Here are some books of historical fiction relating to early Christianity and the world of the Bible. I have marked some of my favorites with a *.

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

John Williams. Augustus. An an engaging fictional novel on Augustus by a major literary figure.

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

Paul L. Maier. Pontius Pilate: A Novel. 3rd edition. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2014. I think this book contains quite a few dubious apologetic moves, but it has its strengths also and is an enjoyable read.

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

Adam Winn, Killing a Messiah: A Novel. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2020. I did not find the overall hypothesis that drives this book convincing, but I still enjoyed reading it.

*John Byron, A Week in the Life of a Slave. Downers Grove: IVP Academic. 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. A good read.

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

Paul L. Meyer. The Flames of Rome. 3rd edition. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2014. I liked this better than his Pilate book, though it also has some problematic tendencies in my judgment. My favorite book of Meyer is Josephus: The Essential Works, which is a helpful condensation (though his treatment of the Testimonium Flavianum seems problematic to me).

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.

Christopher D. Stanley’s Slave Trilogy (see here). An enjoyable read that gives insights into ancient world.

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, Forthcoming.

Addendum:

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