Newswise — What was life like in the time of Jesus? What were the origins of Christianity?
A new Discovery Channel documentary co-hosted by University of Illinois at Chicago biblical scholar Rachel Havrelock aims to shed new light on these questions through examination of emerging research that explores the life of Jesus and life in the first century.
The series, "Who Was Jesus?" premieres on April 5, Palm Sunday. It will air in three consecutive one hour segments, 7 " 10 p.m. CDT, that cover Jesus' childhood, mission, and last days.
"This is a new way of looking at it," Havrelock said of the program. "It's a more productive way, and closer to the social context of the time, so I think the viewers will get that from the story."
Havrelock, assistant professor of English and Jewish Studies at UIC, teamed with a Harvard University theologian and a Wofford College archeologist of Roman Palestine to guide viewers on a journey through the Holy Land.
Havrelock contributed to the program's coverage of daily life in first century Palestine, early Christianity, and the Jewish background of the Gospels and the Jesus movement.
The filming took place last August with visits to many sites in Israel and the West Bank related to Jesus and includes interviews with other experts in history, archeology, and theology.
A particular highlight for Havrelock was speaking about John the Baptist along a demilitarized area of the Jordan River. She is completing a book, "River Jordan: The Mythic History of a Dividing Line," that considers the Jordan River as a border in the Bible, Judaism, Christianity, and Jewish and Palestinian national movements.
"I've been trying to get to it for 10 years," Havrelock said. "It's right across from the baptismal site in Jordan." She was accompanied by Israeli border guards while Jordanian border guards monitored Christian pilgrims baptizing themselves.
Other notable moments she recalled of the filming include discussions about Jesus' miracles aboard a fishing boat in the Sea of Galilee, a Temple sacrifice at a contemporary sheep market in Bethlehem, and archeological finds related to the Temple in Jerusalem.
Havrelock believes the series -- which delves into archeology, social and economic history, gender relations, and literary and Gospel analysis -- will be of interest to a wide audience.
"It's historically interesting to see how things unfolded and how the language of the Gospel is representing a vision of a better world, but it also reflects the social reality of the time," she explained.
"For people to whom the Gospels and the life of Jesus are so central, it really reflects how scholars are looking at these things now."
Havrelock is co-author of "Women on the Biblical Road" and a contributor to "The Women's Commentary on the Torah." Her other scholarly interests include the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and cultural dimensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
She teaches courses on the Hebrew Bible, gender and sexuality in Judaism and Christianity, the history of Jewish biblical interpretation, the New Testament and the prophets in Judaism and Islam.
In addition to her teaching and research, Havrelock is the writer and director of two acclaimed hip-hop plays, "Soundtrack City" and "From Tel Aviv to Ramallah," that have toured across the country. The latter play, inspired by the people and sounds encountered by Havrelock and her husband, actor Yuri Lane, during a trip through Israel and the West Bank, illustrates the culture and humor that persist despite the difficult political situation.
For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu.
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