Customer Reviews

The Jesus Dynasty: The Hidden History of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity

5 star:		(96)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

In response to the person who accused this book of being `flash over substance' and basically a Da Vinci Code rip off, I would say that they probably didn't read the book (Actually, I know that they didn't since the review is dated about a month before the book's release). The Jesus Dynasty is completely unrelated to Dan Brown's book, advocating an entirely different thesis. Tabor states this plainly in his preface and goes on to say of the Da Vinci Code, "while gripping fiction, this idea is long on speculation and short on evidence." The theories that Tabor proposes in The Jesus Dynasty are based entirely on an historical-critical examination of the surviving evidence of Jesus, his family, and early followers and what Tabor sees as the most likely interpretation of that evidence. Tabor brings to this endeavor 40 years of study on the topic at hand and is more than qualified to write this book. One reviewer asserted that `If not for "Da Vinci Code," this tripe would never have even been written.', but I can say as someone who has known Dr. Tabor personally for 8 years that the ideas presented in this book long predate and are not at all dependent on the Da Vinci Code or the pseudo-history of Baigent et al.

The Jesus Dynasty is Tabor's attempt at reconstructing the life of Jesus and his family. In many ways his attempt is quite daring and his ideas unique. The book will no doubt offend many who will not judge the book on its scholarship but will dogmatically reject what it says based on the beliefs which they bring to the book. On the whole, Tabor's attempt is believable, putting Jesus and his followers squarely in the historical context of first century Judaism. Some of the book's claims will certainly be a surprise to many readers. Just one example brought to light in the book is that many Jews of the time were expecting two messiahs. This idea is well attested in the records from the time and yet unknown to most people today. This idea can be found in the Hebrew Bible itself, in the book of Zechariah, as well as pseudopigraphic works from the Second Temple period. The writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls clearly expected this (see for example in the Community Rule). Later Rabbinic sources speak of two messiahs as well (see b. Sukkah 52a in the Talmud, Midrash Tanhuma (ed. Buber) Vayiggash 3, Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 14:1, Midrash Tehillim 60.3, Targum to Song of Songs 4:5 and 7:4, and Targum Psuedo-Jonathan to Exodus 40:11 to name a few). Tabor takes this widespread belief into account in assessing the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist.

There is a certain amount of speculation in the work (and Tabor does say when he is engaging in speculation), but that will always be true of something for which the evidence is so fragmentary and dating later than the events they describe. Tabor provides evidence to back up his theories but he also points out several times that about some things we may never be certain as the evidence is just too limited. One aspect in which I was somewhat disappointed was that he does not go into detail about some of the evidence he has (having studied many of these topics with Tabor himself and having been on some of the archaeological digs which he mentions in the book with him, I know that he has more evidence regarding these things and can go into more detail about them). My guess is that to keep the book at a less intimidating size (as it is it is over 300 pages) he refrains from going into more detail about the evidence he has. This would be my one criticism; I would like to see a fuller treatment of the evidence in some of these places (one example that stands out in my mind is Tabor's reconstruction of the chronology of the week leading up to Jesus' crucifixion, namely on which days everything took place).

Perhaps the most compelling part of the book for me was the history of the Jesus movement following his crucifixion, namely the story of James his brother. I found the evidence put forth regarding James (his leadership of the movement which was later lost/ covered up by a largely Pauline influenced church) to be quite convincing. That James was the leading figure, taking up the mantle of Jesus himself is clear when one looks at the evidence. Moreover, the New Testament's reticence on the subject is very suspicious.

Overall this is a very worthwhile read, giving a portrait of Jesus that, while important, is unfamiliar to most people in the world today.

Dr. Tabor asked me to let him know what I thought of the book when I responded to an announcement he sent, so here we go. This is an excellent book with a few "maybe" spots. It presents a good historical background, in some ways reminiscent to Crossan and Reed _Excavating Jesus_, and very easy to read for most people. I will recommend the book, although I am not convinced fully about several of his arguments.

He does support some of my own ideas and teachings and so I am biased. One is that Yeshua was a real claimant for the Davidic throne. He makes it clear that Christianity has misrepresented the actual historical events and intentions of Yeshua, and follows a mythologized religion developed by Paul of Tarsus who never knew Yeshua in the flesh (or otherwise, IMO). The idea that Yeshua's movement was supported by a dynasty is not a secret to anyone familiar with the term desposyni (and I am not talking about "Grail" "DaVinci Code" "stuff"). There are many points to explore and consider in the book but I will mention only a few.

