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A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ
Emil Schürer’s work is the authoritative study of Jewish history during classical times.
This work does not just cover the lifetime of Jesus, but instead it takes the reader from 175 B.C. through to the end of the rebellion under Hadrian in 135 A. D.
Schürer, in the first two volumes of his work, uncovers the political leaders of the Jewish people during this period as they struggled for freedom under the threat and oppression of the Roman Empire.
Through volumes three and four Schürer exposes the cultural and religious underpinnings of the Jewish people over these how the temple of Jerusalem functioned, how they related to the Hellenistic world that surrounded them, how their leaders created laws and ruled while remaining under Roman jurisdiction, as well as theological debates that were being made at this time.
Schürer also examines not just the Jewish society centred around Jerusalem, but also those spread further afield across Asia and the Mediterranean.
“Dr. Schürer has produced a work which has no parallel … a perfect and indispensable work.” Dr. Adolf Harnack
Emil Schürer was a German theologian, made famous for his study of the Jewish people during the time of Jesus Christ. He studied in Erlangen, Berlin and Heidelberg, and took his doctorate in Leipzig. A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ was first published in 1891 and Schürer died in 1910.
This work does not just cover the lifetime of Jesus, but instead it takes the reader from 175 B.C. through to the end of the rebellion under Hadrian in 135 A. D.
Schürer, in the first two volumes of his work, uncovers the political leaders of the Jewish people during this period as they struggled for freedom under the threat and oppression of the Roman Empire.
Through volumes three and four Schürer exposes the cultural and religious underpinnings of the Jewish people over these how the temple of Jerusalem functioned, how they related to the Hellenistic world that surrounded them, how their leaders created laws and ruled while remaining under Roman jurisdiction, as well as theological debates that were being made at this time.
Schürer also examines not just the Jewish society centred around Jerusalem, but also those spread further afield across Asia and the Mediterranean.
“Dr. Schürer has produced a work which has no parallel … a perfect and indispensable work.” Dr. Adolf Harnack
Emil Schürer was a German theologian, made famous for his study of the Jewish people during the time of Jesus Christ. He studied in Erlangen, Berlin and Heidelberg, and took his doctorate in Leipzig. A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ was first published in 1891 and Schürer died in 1910.
1527 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1973
About the author
Emil Schürer
214 books5 followersEmil Schürer was a German Protestant theologian.
After studying at Erlangen, Berlin and Heidelberg from 1862 to 1866, he became in 1873 professor extraordinarius at Leipzig and eventually (1895) professor ordinarius at Göttingen. In 1876 he founded and edited the Theologische Literaturzeitung, which he edited with Adolf Harnack from 1881 to 1910.
Geschichte des judischen Volks im Zeitalter Jesu Christi (1886–1890; 4th edition 1901-1909), his elaborate work on the history of the Jews in the time of Christ, made him one of the best known of modern German scholars in Great Britain and the United States. The second edition was translated into English under the title A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ (1885-1891). Later, a revised English version of the work was created under the editorship of Geza Vermes, Fergus Millar and Matthew Black, with the slightly different title of The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (1973-1987).
After studying at Erlangen, Berlin and Heidelberg from 1862 to 1866, he became in 1873 professor extraordinarius at Leipzig and eventually (1895) professor ordinarius at Göttingen. In 1876 he founded and edited the Theologische Literaturzeitung, which he edited with Adolf Harnack from 1881 to 1910.
Geschichte des judischen Volks im Zeitalter Jesu Christi (1886–1890; 4th edition 1901-1909), his elaborate work on the history of the Jews in the time of Christ, made him one of the best known of modern German scholars in Great Britain and the United States. The second edition was translated into English under the title A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ (1885-1891). Later, a revised English version of the work was created under the editorship of Geza Vermes, Fergus Millar and Matthew Black, with the slightly different title of The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (1973-1987).
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 12, 2025
Despite its potentially dry subject matter, and the fact that it was written over 130 years ago, this book is extremely readable and clear. It covers a tremendous amount of time in a short work, and underscores why the period it covers is one of the two most significant periods to understand when exploring the history of Jews in the Land of Israel. (For those who might care about such things, don't be put off by the title. The book has nothing to do with Jesus or Christianity -- I don't even recall if he is mentioned in it. The title is pure marketing, and you'll notice it merely refers to the "Time of Jesus," not his life or biography.)
January 11, 2008
2007 did not read as many books because the ones I read were long & in depth. This is one - another classic, this being one of the five volumes of the set - the 2nd division - the internal conditions of `Palestine and the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ Vol 2. Great book with some real gems of insight into daily living and the religious parties during the time of Jesus.
February 5, 2026
Remarkably easy to read abridged history of the post-exilic Jewish presence in the Holy Land, focusing on the period between the Maccabean revolt and the much-later bar-Cochva incident. He pages quite fly.
March 17, 2023
Excellent! I imagine that there are more recent ooks that address these topics, but the whole analysis is so lucid that it is a pleasure to read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews