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The Israel That Jesus Knew
As we go through the scriptures, sometimes they seem like a foreign language when we try to read it and that confusion can only worsen when we don’t know the culture of Jesus. Trying to interpret everything that Jesus said through the lens of western Christians can make a confusing scripture even worse. To try to help clear up some of the confusion, let’s look through Jesus’ life with cultural eyeglasses that He would have worn.
One of the things that we can be certain of is that children, regardless of their culture or position in history want to have fun! Researchers have found that they played games that are very close to the games of jacks and hopscotch played by children today. They would not have had many toys, but archeologists have been able to discover toy animals and tops. These were most likely carved by the children’s fathers as there were no toys sold in that time.
Marketing was as important then as it is now. Depending upon what the tradesmen made, they would have symbols on their person that identified them as such. If a Jew was a clothes maker, he would have placed needles in their tunics. As Jesus was raised by Joseph, a carpenter, both would, most likely, have had wood chips perched on the top of their ears much like some people place a pencil or pen behind their ear to carry it. This identified them as carpenters and, no doubt, manufacturers of some of the best furniture in Galilee.
The Jews took the second commandment to not have any graven images very seriously. Therefore, there are, almost, no pictures or carvings that would show how people of that time would look and dress. Masons were used to build homes and other buildings, but they were no-frills because of this.
Jews in Jesus time ate only two meals per day. Breakfast often consisted of olives, both green and black, cheese and flat bread. You can find this type of meal today in most Middle Eastern restaurants. They ate their breakfast around 10 am after they had already put in a half day of work. Supper was heftier. Generally, these consisted of some type of stew with lentils, bread, fruit (when in season) and more cheese. Those who lived close to the coast would have ample access to fish on a regular basis. Red meat, specifically lamb, was used only during special occasions such as during Passover. Locust were a special treat and were eaten, especially during travel.
About the Author
Dr. Bill Young is an elder at the Danville SDA Church as well as a professor at Eastern Kentucky University. Having a long-term background in pre-hospital emergency medicine, he has seen the worst that this world has to offer. In doing so, he has found that turning to the scriptures is a very real refuge. He enjoys exploring the history and geography of Israel during the time that Jesus walked the land.
