Novels set in New Testament Palestine?

Any one knows any novels set in Palestine around the time of Jesus?

Especially the ones that depict the culture accurately? Where the writer had done the research on how people lived and talking at the time?

I think you’ll get fuller responses over in Cafe Society where you will next find this thread.

There is an Ann Rice novel about Jesus but it is not historically accurate.

Paul Maier wrote The Flames of Rome and it is historically accurate but may be a little later than you want…it is set in the time of Nero. He is an ancient history prof at Western Michigan University and has written other things.

That’s all I can think of at the moment.

judas, my brother by frank yerby

Alexandra Ripley’s A Love Divine, being a highly fictional account of the life of Joseph of Arimathea.

Not sure how accurate it is to the culture, but the first novel I thought of was The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis. Interesting read in any case.

Ben Hur, A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace. Probably not very historically accurate, but it has never been out of print since it was published circa 1880.

The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Costain, published in 1952. It’s a fictional account of Luke the apostle. I can’t vouch the accuracy of it, either.

When Alexandra Ripley decided she wanted to be Taylor Caldwell rather than Margaret Mitchell. :smiley:

And speaking of- I am a fan of Taylor Caldwell’s Dear & Glorious Physician (Luke) and Great Lion of God (Paul) when she was a Catholic Bircher, but not her I, Judas when she flirted with New Age.

Anthony Burgess wrote Man of Nazareth and Kingdom of the Wicked, being novels inspired by his screenplay work for Jesus of Nazareth and A.D. .

Maier also wrote Pontius Pilate, which was interesting- having the Samaritan Messianic pretender whose disciples Pilate had killed being Simon Magus.

Well, part of the book The Seven Hills, by Leonard Wibberley, is set in Palestine, at the time of the crucifixion. Told in the first person by a wealthy Roman freedman turned merchant. Not sentimental at all, the main character is often a jerk, a sharp trader whose main concern is looking out for number one. At one time or another he interacts with many “name” characters of the Gospel stories.

Long out of print, but you could probably find it online easily enough.

It is not a novel but have you looked at Pliny the Elder’s Natural History. It gives a pretty good view of what people thought way back when and was written around Jesus’s time. According to the back of the copy I have it is 'an encyclopedic accoutn of the state of science, art, and technology in the first centry, AD"

Thanks a lot for all your help!
Sorry, I thought this would be closer to a general question. Didn’t mean to put it in the wrong forum.

King Jesus by Robert Graves (1946). It’s based on the premise that Jesus really was of royal blood – son of a secret marriage between Herod Antipater (on of the sons of Herod the Great) and Mary (an heiress of the line of David).

I don’t know how accurate it is, but it does include a lot of elaborate details about the religious history of Palestine, including Yahweh’s two consorts, Anatha and Ashima (from the days before he reigned alone); and the necessity for a king to wed the youngest daughter of a royal house before he can legitimately reign.

See this post: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=4587965&postcount=86

And this one: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=4594900&postcount=90