I think the course title is a bit misleading, because one learns a lot more about Jews and Judaism in the run-up to Jesus's birth than one learns about Jesus's Jewish background. Nevertheless, it is a very interesting story, as Professor Magness uses both biblical and non-biblical sources (e.g., Flavius Josephus) to tell the story of the Maccabees and, eventually, the Jewish uprising that led to the destruction of the Second Temple. Slotted in after the other courses I've taken about the Bible, this course does a good job of helping me make better sense of what may have occurred. "May" is the key word, however, as the sources are very slim. Josephus is often the single source for a famous event, such as Masada, but as Professor Magness shows, he had his own political and personal agendas, so we can't take the validity of anything he says at face value. Magness is a decent lecturer--not the most fluid I have ever seen, but quite listenable and extremely knowledgeable. The course could do from a bit better organization, i.e., living up to its title by a bit more focus on Jesus throughout. ( )