In Desire of the Everlasting Hills, Thomas Cahill takes up his most daring and provocative subject yet: Jesus of Nazareth, the central figure of Western civilisation. Introducing us first to the people Jesus knew, Cahill describes the oppressive Roman political presence, the pervasive Greek cultural influence, and especially the widely varied social and religious context of the Judaism in which Jesus moved and flourished. These backgrounds, essential to a complete understanding of Jesus, lead to the author's stunningly original interpretation of the New Testament that will delight readers and surprise scholars. And from this reading emerges a portrait of Jesus as a real person, sharp-witted and sharp-tongued, but kind, humorous and affectionate, shadowed by the inevitable climax of crucifixion. Mary emerges as not quite the "perpetual virgin" of popular piety, but still a vivid presence and forceful influence on her son, while the much-maligned apostle Paul, carrier of Jesus' message and the most important figure in early Christianity, finds rehabilitation in Cahill's revealing, realistic portrait. This is a book for believers and non-believers alike, an interpretative history that invites readers into an ancient world to commune with some of the most influential people who ever lived.