The years between 37 BC, when Herod the Great became ruler, and AD 73, when Roman armies destroyed the citadel of Masada, the last stronghold of the Jews, were the most crucial in the history of the Jewish people. During this turbulent period, the Temple of Jerusalem was rebuilt more splendidly than ever before, then destroyed completely - and Jesus Christ died on the cross. The Holy Land documents both the great events of the period and the daily lives of ordinary Jewish people. Peter Connolly's superb illustrations and reconstructions breathe life into the dry archaeological evidence, bringing the period to vibrant life.