Jesus, the Man and the Myth: A Jewish Reading of the New Testament

Jesus was a Jew, speaking to his fellow Jews in Aramaic, a language of the ancient Near East. His message was a simple one: the kingdom of heaven is at hand; and if you accept me as your king, I will ensure that it comes to pass. Such was the essence of his ministry, which lasted eighteen months, the normal length of a political campaign. His reputation as a faith healer convinced many simple folk in Galilee that he was indeed the king who would free them from Roman rule. But to attain kingship, he first had to approach the seat of power, Jerusalem. So on a bright Sunday in April, with Passover and its message of liberation ("Let my people go.") fast approaoching, Jesus entered the Judean capital in triumph. The crowds lining his route cried out, "Hosanna to the son of David!" (Jesus was presumed to be a direct decendent of King David through Mary's husband, Joseph.) People spread their cloaks or palm branches on the road so that his feet would not touch the ground. Five days later, he was dead, having lost most of his popular following. Why? Because he managed to destroy his candidacy to the throne of David by urging his compatriots to pay taxes to Rome. A true king of Israel would have done the opposite. If Judea was soon to be freed from Roman oppression, no taxes would be due to the occupying power. His temper tantrum in the Temple had already hurt his reputation since the merchants, who sold animals for sacrifice, performed a necessary service. The money changers allowed pilgrims from abroad to change their foreign coin into local curency. By misrepresenting the Hebrew Scriptures, Jesus gave Judaism a bad name. He claimed, for example, thet "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" encourages vengeance of reprisal. In fact it is a formula for civil damages following an accident, the price of an eye being greater than that of a tooth. Indeed the Pharisees, whom Jesus slandered simply because they had doubts about his royal pretentions, had established that the eye or the tooth of a rich man had no greater value than that of a poor man. Jews and Christians alike have a right to know the truth about Judaism.
ASIN: B092BWWG9Y
VSKU: BVV.B092BWWG9Y.VG
Condition: Very Good
Author/Artist:Seager, Frederic
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: Book has little sign of wear or use