Alfred Edersheim (1825-89) was a Vienna-born biblical scholar who converted from Judaism to Christianity. A veteran minister and missionary to the Jews of Romania, Edersheim left an enduring and priceless legacy to followers of Christ. A complete biography of Alfred Edersheim is available here.
Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah
One of the best known and most important references on the life of Christ ever written, Alfred Edersheim's The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah is a storehouse of information on the background of the New Testament. This classic work successfully portrays the streets, the marketplaces, the religious conflicts, the people, and the places of Jesus' earthly ministry.
Edersheim divides his work into five sections, or books:
- Book 1—The Preparation for the Gospel
Introductory historical, religious, political, and cultural material based on the author's extensive knowledge of Jewish lore and customs.
- Book 2—From Bethlehem to Jordan
The background of Herod and his reign, St. John the Baptist and his message, and the birth and baptism of Jesus.
- Book 3—From Jordan to the Mount of Transfiguration
Thirty-seven chapters explore the miracles and teachings of Jesus' early ministry.
- Book 4—The Descent into the Valley of Humiliation
A history of the latter part of Jesus' ministry from the Transfiguration to the journey to Jerusalem.
- Book 5—The Cross and the Crown
A chronicle of each day of Passion Week, from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection.
- Appendices
Nineteen entries give valuable background material on Jewish history, tradition, and law. Covers such diverse topics as the date of the Nativity, the New Testament Psudepigrapha ("false writings") and Apocryphal gospels, and Jewish angelology and demonology.
Edersheim puts the events of Jesus' life and ministry into their historical, social, and cultural context, including extensive references to early Jewish and rabinnical sources.
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The Temple: Its Ministry and Services
Citations from Scripture, rabbinic sources, and the works of Philo and Josephus enhance the reader's understanding of the temple, its sacrifices, ministry, personnel, and services. These materials complement Edersheim's discussion, clarify difficult passages, and illumine the reader as to the true, spiritual meaning of the temple and its services. This edition brings a wealth of information together in the margins, providing a unique entree into the primary sources of the ancient world.
Jerusalem, the temple, priests, and worshippers all come alive through Edersheim's prose:
"The Temple and its services form, so to speak, part of the life and work of Jesus Christ; part also of His teaching, and of that of His apostles. What connects itself so closely with Him must be of deepest interest. We want to be able, as it were, to enter Jerusalem ... to know exactly how the Temple looked, and to find our way through its gates, among its porches, courts, and chambers; to be present in spirit at its services; to witness the Morning and the Evening Sacrifice; to mingle with the crowd of worshippers at the great Festivals, and to stand by the side of those who offered sacrifice or free-will offering, or who awaited the solemn purification which would restore them to the fellowship of the Sanctuary.... For, amidst them all, we ever see that one great outstanding Personality, Whose presence filled that house with glory."
Edersheim's deep devotion to the authority of the Scriptures, his ability to make the Scriptures come alive in their ancient context, and his encyclopedic familiarity with ancient Jewish sources all enrich this classic and timeless work.
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Sketches of Jewish Social Life
In this volume, Rev. Alfred Edersheim transports the reader into the land of Palestine at the time of Jesus and the apostles in order to show as vividly as possible the setting of the New Testament—the landscape, persons, events, habits, modes of thinking, and practices of teaching and worship
The most relevant citations of Scripture, rabbinic sources, and the works of Philo and Josephus are supplied to complement Edersheim's masterful assessment of the writings of Jesus' day. This makes bland references come alive, in many cases shedding invaluable light on difficult passages or capturing the deep devotion Edersheim brings to the task of understanding the world of Jesus and his disciples.
Edersheim's notes remain indispensable for unlocking the mysteries of the ancient world. Always sensitive to the priority of God's Word, Edersheim takes the reader back to the Bible time and again to show the authority behind his writing. Readers know they will receive reliable primary and secondary resources in these helpful notes.
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Bible History: Old Testament
[Note: Bible History: Old Testament is already available as a Libronix DLS eBook and is being included to complete the collection.]
In this enduring classic, Alfred Edersheim explores the broad sweep of Old Testament history. He brings to his work his immense learning and familiarity with Judaism, as well as his love for Scripture and his desire for every Christian to know and understand the story of God's redemptive work in history. An excellent resource for Sunday-school teachers, the advanced scholar, and the Bible-class.
In writing it [Bible History: Old Testament] I have primarily had in view those who teach and those who learn, whether in the school or in the family. But my scope has also been wider. I have wished to furnish, what may be useful for reading in the family,--what indeed may, in some measure, serve the place of a popular exposition of the sacred history. More than this, I hope it may likewise prove a book to put in the hands of students, to show them what the Bible really teaches."
-Alfred Edersheim
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