ABSTRACT
Bible background is an attempt to make things come alive for children. Some people see Bible background as an ‘escape’ from religious education into a minor aspect of ancient history. That Bible background has such a time-honoured place in religious education is recognition that to many the Bible is a difficult book. The reason for spending time in building up a picture in children’s minds of life at the time of Jesus was to help them to gain some insight into his teaching. When God is talked about in the Bible, metaphors are used, arising out of human experience to describe him. Archaeology of major sites in Israel has revealed a considerable wealth of information about life around the time of Jesus. There are the writings of historians like Josephus, the Jewish historian, and Pliny, the Roman historian. In specific cases these throw light upon the world of Jesus.
