Eerdmans’ blog ErdWorld has a nice book notice for Jodi Magness’ new book, Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit: Jewish Daily Life in the Time of Jesus. Aside from having of the best titles in the history of books on archeology, the book will be a contribution to our knowledge of regular life in the first century. Too many pastors rely on Edersheim’s outdated Life of Jesus the Messiah and simply pass along information which is late in origin and not at all reflective of the Second Temple Period. Jeremias’ classic Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus is better, but in need of an update which take into consideration recent archaeology.
Magness says that she examines “various aspects of Jewish daily life in the time of Jesus based on a combination of archaeological evidence and literary information, including ritual purification, diet, household vessels, dining customs, Sabbath observance, fasting, coins, clothing, oil, spit, toilet habits, and tombs and burial customs.” Having read Magness’ fine book on the archaeology of Qumran, I expect a highly detailed and well research collection of essays on the archaeology of the Second Temple Period.
I look forward to this book as a detailed update to Jeremias and will post a full review in the future.