It’s chock full of historical details and facts that will have you saying, “I didn’t know that!’My kids spent a long time poring over Who Is Jesus: His Life, His Land, His Time, so I figured I’d check out for myself what had held their interest for so long.
The 93-page, workbook-size book from Magnificat-Ignatius is colorful and full of kid-friendly illustrations. But the information is guaranteed to teach even most adults more than a thing or two.
For example:
— In the time of Jesus, bread was the main staple, BUT the poor had flour made of barley, while wheat flour was a delicacy for the rich.
— Only Jewish coins were accepted in the Temple of Jerusalem because there was no human face stamped on them.
— It was the monk Dionysius Exiguus who set the date of the year 0. But unfortunately, he got it wrong and Jesus was probably born four or five years before we begin to count time in AD versus BC.
— The name Gethsemane means “olive press.”
And that’s just a start! The book has 11 chapters, including chapters on the Temple (complete with sketches of the priests’ clothes and the various rooms for worship), Jesus’ everyday life (consider Mary’s kitchen!), the parables (with a page on coins that includes an “exchange rate” chart, and a calendar and explanation of the “hours” and “watches” of the days and nights).
Truly, the book is easy to look at, and easy to read, and guaranteed to increase your knowledge of Our Lord. It’s a great reminder that the Christ of our faith is a man we can get to know. And if we can’t make it to the Holy Land this year, then Who Is Jesus: His Life, His Land, His Time might be the next best thing.
Read more:
This is the most intriguing (and revealing) map of the Holy Land
