Boy Jesus: Growing Up Judaean in Turbulent Times

Drawing on both the latest archaeological findings and on the historical clues found within key texts of the period, this book brings the story of Jesus' identity, birth and boyhood to life as never before, while also pointing to the many ways in which his experiences as a child are likely to have influenced him in adulthood.

Publisher's Description:

What would Jesus have witnessed, experienced, and felt as a boy growing up in first-century Galilee?

Jesus lived at a time of deep social disturbance, as the Jewish people struggled to come to terms with Roman occupation. As a boy, he was a refugee, an outsider, an immigrant in the Galilee in which he grew up. He was also a witness to horrific atrocities carried out by the occupying Roman overlords and their client rulers. All this and more is explored in this scholarly but highly accessible historical investigation.

Joan Taylor, a world authority on the history and literature of the first century CE, draws both on the latest archaeological findings and on the historical clues found within key texts of the period. The result is a book that brings the story of Jesus' identity, birth and boyhood clearly to life as never before, while also pointing to the many ways in which his experiences as a child are likely to have influenced him in adulthood.

Endorsements:

“This is Joan Taylor at her best, offering an original, imaginative, clearly written, and deeply thoughtful analysis of a range of exceptionally powerful texts. Her deep erudition and balanced judgement are everywhere on display.” —HELEN K. BOND, University of Edinburgh

“Taylor’s work emerges from her wide-ranging knowledge of ancient Judaism and Christianity, coupled with exceptional historical facility and a disciplined historical imagination. A unique and valuable resource.” —JEANNINE K. BROWN, Bethel Seminary

“Perhaps the most thorough, accessible, and compelling contextual treatment of Jesus’s life to date. … This book will be prized by anyone studying the historical Jesus or the Gospels, scholar or pastor alike.” —GARY M. BURGE, Calvin Theological Seminary

“Through a creative but disciplined approach to birth and infancy narratives…, Joan Taylor challenges the received consensus among critical scholars who argue that we can know little about the early life of Jesus. … While Taylor’s intellectual prowess is evident, Boy Jesus is also written in her typically engaging and accessible style.” —JAMES CROSSLEY, University of Cambridge and MF Oslo

“A thought-provoking and innovative investigation of a subject usually supposed beyond the reach of historians.” —KEN DARK, King’s College London

“Enlightening and engaging, this is a must-read for everyone interested in the historical Jesus and the birth of Christianity.” —NICK HOLMES, author of The Roman Revolution

“A nuanced, wide-ranging, and groundbreaking exploration of the earliest stories of Jesus’s infancy and childhood. … Everyone will learn from it, and those who disagree on points will necessarily find the study fascinating and worthy of engagement, while finding much worthy of consideration.” —CRAIG S. KEENER, Asbury Theological Seminary

“Original, engaging, and smart, Taylor’s volume brilliantly challenges conventional readings of the nativity stories and so of Jesus’s upbringing.” —AMY-JILL LEVINE, Vanderbilt University

“This is an extraordinary accomplishment! Taylor paints a totally new picture of the boy Jesus as a refugee and emigrant in a landscape of turbulence and violence that shaped his life.” —HALVOR MOXNES, University of Oslo

“Taylor’s insightful analysis offers readers a profound understanding of how the boy Jesus was shaped, making this a must-read for anyone seeking deeper insight into his formative years.” —ROBERT J. MYLES, University of Divinity, Australia

“A must-read for anyone interested in the historical Jesus and Christian origins.” —JONATHAN L. REED, University of La Verne, California

“In this engrossing book, Joan Taylor draws on a broad range of textual and archaeological sources to imagine the concrete, everyday realities of Jesus’s childhood and young adulthood. … [S]he situates Jesus squarely within his historical, social, geographical, and religious contexts, and in doing so brings him to life as few other studies have done.” —ADELE REINHARTZ, FRSC, University of Ottawa

About the Author:

Joan Taylor is Professor Emerita of Christian Origins and Second Temple Judaism, King’s College London, and Honorary Professor in Biblical and Early Christian Studies, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne. Her recent books include The Essenes, the Scrolls and the Dead Sea (OUP, 2012), What Did Jesus Look Like? (Bloomsbury, 2018) and (with Helen Bond) Women Remembered: Jesus' Female Disciples (Hodder, 2022).