I have found that reading works of historical fiction can be an enjoyable way to learn about Judaism, Christianity, and the Greco-Roman world.

If you are seeking recommendations in this area, I recommend starting with 1) David deSilva, Day of Atonement: A Novel of the Maccabean Revolt (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2015), 2) Gerd Theissen, The Shadow of the Galilean: The Quest of the Historical Jesus in Narrative Form. Updated Edition (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007), and 3) Christopher D. Stanley, A Ram for Mars. Book Three in the “A Slave’s Story” Trilogy (Buffalo, New York: NFB Publishing, 2026). After that, I recommend reading 4) John Byron, A Week in the Life of a Slave (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2019) and 5) Holly Beers, A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2019.

Here is a somewhat longer list of books in this genre:

David A. deSilva. Day of Atonement: A Novel of the Maccabean Revolt. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2015. An engaging work of historical fiction on the Maccabean Revolt. It develops the character of Jason in a particularly interesting way.

John Williams. Augustus. NYRB Classics, 2014. An an engaging fictional novel on Augustus by a major literary figure.

Gerd Theissen, The Shadow of the Galilean: The Quest of the Historical Jesus in Narrative Form. Updated Edition. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007. One of the classic studies in this genre – and one of the best. (If you wish, you could read the older edition, which is probably cheaper – but the updated edition does include a new Afterward).

Paul L. Maier. Pontius Pilate: A Novel. 3rd edition. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2014.

Gary M. Burge, A Week in the Life of a Roman Centurion. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2015.

Adam Winn, Killing a Messiah: A Novel. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2020.

David Trobisch, Talitha and the Eyes of Saint Paul. Bolivar: Leonard Press, 2013.

John Byron, A Week in the Life of a Slave. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2019. I enjoyed this work of historical fiction, which brings to life both Paul’s letter to Philemon and some of the realities of slavery in antiquity.

James L. Papandrea. A Week in the Life of Rome. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2019.

Paula Gooder. Phoebe: A Story. Downers Grove. IVP Academic, 2018.

Paula Gooder. Lydia: A Story. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2023.

Paul L. Meyer. The Flames of Rome. 3rd edition. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2014.

Ben Witherington III. A Week in the Fall of Jerusalem. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017.

Bruce Longenecker. The Lost Letters of Pergamum: A Story from the New Testament World. 2nd Edition. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2016.

David A. DeSilva, A Week in the Life of Ephesus. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2020.

Holly Beers, A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2019. I enjoyed this work of historical fiction, which is engaging and illuminating. It could be fruitfully complemented by reading Susan Hylen’s book Women in the New Testament World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018.

Christopher D. Stanley’s Slave Trilogy (see here). An enjoyable read that gives insights into ancient world. I especially liked the final book in the trilogy, A Ram for Mars, which is a great way to learn more about the First Jewish-Roman War and the time leading up to it.

Christopher D. Stanley. A Rooster for Asklepios. 4th edition. New York: NFB Publishing, 2020.

Christopher D. Stanley. A Bull for Pluto. 2nd edition. New York: NFB Publishing, 2020.

Christopher D. Stanley. A Ram for Mars. New York: NFB Publishing, 2026.

Addendum:

Though they are not quite “historical fiction” in terms of their genre, Tom Holland’s books are also an accessible way into the ancient world, since they are written in the form of a narrative history that is told with a relatively free use of imagination and rhetorical flourish. I especially enjoyed his book Rubicon.

Tom Holland. Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic. New York: Doubleday, 2003.

Tom Holland. Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar. London: Little, Brown, 2015.

Tom Holland, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World. New York: Basic Books, 2021. (But this book is less of a narrative history)