Historical novels for NT culture

B. Ward Powers bwpowers at eagles.com.au
Tue Jul 11 01:59:01 EDT 2000



>At 7:46 PM -0500 7/9/00, Jonathan Robie wrote:
>I would be interested in knowing of interesting historical novels that
>accurately and vividly portray New Testament culture, architecture, and
>politics. Do such novels exist?

To those already mentioned by others I would add:

"The Nazarene" by Sholem Asch (Routledge and Kegan Paul, London, 1939, 
fourth impression 1949), written in Yiddish and translated into English by 
Maurice Samuel, 722 pages. It claims to be, in the words of one of the 
characters (p.7), "... a document which has been hidden from the world for 
nineteen hundred years. This document contains the complete truth 
concerning that world tragedy which was enacted in Jerusalem, and which has 
unfortunately become the most important factor in our history of the last 
two millenia."

"The Apostle: A Novel based on the life of St Paul" by Sholem Asch (Putnam, 
New York, 1943), sequel to "The Nazarene", also translated into English by 
Maurice Samuel, 754 pages.

"Hosanna!" by Bernard Newman, a novel which is derived from John 6:15, when 
the people wanted to come and take Jesus by force and make him king, and 
poses the question, "Supposing he had let them."

"Simon Peter the Fisherman", by Kurt Frieberger, 1955.

"The Secret of the Kingdom" by Mika Waltari (first published in Finland in 
1959; English translation by Naomi Walford, Putnam London, 1961)

"Behold Your King" by Bauer (the best of the bunch - but I forget the rest 
of the bibliographical information)

Regards,

Ward







                                 http://www.eagles.bbs.net.au/~bwpowers
Rev Dr B. Ward Powers             Phone (International): 61-2-9799-7501
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