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| Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus (Hinges of History) | 
enlarge | Author: Thomas Cahill Publisher: Anchor Category: Book
List Price: $14.95 Buy Used: $0.03 You Save: $14.92 (100%)
New (41) Used (114) Collectible (5) from $0.03
Avg. Customer Rating: 122 reviews Sales Rank: 41162
Media: Paperback Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 368 Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6 Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.5
ISBN: 0385483724 Dewey Decimal Number: 232 EAN: 9780385483728 ASIN: 0385483724
Publication Date: February 13, 2001 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Condition: Book shows obvious wear on spine & cover. Your average used book; 1 Hour Ship! ** 96% positive feedback past 90 days--new management overhaul! ** Shop the Internet's most eco-conscious bookseller and keep the earth clean! ** Red Carpet Books = Red Carpet Service.
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| Customer Reviews:
An Interesting if Light Contrast to the Jesus Seminar October 20, 2008 Let me just start with the basics. If you believe Jesus to be the son of God, this book will not change your mind about His role in the world and in granting you salvation. If you do not accept Jesus as the son of God, this book is not going to change your mind either. What Thomas Cahill offers is a well written, if not particularly deep, take on Jesus, how the Gospels attempt to portray Him and how the world changed due to His presence. In contrast to some members the Jesus Seminar, Cahill takes the Epistles of Paul and the Acts of the Apostles seriously in portraying Jesus. Cahill also offers fairly good overviews of the styles of the various Gospel authors and how they reflect different aspects of Jesus. Having said that, this book only barely touches the surface of its subject and that is what proves frustrating about it. You simply can not cover Jesus, the Gospels, and the world before and after Jesus in 300 pages no matter how well the book flows.
A five star book with two star detractors September 6, 2008 This book is full of quotations from the Bible which is what makes Cahill's theme easy to follow. That is what does it for me, a Christian interested in secular history; putting people, places, cultural norms and language together with verbatim quotations from the Word of God. Cahill knows how to give the average reader flavor in an otherwise dull subject.
Cahill refrains from over intellectualizing on this theme, a grand stroll through history that intersects with a history changing personality. I have been a Christian now 34 years. If I could have read a book like this early in my walk, it would have advanced my understanding of scripture by many years.
Beware of the snobby intellectual detractors of this book. They either are envious of Cahill's success as an author or do not enjoy reading the actual scriptures.
D M Murphy
A new look August 23, 2008 This book really casts a new eye on an old story. I think everyone will enjoy this book no matter what your background. Most of the book is pretty much a standard commentary on the gospels. The last part of the book is really outstanding. Cahill here as he does in all of his books provides exciting broad based description of the setting of the gospel story. He interrelates his comments, the scripture, and the historical events going on at that time to create an exciting new story. He also describes events in a very exciting way. He tells the story like you are reading it in a novel or the newspaper. That adds luster to the greatest story.
Cahill also interjects little stories about the power of the gospel in shaping modern values we have today. Any believe will draw strength from that. The only problem with the book is we don't see enough of those stories.
Overall everyone will enjoy this book.
Not A Christian But A Believer In God August 20, 2008 10 out of 12 found this review helpful
Thomas Cahill speaks about the beginnings of the Christian religion with so much passion, it's almost poetry. I was warmed and made better by reading this book.
Desire of the everlasting hills August 15, 2008 Not a theological book, this actually is cataloged as "Biography" in the Catloging-In-Publication data on the title verso. The title comes from Jacob's blessing of Joseph in Genesis 49:26.
So don't read for the theology, read for the language. One of my favorites is that the word translated "inn" in Luke's account of the nativity is actually a word that usually refers to a family homestead. The homestead would have been full--of Joseph's relatives, who as Cahill says, could "count to nine" and gladly consigned Mary and Joseph to the stable as punishment for their supposed sin!
Cahill's writing left me feeling that it is impossible to learn more about the historical character Jesus without holding him more and more in awe.
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