Bridging two millennia of history between biblical times and our own day can be a daunting task, and it is all too easy to read our own contemporary cultural assumptions into the text of Scripture. A Cultural Handbook to the Bible (Wm. B. Eerdmans) by John J. Pilch is an attempt to bridge that cultural divide by surveying 63 different topics and seeking to translate ancient concepts for contemporary readers. It will make for hours of fascinating reading and many helpful insights.
