Killing Jesus: A History by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard - A 30-Minute Chapter-by-Chapter Summary - InstaRead Summaries

Killing Jesus: A History by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard - A 30-Minute Chapter-by-Chapter Summary

By InstaRead Summaries

  • Release Date: 2013-12-09
  • Genre: Study Aids
Score: 4
4
From 55 Ratings

Description

With InstaRead Chapter-by-Chapter Summaries, you can get the essence of a book in 30 minutes or less. We read every chapter and summarize it in one or two paragraphs so you can get the information contained in the book at a much faster rate.

This is an InstaRead Summary of Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. 

Below is a preview of the earlier sections of the summary: 

A Note to Readers
Two thousand years have passed since the execution of Jesus of Nazareth. Today, 2.2 Billion people believe he is God and attempt to follow his teachings. A lot has been written about this man who shaped the world. But little is known for sure. While the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are written from a spiritual perspective, this title is a fact based book and relies on evidence from classical texts. The authors do not refer to Jesus as the messiah. They present him as a man who held the attention of many while teaching a message of peace and love. The powerful enemies he made turn the story into a violent one. To understand Jesus’ accomplishments, one must understand the time in which he lived. Rome was the world superpower. Life expectancy could be less than forty years and human life wasn't worth a lot. Jesus would offer people hope. 

Book I: The World of Jesus
Chapter One
Early one morning in March, 5 AD, soldiers descend on the city of Jerusalem. They have been ordered to kill every baby boy under the age of two. Reining King Herod the Great is cruel and especially brutal towards anyone that threatens his sovereignty. Over the past thirty years of rule, he has outwitted every plot against him. Jewish prophets, for centuries, have been predicting the arrival of a new king to lead their people. Five signs were said to be needed to confirm the messiah’s birth. There was to be the appearance of a giant star; the baby would be born in Bethlehem and be a descendant of King David. The child’s mother would also be a virgin and important men would travel to worship him.

Herod knows that the first two have already occurred. What he doesn't know is that actually all five may have come to pass. Wealthy scholars known as magi have visited the baby Jesus. His mother, Mary, is insistent that she remains a virgin even though she was pregnant. Jesus is also a descendent of King David.

The magi had alerted Herod to the birth when they visited him on the way to see Jesus. They assume that he would know where the child was. Herod is a Jewish convert but does not practice the faith. He knows nothing about the teachings and summons religious scholars to tell him what they know. Herod attempts to trick the magi and asks them to return to his place after they find the child. He says that he too would like to know where the baby is so he can worship him. When they do not return, Herod sends his soldiers to Bethlehem.

From the palace, the Herod can see the temple of Jerusalem. It was first built by King Solomon in the tenth century BC. After its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC it was rebuilt. Herod had also recently expanded it. 

By the time of the infant massacre, Jesus and his parents have already visited the temple. During one visit an old man named Simeon approached them and asked to hold the baby. He prayed over Jesus and assured the surprised parents that their child was going to cause the rise and fall of many in Israel. He also warned Mary that a sword would pierce her own soul...

Reviews

  • Killing Jesus

    4
    By TamMmyr1009
    Good. Very elementary but of course it is a summary after all. I liked it!
  • Killing Jesus (summary)

    1
    By Qxztu
    This abridged version of Killing Jesus was almost a joke. It was only 62 pages, was double spaced, and some chapters were less than a page. All of the chapters had "takeaways", even if the "chapter" was only a few printed lines. After reading a chapter of a few lines, a "takeaway" was redundant. I am a slow reader, and it took me less than thirty minutes to read it. I would not be bothered by any more like this.
  • Yes and No

    3
    By RGLRGL
    The facts presented are correct but the writing style is almost childish.
  • Good Read!

    5
    By Slymaz
    Based on the summary, its a violent story! But well worth the read, and definitely earmarked as a welcomed addition to the historical collection of that time period.