Christian readers of the New Testament study the great stories about Jesus through the lens of western culture. In this series of books, Gary Burge uses his extensive knowledge of the first century world and the Middle East to offer insights not available to the average person. Each book will develop important cultural themes and wrap them around well-known New Testament passages. And the result will be insights rarely gained elsewhere. See Jesus through the eyes of two men and three women. Each character in the story--a tax collector, a Phoenician woman, a centurion, etc.--brings along elements from their own world now hidden from us because we do not share the culture of Jesus' world. Insights from the first century Middle East abound to unlock profound insights about Jesus and his audience.