For me the most interesting argument is a double Davidic lineage, from Yosef and MIRYAM! I have been quick to point to the obvious failure of tracing a legitimate Davidic line through Yosef and God. Jeconiah (Y'konyah) disqualifies Yosef's entire branch of the family. I figured that the Lukan geneaology was another crap shoot attempt. In spite of my willingness to accept that Yeshua claimed legitimacy as a Davidic king, I could not remedy two bad geneaologies. But Dr. Tabor offers a solution to the problem via a good explanation of descent through Miryam.

He makes an extremely interesting case for Pantera (mentioned by Celsus and Toldot Yeshu) as the possible father of Yeshua. Since I did not get an autographed copy and had to buy the book ;-) I have to say that these two arguments alone, with the appropriate historical introductions to the life setting of Yeshua, were worth the price of the book.

But I have some problems accepting the argument concerning who was actually the father of Yeshua and his siblings. Dr. Tabor's argument and my concerns might be represented in the following:

1) a. Yosef hardly mentioned after birth narratives. b.Yosef dies and has no heir; by yibbum Clophas (Y's brother) becomes husband of Miryam to give Yeshua's brothers and sisters.

- a. Dr. Tabor mentions Christian ascetic dualism related to gnostic ideas about physical and spiritual (sarkic and pneumatic) incompatibilities. In other words (mine) Miryam, as a sacred virgin needed to shed possible hints that Yosef required sex from her as her husband. He is just a device to alay criticism that Miryam had a son illegitimately. He doesn't have to be dead. Admitting in some direct way that he was was the father of Yeshua's siblings, even though it was evidently too hard to suppress that he did have siblings, undermined the perpetual virgin myth. The gentiles were faced with a situation in which actual blood relatives of Yeshua did exist (the desposyni), yet there was a mother with a divine son but without a human father or human sexual intercourse. Thus we have the "cousin" and "step children" explanation from Christians. Yosef is hardly spoken of because Christian writers did not want more work to suppress connection to a father other than God.

b. Let us say Yosef dies. Yibbum is a means of allowing the dead father's family DNA (seed) to pass on with his name. That's all. The practice of yibbum was not popular, and the could be refused (Khalitza). I am not convinced that Clophas repeatedly impregnated Miryam on behalf of a dead Yosef. The halakha given in Mishna Yevamot is fairly complicated and I don't pretend expertise. They may have been adhered to in the days of Yeshua, perhaps not. But this also overlooks the fact that if Yosef was not the father of Yeshua, it is reasonable that his brother would know this or suspect this from street gossip (as Dr. Tabor says is typical in a small village elsewhere), then both would be further complicating things in taking a promiscuous woman (zona).

Dr. Tabor mentions that the name "Clophas" came from the root of the Hebrew word for "replacement" like the word caliph, a dynastic successor. While Dr. Tabor says it could refer to Clophas via nickname as Yosef's successor in Miryam, it could also be just his name or refer to his family also as a source of dynastic Yeshuine successors.

The simplest explanation is that Yosef was the father of Yeshua as well as the other Children. Yosef as the father would strengthen the succession of Nasi Ya`aqov by Shimon ben Kh'lofa. This would expand the dynasty as there were also many relatives in that dynasty. It might also explain why this dynasty was undermined and suppressed by the Christians, and replaced by Pauline type eunuchs, and finally moved control away from Palestine and Yeshuine Jews who knew better.

2) I also have reservations about the argument concerning two messiahs and Dr. Tabor's candidates, however well argued.

Dr. Tabor repeatedly makes the point that we cannot know many of these things for certain, and so he honestly (and respectfully) proposes some astounding solutions (rather than sensationalist claims) instead of declarations.

A conservative fundamentalist will perhaps like this book as much as they would like ebionite.org. You've been warned. But for those more open-minded among them others, the book is well worth reading whether they agree or not. At any rate, they will be challenged to meet the arguments presented in the book with better solutions to the confusion of the gospels in light of reality. The four stars are a hair away from five.

