Christian History Studies with Memoria Press
I have been working my way through The Wars of the Jews set, from Memoria Press for my own edification when it comes to Christian history studies. I received a copy of the set as part of the Homeschool Review Crew. As always, all opinions are our own. We are affiliates with Memoria Press, so purchasing through a link in this post may result in a small commission.
While most of the reviews done with the Homeschool Review Crew involve one or more of the boys, this one is different. Instead of getting a teen to work on a program that wasn’t part of their learning plan for the school year, I am taking time to learn a bit more about a crucial time in history.
If you had told me I’d be studying history for fun when I was younger, I would have laughed. My experience was not the best growing up. With the exception of my AP American History teacher and then the honors colloquium in college.
Yet, here I am. A middle-aged woman on the quest to learn more and see how history impacts the present day.
About The Wars of the Jews from Memoria Press
At the time of history recorded in The Wars of the Jews, Christianity has already been born. But, it is early days and the documentation contained in the pages impacts Church history. The Fall of Jerusalem is as important to Christians as to the Jewish people. This is why Memoria Press has it as a follow up to Scripture studies.
The Wars of the Jews set is meant for high school students or adults.
The Set includes:
The text which describes the Fall of Jeruselum. This is Josephus’ text translated to English.
The Student Guide
The Teacher Guide
Like most of the Memoria Press curriculum options, the student guide has a serious of questions associated with the reading. The guide is filled in workbook style.
For the educator, the teacher guide is strictly a series of suggested answers superimposed upon the student pages.
My Thoughts on Christian History Studies with The Wars of the Jews
You can’t get much better than reading from the source.
The original author, Josephus, is regarded as the most trustworthy source for the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. You are reading his words translated for you. No additional commentary added in the main text. There are notes at the back of the book.
Where you put the pieces together is using the student workbook. Here you are going to not only make sure those key points are revealed, but also synthesize it all.
The style of writing feels a bit foreign compared to our modern day way of expressing information. However, it is not so challenging to read that a high school student can not do the work.
One way they helped to bridge this gap some is to include photographs and diagrams showing key components of the story. This includes an image of the Roman Siege mechanism called a ballista, what the old city walls look like (present day), and a map of the city with the Roman siege wall marked.
While there are not many images, they do add to the understanding of what you are reading.
Final Takeaway on The Wars of the Jews Set
If you are seeking an easy to implement curriculum for your high school student on this topic, the program is fantastic. While there are no lesson plans per se, you just go piece by piece at the pace which works best for you.
Using just the text is enough for exposure. Adding in the student guide will help cement the learning experience. However, if you have a child who is workbook phobic, you may wish to use it as a guide for oral discussion.
How do you approach learning about history as it impacts Christian Church history?
Would this program from Memoria Press be well received by your teens?
Past Reviews of Memoria Press Curriculum Options
Our family has been fortunate to have reviewed several other curriculum options from Memoria Press in the past. Here are some of them including a few more that focus on Christian History Studies.
Don’t just take my word for how we found this to be. Visit the Memoria Press #2 review post on the Homeschool Review Crew website to see what other homeschooling parents thought about this book.
