The first volume of this history of early Christianity, which will be published in four volumes, describes the path Jesus took and the work he did against the backdrop of contemporary Judaism in Palestine. Martin Hengel and Anna Maria Schwemer begin with a study of Jesus' Galilean origins and then deal with his relationship to John the Baptist and the historical context of his work. This is followed by the form of his preaching as well as its content, which was determined by the beginning kingdom of God, the will of God and the love of the Father. The authors also focus on Jesus as a miracle worker and the problem of his messianic claim, which must not be limited to the question of the title itself. At the end of the book, they deal with the last struggle in Jerusalem, his passion and the appearances of the Risen One.