Book Review: The Shadow of the Galilean
Monica C. Sangco
Due: 4/21/2014
CST130B – Book Review: The Shadow of the Galilean by Gerd Theissen
The book The Shadow of the Galilean by Gerd Theissen is a historical fiction, creating a fictitious account of the life of Jesus through a narrative of a third person. This story brings an interesting, more relatable version to the reader as they go through the thoughts and travels of Andreas, a Jewish merchant, the protagonist of the book. Most events of this story are historically accurate which allows readers to better conceptualize the ideas that Theissen brings forward within the story by creatively tying it in to the life of Andreas. Through this book we are able open up another world to a reader, expanding the possibilities of what was happening in the world surrounding the great miracles of Jesus in the New Testament. The book opens with Andreas, the main character, in a dark cell nervously awaiting to be interrogated by the Roman guards. His head was throbbing from a blow to the head dealt by the soldiers. He had been arrested with his friends Timon and Malchus when they joined the demonstrators. Andreas notes that he wasn’t actually interested in the demonstration itself, which was against Pilate, but rather his previous acquaintance Barabbus who was among them (3). He needed to speak with Barabbas regarding their time in the desert but a riot broke out among the Roman guards and Jewish demonstrators.
During his interrogation, a roman official questioned him about his year he spent in the desert, suspicious of his ties between Bannus and Barabbus. He responded by claiming that it was a time for him to “reflect in solitude” (13) upon his Jewish Religion. He was also questioned about his family and knowledge of languages, his Jewish heritage, as well as his stances on Roman rule. Pilate enters Andreas’ interrogation and offers him a choice between further prosecution and imprisonment for up to two years or to help the Romans gather information
Due: 4/21/2014
CST130B – Book Review: The Shadow of the Galilean by Gerd Theissen
The book The Shadow of the Galilean by Gerd Theissen is a historical fiction, creating a fictitious account of the life of Jesus through a narrative of a third person. This story brings an interesting, more relatable version to the reader as they go through the thoughts and travels of Andreas, a Jewish merchant, the protagonist of the book. Most events of this story are historically accurate which allows readers to better conceptualize the ideas that Theissen brings forward within the story by creatively tying it in to the life of Andreas. Through this book we are able open up another world to a reader, expanding the possibilities of what was happening in the world surrounding the great miracles of Jesus in the New Testament. The book opens with Andreas, the main character, in a dark cell nervously awaiting to be interrogated by the Roman guards. His head was throbbing from a blow to the head dealt by the soldiers. He had been arrested with his friends Timon and Malchus when they joined the demonstrators. Andreas notes that he wasn’t actually interested in the demonstration itself, which was against Pilate, but rather his previous acquaintance Barabbus who was among them (3). He needed to speak with Barabbas regarding their time in the desert but a riot broke out among the Roman guards and Jewish demonstrators.
During his interrogation, a roman official questioned him about his year he spent in the desert, suspicious of his ties between Bannus and Barabbus. He responded by claiming that it was a time for him to “reflect in solitude” (13) upon his Jewish Religion. He was also questioned about his family and knowledge of languages, his Jewish heritage, as well as his stances on Roman rule. Pilate enters Andreas’ interrogation and offers him a choice between further prosecution and imprisonment for up to two years or to help the Romans gather information