Review of The Jesus Dynasty in Biblical Archaeology Review
There is a very interesting and provocative two-page review of my book, The Jesus Dynasty in the current issue of Biblical Archaeology Review (Nov/Dec 06) by my friend and colleague, Dr. James F. Strange, Professor of New Testament at the University of South Florida. The BAR web site does not offer the full review on-line, just a teaser introduction, but I know many readers are subscribers to this magazine and it is also widely available on newsstands and at bookstores such as Barnes & Noble or Borders.
It was Professor Strange who gave me my first field experience in archaeology at Sepphoris where he has been excavating since the 1980s. He is a brilliant scholar and one of the most careful and capable archaeologists in the field. On the whole Strange’s review is negative and he highlights what he considers to be the book’s many deficiencies, although he also remarks that it is a well-written fascinating read with much of value and importance. I want to begin to address some of his queries and objections in this Blog as I think his evaluations and my responses will be of general interest to readers. Stay tuned and in the meantime see if you can find a copy of the review to read for yourself.