The story behind the story....Who were the Herods? Who were the Pharisees and what did they stand for? What effect did the Roman Empire have on the burgeoning development of the early Christian church? In what religious and social environment did Jesus, Paul and the earliest Christians live their lives? Here in one succinct volume Paul Barnett tells the behind-the-scenes story of the New Testament, tracing the events from the Gospels to the Revelation and anchoring them within the wider historical, political and social context of the Roman Empire. Students and general readers alike will find this a valuable aid in their understanding of Scripture.