I received my copy of the Jesus Dynasty yesterday. I can not put it down. It is a beautiful book, in both content and appearance. From cover to cover it is elegant, with color end plates, over 100 drawings, maps, and illustrations, extensive footnotes with all the sources clearly given, and most important, it is written in the most beautiful prose that flows along. The final chapter is the best and I found it very moving. I realize it might anger many Christian fundamentalists but it seems to me that an historical approach to Jesus, such as Dr. Tabor proposes, is really more loyal to Jesus as he likely was than the dogmatic theology that developed in his name over time to which he surely would never have subscribed. It makes one wonder who is liberal and who is conservative. Maybe those closest to Jesus as he was are the real conservatives. Whatever one's view of Jesus this is the clearest and best book on the market dealing with Jesus from an academic perspective. I love this book and highly recommend it. It is so far far superior to anything in the DaVinci Code genre that the very comparison thereof is a misnomer.

I found it impossible to put this book down once I started reading it. While I actually was familiar with some of the relatively obscure historical facts Tabor covered - like the expectation of "Two Messiahs" - there were still many new, well-documented findings in the book that I had never encountered before. In addition, Tabor's speculations (always clearly identified as such) rang true nearly each time they were offered. Perhaps most uniquely characteristic of this book, however, is the strong sense it conveys of Tabor's love for the people he is studying - a love for Jesus and his first-century human family. Make sure to read all the way through to catch Tabor's comments on how knowing the historical Jesus and what he and his original followers were all about might allow for better dialog between Christians (or more precisely, "admirers/lovers of Jesus" of any variety) and Jews, or such Christians and Muslims. I think he's on to something good.

This is an important book by a first rate archeologist and biblical scholar. Focusing on the family of Jesus, Tabor probes his genealogical antecedents, the contours of life, his personal relationships, mission and subsequent family history. The product of some 40 years working in the field, knowing the primary languages and studying the texts, Tabor investigates Jesus' genealogy, coming up with an innovative way of reconciling the different accounts in Matthew and Luke.

Tabor also provides a fresh perspective on Jesus brothers and their role in Jesus' life. Tabor argues that Clophas (Alphaeus), Joseph's brother, following Jewish law, marries Mary after the death of Joseph and has children with her - four half-brothers (who are named) and at least two sisters. This also allows us to see that Jesus' (half)-brothers are also members of his inner circle of disciples, something Tabor flags as "perhaps the best-kept secret in the entire New Testament" (p.165). I personally found this intriguing and his solution helps resolve a lot of puzzles.

Tabor traces the close connections between the missions of John the Baptizer and Jesus himself; probes the identity of the "beloved disciple;" examines alternative sites for Jesus' crucifixion; and discusses the meaning of "being raised on the third day." There is lot of very important material to reflect on in these chapters as Tabor probes the political aspect of Jesus' mission. One of the most intriguing discussions centers upon why the role of James has been obscured in later Christian tradition. We are only now coming to realize his importance within early Christianity, as the leader par excellence. Tabor investigates what we now know ofJames, asking such questions as: Who was he? What were his beliefs and practices? And how did he envisage his own role in relationship to Jesus?

The Jesus Dynasty is an investigation and those who like questions and a consideration of alternative points of view will find this a very rewarding book. It's a "good read," filled with impressive insights. It's an important contribution and no one seriously interested in early Christianity should ignore it.

Professor Tabor has written the definitive "Historical Jesus and Family". I literally could not put the book down as I went without sleep to finish it! This is one of the increasing number of popular and scholarly books emphasizing James the Just and his leading role in the early Church. The Dead Sea Scrolls prophesized two messiahs; and now we see they were John and Jesus! We see Jesus as he actually was, a Torah observant Jew. If you wondered, now you can find the "Beloved Disciple" revealed. Jesus would have been outraged and astonished by the idea that he was creating a new religion. We see Paul as the villain who "stole Jesus" and merged him into Greek mythology. Tabor reveals the "Hidden History of the Early Church". I was quite surprised to find myself feeling sympathy and respect for Jesus who was a hero on the level of bar Kochba and Judas Maccabeus & his brothers. Unlike the "Da Vinci Code" and the sensationalism of Baigent, this is real and readable - a wonderful read!

