As you say the problem is not finding books about Paul, it’s being deluged by them. Everyone who studies the NT has a go it seems. Ok these are books that come highly recommended, written by noted scholars who are neither apologists nor wackos.

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What these books have in common is the effort to place Paul in his context so as to better interpret him. I would start with the Thiessen but Fredriksen has spent her entire career focused on early Christian/Jewish issues. Sanders, who passed on to his reward in 2022 at the age of 85, was a giant in the field. His book is probably what you would get assigned in a class at school. He has written several books on Paul, all praised even by folks who don’t completely agree with him.

Note about links: I use links to Amazon as a quick reference. I can almost always find used copies cheaper elsewhere. Try ** you do not have permission to see this link ** which surveys all the major vendors.