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Handbook of life in Bible times
Book by J. A. Thompson
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 12, 2026
This is a book with beautiful photographs and is very readable. For those who have not been to Israel and are just getting started in their Bible study and research, it is a good resource to have on hand.
November 9, 2019
Very interesting overview, but this lacked the specific details about everyday life I was hoping for to write fiction set in the first century.
February 17, 2014
Dr John Thompson taught Middle Eastern Studies at the Uni of Melbourne and was director of the Australian Institute of Archeology. In this book he describes the whole spectrum of life in Bible times. There are many chapters covering social life, home life, food and drink, industry and commerce, sickness and medicine, warfare, religion and a host of normal everyday life. As he describes these issues he includes in the margins reference to Biblical accounts.
One of the articles in this book is 'Life on the Roof Tops' where he describes how they dry fruits, do weaving and pray with a reference to Act 10: 9-16 where Peter was praying on the roof. They would also run from danger going from one roof to the next to the next etc to escape danger then down the stairs. The Biblical reference is Matt 24: 17. They also made public announcements from the roof tops Luke 12: 3.
On the subject of health and healing Thompson explains, re John 9. 'Eye diseases caused by climatic factors, infection, venereal disease, and the effects of heredity or senility were common in Bible times. Total blindness occurred in newborn infants (Jesus healed a man blind from birth), and this may have been severe conjunctivitis which results from venereal infection. (If so, that would have given a double edge to the Pharisees' rejection of the man as 'steeped in sin at birth'.)'.
These accounts add a fulness to Bible study groups and a fulness for our personal understanding.
One of the articles in this book is 'Life on the Roof Tops' where he describes how they dry fruits, do weaving and pray with a reference to Act 10: 9-16 where Peter was praying on the roof. They would also run from danger going from one roof to the next to the next etc to escape danger then down the stairs. The Biblical reference is Matt 24: 17. They also made public announcements from the roof tops Luke 12: 3.
On the subject of health and healing Thompson explains, re John 9. 'Eye diseases caused by climatic factors, infection, venereal disease, and the effects of heredity or senility were common in Bible times. Total blindness occurred in newborn infants (Jesus healed a man blind from birth), and this may have been severe conjunctivitis which results from venereal infection. (If so, that would have given a double edge to the Pharisees' rejection of the man as 'steeped in sin at birth'.)'.
These accounts add a fulness to Bible study groups and a fulness for our personal understanding.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews