With My Own Eyes

Bo Giertz wrote this book drawing upon the exegetical insights that he received from his mentor Anton Fridrichsen before, during and after his trip to Palestine in the early 1930's. The book is a third-person retelling of the gospels that brings into account various Old Testament references and the contemporary interpretations of those passages by the Jews of Jesus' day as well as contemporary events throughout the Roman Empire, but most especially those directly affecting the Jewish people of Israel at the time, so that the gospel stories take on new life and meaning for the reader. It's both a harmonization of the gospels, and a commentary on them, but much richer. The perspectives change depending on the episode. Sometimes the perspective is from that of a disciple, sometimes from that of a person being healed or a bystander observing. The Christmas story is told from the perspective of Shepherds, the crucifixion scene dwells on the perspective of Simon of Cyrene.