Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Sketches of Jewish Social Life in the Days of Christ, by Alfred Edersheim, connects Christians to the time of Christ's earthly ministry, drawing a complete and full picture of the world in which Christ walked.

"The object of this volume is kindred to that of my previous book on The Temple, its Ministry and Services as they were at the Time of Jesus Christ. In both I have wished to transport the reader into the land of Palestine at the time of our Lord and of His apostles, and to show him, so far as lay within the scope of each book, as it were, the scene on which, and the persons among whom the events recorded in New Testament history had taken place. For I believe, that in measure as we realize its surroundings—so to speak, see and hear for ourselves what passed at the time, enter into its ideas, become familiar with its habits, modes of thinking, its teaching and worship—shall we not only understand many of the expressions and allusions in the New Testament, but also gain fresh evidence of the truth of its history alike from its faithfulness to the picture of society, such as we know it to have been, and from the contrast of its teaching and aims to those of the contemporaries of our Lord.

...Throughout, my constant object has been to illustrate the New Testament history and teaching... And now it only remains at the close of these investigations once more to express my own full and joyous belief in that grand truth to which all leads up—that "CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH."

-From the Preface

This book contains the following chapters:

1. Palestine Eighteen Centuries Ago
2. Jews and Gentiles in “The Land”
3. In Galilee at the time of our Lord
4. Traveling in Palestine—Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House Officers, Taxation, Publicans
5. In Judaea
6. Jewish Homes
7. The Upbringing of Jewish Children
8. Subjects of Study. Home Education in Israel; Female Education. Elementary Schools, Schoolmasters, and School Arrangements.
9. Mothers, Daughters, and Wives in Israel
10. In Death and After Death
11. Jewish Views on Trade, Tradesmen, and Trades’ Guilds
12. Commerce
13. Among the People, and with the Pharisees
14. The “Fraternity” of Pharisees
15. Relation of the Pharisees to the Sadducees and Essenes, and to the Gospel of Christ
16. Synagogues: Their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
17. The Worship of the Synagogue
18. Brief Outline of Ancient Jewish Theological Literature
19. Massecheth Middoth
20. Extracts from the Babylon Talmud

The Edersheim SwordSearcher book module includes The Temple: Its Ministry and Services and Sketches of Jewish Social Life.