. (Like how many actual soldiers of the Roman garrison were actually from Italy - almost none, most likely). And then there is all the other information, like how immensely crowded and filthy Jerusalem really was, or how much the politics of the place and time was so strongly tangled up in the Jewish Priesthood.
This should almost be required reading for anyone who thinks the Bible texts are inviolate and inerrant. Because they really aren't.
Nick Page applies a wealth of modern scholarship in dissecting the narratives we do have. He helps to sort out inconsistencies and to help understand a large amount of unspoken detail. After all, the original audiences for the Gospels were only a generation or two after the events described. They were intimately familiar with how life worked in the Greco-Roman world in ways we are not.
And it is because we are not that the church has made so many little errors in their teaching down through the ages. Page tends to comment on these only in passing, usually preferring to let his research stand on its merits and gently refute popular misconception. (Like how many actual soldiers of the Roman garrison were actually from Italy - almost none, most likely). And then there is all the other information, like how immensely crowded and filthy Jerusalem really was, or how much the politics of the place and time was so strongly tangled up in the Jewish Priesthood.
This should almost be required reading for anyone who thinks the Bible texts are inviolate and inerrant. Because they really aren't.
May 11, 2023
An interesting and compelling argument for the authenticity of the Gospels, and a helpful companion for those interested in the political and historical context of the time.
The longest week is a history book, but it is as readable as a novel and flows like one too. Nick Page attempts to approach the issues and arguments raised by the Gospels from a historical rather than a theological perspective, but he does not shy away from putting forth his opinions. I've found this to be annoying in some of his other writings, but it's not so bad here. At the end of the day, they are just his opinions and shouldn't be taken as anything other than that. Otherwise, this is a pretty solid book. It's well-researched and everything is referenced accordingly, making use of historical and theological sources outside of the Bible, both religious and secular accounts.
Whether you're a Christian looking for further insight, a passerby generally interested in the history surrounding the Gospels or an opposing party looking for something to argue about, this is well worth a read.
The longest week is a history book, but it is as readable as a novel and flows like one too. Nick Page attempts to approach the issues and arguments raised by the Gospels from a historical rather than a theological perspective, but he does not shy away from putting forth his opinions. I've found this to be annoying in some of his other writings, but it's not so bad here. At the end of the day, they are just his opinions and shouldn't be taken as anything other than that. Otherwise, this is a pretty solid book. It's well-researched and everything is referenced accordingly, making use of historical and theological sources outside of the Bible, both religious and secular accounts.
Whether you're a Christian looking for further insight, a passerby generally interested in the history surrounding the Gospels or an opposing party looking for something to argue about, this is well worth a read.
April 11, 2013
A purely historical view on who Christ was and why he did what he did. The author gives some good insights into the politics and life of the times but in my opinion completely fails to give a meaningful view of Jesus' mission.
July 27, 2014
This is a very well written and compelling explanation of the passion week. I wouldn’t agree with every detail, but the vast majority is solidly researched and very much on target. Page is a pro-writer, which makes his books engaging and enlightening. Worth having.
February 3, 2013
Great stuff! We need more writers who will bridge that gap between the scholarly and the lay community. Glad that Page's projects have continued in this vein!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews