In Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit Jodi Magness unearths "footprints" buried in both archaeological and literary evidence to shed new light on Jewish daily life in Palestine from the mid-first century b.c.e. to 70 c.e. - the time and place of Jesus' life and ministry.

Magness analyzes recent archaeological discoveries from such sites as Qumran and Masada together with a host of period texts, including the New Testament, the works of Josephus, and rabbinic teachings. Layering all these sources together, she reconstructs in detail a fascinating variety of everyday activities - dining customs, Sabbath observance, fasting, toilet habits, burial customs, and more.