Greco-Roman Culture and the Galilee of Jesus [Hardcover]

An investigation of the archaeological evidence for Greek and Roman culture in Jesus Galilee.Greco-Roman Culture and the Galilee of Jesus is the first book-length investigation of the archaeological evidence for Greek and Roman culture in Galilee. Examining architecture, inscriptions, coins, and art from Alexander the Great's conquest until the early fourth century CE, Chancey argues that the extent of Greco-Roman culture in Galilee in the time of Jesus has often been greatly exaggerated. The book is aimed at readers with interests in New Testament studies, Early Judaism, archaeology of Palestine, and Classics.Greco-Roman Culture and the Galilee of Jesus is the first book-length investigation of the archaeological evidence for Greek and Roman culture in Galilee. Examining architecture, inscriptions, coins, and art from Alexander the Great's conquest until the early fourth century CE, Chancey argues that the extent of Greco-Roman culture in Galilee in the time of Jesus has often been greatly exaggerated. The book is aimed at readers with interests in New Testament studies, Early Judaism, archaeology of Palestine, and Classics.Examining architecture, inscriptions, coins, and art from Alexander the Great's conquest until the early fourth century CE, Mark Chancey argues that the extent of Greco-Roman culture in the time of Jesus has often been greatly exaggerated. Antipas's reign in the early first century was indeed a time of transition, but the more dramatic shifts in Galilee's cultural climate happened in the second century, after the arrival of a large Roman garrison. Any attempt to understand the Galilean setting of Jesus must recognize the significance of the region's historical development as well as how Galilee fits into the larger context of the Roman East.Introduction; 1. Galilee's early encounter with Hellenism; 2. The Roman army in Palestine; 3. The introduction of Greco-Roman architecture; 4. The transformation of the landscape in the second and third centul£+