CONTENTS Introduction 8 Luke: the man behind the message 10 Luke’s perspective on Jesus 12 Key dates around the time of Jesus 14 Josephus on John the Baptist and Jesus 17 Key dates in the Holy Land 23 Map of Palestine in Jesus’ day 25 1. Bethlehem 26 Humble beginnings 26 The star of Bethlehem and the date of Jesus’ birth 29 Key dates: Bethlehem 32 Bethlehem today 33 Jerome in Bethlehem 38 2. Nazareth 40 Map of Galilee 41 Childhood locations 42 Ancient Sepphoris 45 Locating Cana 48 Key dates: Nazareth 50 Nazareth today 51 The Nazareth Decree 53 3. The River Jordan 55 Baptism and renewal 55 Qumran, the Essenes and John the Baptist 59 Key dates: the River Jordan 61 The River Jordan today 62 Baptism in the Jordan 64 Evidence for the Byzantine site of Jesus’ baptism 67 4. The Judean Desert 68 Testing in the wilderness 68 Geological features of the desert 71 Key dates: the Judean Desert 76 The Judean Desert today 77 Map of monasteries in the Judean Desert 80 The Desert Fathers 82 5. Galilee and its villages 85 Scenes of public ministry 85 Josephus’ description of Lake Galilee 86 The locations of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee 89 Map of Lake Galilee in first century 91 Galilean imagery in Jesus’ teaching 94 Galilee today 96 Key dates: Galilee and its villages 97 Visiting Galilee today 99 6. Samaria 109 The enemy within 109 Samaria in the fourth century ad 110 Map of Samaria 111 The Samaritans according to Josephus 113 Key dates: Samaria 117 Samaria today 118 The Crusades 123 7. Caesarea Philippi 126 Time for a decision 127 The scene of the transfiguration: Tabor or Hermon? 132 Key dates: Caesarea Philippi 135 Caesarea Philippi today 136 8. Jericho 140 The lowest city in the world 140 The Dead Sea 142 The siege of Masada 144 Key dates: Jericho 146 Jericho today 147 The Bordeaux pilgrim’s visit to Jericho and Jerusalem 150 9. Bethany 152 A quiet haven 152 Key dates: Bethany 157 Bethany today 158 Egeria’s visit to Bethany 160 10. The Mount of Olives 163 Jesus’ favoured location 163 Map of the Mount of Olives 169 Key dates: The Mount of Olives 173 The Mount of Olives today 174 Eusebius and the Mount of Olives 179 A weekend in modern Jerusalem 183 11. The Temple 185 The heart of the nation 185 The Herodian Temple 187 The destruction of the Temple 196 Key dates: The Temple 197 The Temple today 198 The Temple: Muslim, Jewish and Christian perspectives 204 12. Jerusalem 207 The ‘holy city’? 207 Celebrating Passover in Jesus’ day 211 Map of Jerusalem in Jesus’ day 213 Pontius Pilate 219 Simon of Cyrene and John Mark 222 Key dates: Jerusalem 224 Jerusalem today 225 Jerusalem’s moving walls 228 Jerusalem in the book of Acts 231 Visitors to Jerusalem in the nineteenth century 234 Overview of Jesus’ last hours before the crucifixion 236 13. Golgotha and the tomb 237 From death to life 237 Crucifixion in the ancient world 239 First-century burial practices 243 Key dates: Golgotha and the tomb 245 Golgotha today 246 Eusebius’ description of Christ’s tomb and Constantine’s buildings 252 Christian celebration in Byzantine Jerusalem 263 14. Emmaus 266 Travelling along the way 266 Key dates: Emmaus 271 Emmaus today 272 Possible sites of Emmaus 273 Emmaus: the continuing journey 276 Further Reading 279 Index 282