Dianne (gardngal) reviewed on 3/25/2017 + 271 more book reviews

Make no mistake, this book is not a novel. It is an in- depth study by ancient and modern scholars who have written interpretations of the gospels and other historical documents. It was written after two decades of research. Each chapter has several corresponding pages of notes citing other studies and authors, as many as 10 to 20 individuals, who have also scrutinized the history and legends surrounding Jesus. It discusses and analyzes every nuance and debate of the world Jesus lived in, both religious and political. The scholars have all studied the gospels in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Some Greek words are even defined in depth, with several interpretations and their explanations.

This was a difficult book to read. It is important to separate Jesus the human being from Jesus the Christ. The author takes only the human side, and claims many of the stories in the gospels are fabricated, since they were written long after the Crucifixion, and were meant to help spread the religion to the early Christians. Therefore, some of the stories of Jesus had to be enhanced, changed, or made up. One entire chapter dealt only with interpretation of the phrase "the Son of Man."

I appreciated it for the culture and history. However, it made me sad to see so many of my cherished traditions shredded. Beyond that, it is a fascinating treatment of the actual history of first century Palestine. That said, noting that the radical zealot known as Jesus of Nazareth has been all but lost to history, Aslan states, "That is a shame. Because the one thing any comprehensive study of the historical Jesus should reveal is that Jesus of Nazareth - Jesus the MAN - is every bit as compelling, charismatic and praiseworthy as Jesus the Christ. He is, in short, someone worth believing in." That is the last sentence in the book, and leaves the reader with faith intact. D.

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