Jesus and the First Century of Christianity in Jerusalem

Jesus and the First Century
of Christianity in Jerusalem
Elizabeth McNamer and Bargil Pixner
Paperback, 100 pp., $19.95
Paulist Press (May 28, 2008)

Beautifully illustrated with maps and photos, this book focuses on the first century in Jerusalem after the death of Jesus. Its thesis is that the Jerusalem community remained true to their Jewish heritage and had a connection with the Essenes. After the Bar Kohaba rebellion a gentile bishop was appointed. The Jewish church was inundated by gentiles and eventually integrated into the Byzantine church. The purpose of the book is to bring to light our Jewish connections, and, as the state of Israel is being threatened, an appreciation of our Jewish heritage.