The Twelve Apostles

Twelve men were called by Jesus to be his disciples. They were neither rich, educated, nor heroic; they frequently doubted him and rarely understood his message; one of them betrayed him to his death. Yet these very ordinary men, fishermen, tradesmen and clerks, were transformed by the resurrection of Jesus into inspired apostles of a new faith, who carried the Christian message throughout the Roman Empire. In a highly readable but scholarly text, Ronald Brownrigg, author of Who's who in the New Testament, follows the remarkable story of each of the twelve and brings to life their individual characters. He draws upon a wide variety of sources including the Canonical and Apocryphal New Testament, and historical and legendary material from the early Christian Church. The author's deep personal knowledge of the scenes of the Gospel story lend a fresh dimension to this subject; the collective and individual portraits stand out clearly against the exciting background of the Roman world. Magnificent maps and photographs accompany the text throughout.