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Cover of Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit

Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit

Jewish Daily Life in the Time of Jesus

  • Biblical Studies & Commentaries
  • Publisher: Eerdmans
  • Published: 2011

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Publisher's Description

In Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit Jodi Magness unearths “footprints” buried in both archaeological and literary evidence to shed new light on Jewish daily life in Palestine from the mid-first century b.c.e. to 70 c.e. — the time and place of Jesus’ life and ministry. Magness analyzes recent archaeological discoveries from such sites as Qumran and Masada together with a host of period texts, including the New Testament, the works of Josephus, and rabbinic teachings. Layering all these sources together, she reconstructs in detail a fascinating variety of everyday activities — dining customs, Sabbath observance, fasting, toilet habits, burial customs, and more.


Endorsements (3)

“Jodi Magness brings literary evidence from both Jewish and New Testament writings together with extensive archaeological material to produce a literally ‘down to earth’ picture of the conditions and customs of daily life in the late Second Temple period. Essential reading for all who are interested in that period.”

Fergus Millar

“A superb handbook on Jewish daily life in the late Second Temple period. Magness demonstrates how texts and archaeology, with careful scholarship, can illuminate each other. This book will be valuable for undergraduates, graduate students, and all scholars of the period for a long time to come.”

Sidnie White Crawford

“Magness’s originality and her mastery of the sources make this a major contribution to our field.”

Lawrence H. Schiffman

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