What was the climate like in Jesus’ time?
Question:
I am doing an assignment on Jesus. Two questions which I am really struggling to find information on are:
- What was the weather like and what was the climate like in Jesus' time?
- What crops were grown in Jesus' time?
If you have any information about any of these could you please let me know?
Answer:
I don't want to give you an unfair advantage over your fellow students, so instead of answering directly, I will point you to places that provide the information. Both questions can be found in two types of reference works: a biblical encyclopedia and a book that describes what life was like during the Bible's time, generally called a "customs and manners" book.
For example, an encyclopedia called "The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia" is available online. When you click on the title, it will take you to a place to browse or search for the encyclopedia. Typing in "weather," "food," or "farming" will give you a start.
Some encyclopedias were once called dictionaries, even though they contained much more than simple definitions. Two free ones are "Easton's Bible Dictionary" and "Smith's Bible Dictionary."
The site "Bible Places" contains mostly photographs, but it also has many documents dealing with life during the Bible times. If you look on the left side, near the bottom you will find a "Search Site" to locate information.
Of course, you can always use a search engine, such as Google. Typing in "food crops New Testament times" led me to an article titled "How People Made a Living in the Time of Jesus." The old-fashioned way is to find a religious college in your area and look through their books. The types of books are the same as the ones I listed above, or you can ask a reference librarian to help you look for books.
