The Last Days of Jesus: His Life and Times by Bill O'Reilly - OPTIONAL

O’Reilly, Bill The Last Days of Jesus: His Life and Times, 283 pgs.  Henry Holt and Company, 2014.  $19.99  Content: Language: G; Violence: PG-13; Mature Content: PG.  

This is a historical and factual approach to the life of Jesus.  Starting with a description of the time and place in which Jesus was born, explaining the political leaders and their actions and then moving towards an explanation of the everyday life of Mary and Joseph and the home that Jesus grew up in.  The book moves along to when he started his ministry and the ways that he taught people.  It covers Jesus’ death and what happened to those who followed him.  

Throughout the book there are different illustrations or pictures of art depicting parts of the story.  This book is based on what O’Reilly has found evidence of or using multiple accounts, so it has a factual feel, there isn’t any personal testifying from the author.  It is interesting to hear a historical explanation of the times that Jesus lived.  The Roman soldiers are brutal and violent so that part is upsetting as well as the description of the crucifixion.  My only semi-complaint is that there are a lot of names and people to keep track of, so I wish there was a character list.  This is an adaption from the full length novel Killing Jesus.  

MS, HS-OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.