AD 33: The Year That Changed the World

Modern descriptions and Jewish scriptures of the early church contribute to a survey of the city of Jerusalem during the year of Jesus' death: a religious, historical and social odyssey recommended as an item of particular interest to spirituality holdings, particularly at the college level. First-century Palestine comes to life as well as Roman empire history, culture and interactions in a wide-ranging survey which links Biblical passages and history with a reconstruction of the times. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

And here we have another volume in the ever-growing collection of books to put their focus on a single year in history. Of course, in reality, a single year can't be isolated from the flow of history in the years around it; still, it is an interesting trend in popular history books that is not without its pleasures. In this case, Mr. Duriez puts the spotlight on 33 AD. As any good Christian knows, 33 AD is the year that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified outside of Jerusalem. For believers, this was also the year of his resurrection and ascension. It is also the year that the Christianity got its start. Even for non-believers, this was an event that would have a huge impact on the millennia that followed, making this year a good topic for a book. And Mr. Duriez handles it fairly well. Obviously, much of the book is taken up with the events in and around Jerusalem. The key players are all here--Jesus, the apostles, Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas, Annas--but Duriez goes beyond simple biography and a recitation of events. He gives some real insight into the social structure of the time and why it is likely that events unfolded the way they did. Additionally, he makes an effort to give us the bigger picture. Apart from Jerusalem, he spends quite a lot of time describing events in Rome, the intrigues of Tiberius' court and how that impacted events in the provinces. (He also devotes a few pages to events of Asia and the Americas, but this material is minimal and less successful.) Clearly, Duriez is coming at his material from the aspect of a believer. Still, he doesn't let his faith overwhelm the text. He works from plenty of non-biblical source material and he tries to address "scientific" evidence. In this, his ability varies, but the attempt makes for a book that respects a more universal readership. In the end, I would call this a book of good amateur scholarship. There is a nice synthesis of historical and religious sources molded into the story Duriez wants to tell. It has definite appeal to a Christian audience but is not so religious that it would overwhelm readers of other faiths. It is a solid history book for a popular audience.