James Charlesworth needs little introduction to those who have been involved in biblical studies, scholarship concerning Second Temple Judaism, and the archaeological finds of the last 50 years. In fact, his research has often dictated the direction of those guilds. In this dense volume, Charlesworth brings together several essays centered around his writing on John’s Gospel.
The volume begins with a preface detailing five well-known characteristics of the Gospel of John, followed by nine new insights from recent archaeological discoveries and research. The well-known characteristics include the normal talking points of the Johannine school, multiple editions of the Fourth Gospel, and John’s knowledge of the architecture and topography of Jerusalem. The subject of his “new insights” section permeate the chapters that follow. These include the historical veracity of the Pool of Bethzatha and Siloam, Jesus’s Last Supper and trial, John’s fondness for Samaritans, the dating of John’s Gospel, and the...