Tabor offers an alternative version of Christian origins, one that takes the reader closer than ever to the historical Jesus, His immediate family and His early followers. The story is surprising and controversial, but also a fascinating look into the lives of the people living during this tumultuous time in history.

Jesus, as most know, was the son of the virgin Mary, a young woman who became pregnant before her marriage to a man named Joseph. The Gospels tell us that Jesus had four brothers and two sisters, all of whom were probably the legitimate children of Joseph and Mary. That revelation goes against established Catholic beliefs as Tabor points out: "Catholic dogma holds that Mary remained a perpetual virgin her entire life." Tabor also delves into the possibility Jesus actually had a human father and it was only after Jesus' death that the Holy Spirit and virgin birth were added to the story, thus ensuring Jesus' divinity.

Tabor suggests Jesus' brother James, John the Baptist and Jesus himself likely viewed themselves as faithful Jews. None of them believed that their movement was the start of a new religion. It was the apostle Paul, who, through his ministry, transformed both Jesus and his message, breaking with James and the other followers of Jesus in Jerusalem. Most interesting is how Paul's message, based on his own revelations, defined what would eventually become Christianity while Jesus became a figure whose humanity was obscured; John became merely a forerunner of Jesus; and James along with the rest of Jesus' extended family were all but forgotten.

Tabor sheds light on what it was like living during the first Century A.D. and the time of Jesus. From the Roman occupation of the region to life in places such as Nazareth and Galilee, Tabor immerses the reader in history, settings and the people. The most interesting information is offered on the historical Jesus himself. The book delves methodically into the life of Jesus from his birth to his death by throughly examining the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John but also other unedited sources from the same time period. Tabor examines The Dead Sea Scrolls, which remained hidden until 1947, the Gnostic Gospels such as that of Thomas, which were edited out of the New Testament because they depicted a Jesus who was not divine.

Tabor delves into Jesus' bloodline, his connection to King David and his legitimate claim to the throne of Israel. Tabor quotes the book of Samuel: "Shortly before David's death God promised him that his throne would last forever and that only those of his seed could occupy it as rulers over the nation of Israel."

Tabor then breaks down the traditional lineage on Joseph's side. But if Jesus was not biologically related to Joseph and was in fact a step-son, how could he lay claim to the throne through his bloodline? Tabor answers this mystifying question by showing Jesus' lineage from an unorthodox perspective, while offering a plausible theory on the scandal of Mary being pregnant before her marriage to Joseph.

And it's with regard to Jesus' family that Tabor levels his most controversial claim. Jesus had a father, a biological human father. Tabor even offers a potential name for the father of Jesus. Jesus is sometimes called `bar Pantera,' or son of Pantera. There's even documentation to back up Tabor's idea in the form of an early Greek text by a philosopher named Kelsus. He says that Jesus was the son of a man named Pantera, who either was, or became, a Roman soldier.

In addition to Tabor's claims that Jesus had an earthly father, his book also argues it was Jesus' intention to build a dynasty on earth. Tabor says that it was Jesus' half-brother James who was to inherit the title role of dynastical king after the prophesied crucifixion, though that's mostly speculation on Tabor's part.

The Jesus Dynasty is bound to raise many more questions than it answers while sparking furious debates among Christians and non-Christians alike. The conclusions Tabor offers are shocking, interesting and offer a fascinating glimpse into the past.

There's more to the review but it wasn't as relevant to the book itself. If you're interested in reading the rest go to http://gordsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/

On the contrary, Dr. Tabor offers a very plausible reconstruction of the historical origins of the first century CE messianic movement that later became Christianity. It is written with warmth and passion. The narrative is dramatic yet respectful. More astonishing is the fact that Dr. Tabor is a scholar arguing his point well within the research criteria for judging the historicity of ancient evidence but has managed to achieve a gripping style suited for a popular audience. His thesis is bold and radical and without a doubt controversial, but his conclusions are not arbitrary and careless...drawing heavily from the New Testament texts and some of the latest archaeological findings, Dr. Tabor has thoughtfully managed to put some flesh on the bones of what is often bleak evidence, coaxing out a picture of the historical Jesus long since hidden in the shadows of what became the exalted Christ, but in doing so, acknowledges the limitations of the endeavor. The book is not dedicated to Albert Schweitzer lightly.

There is indeed a story here...and one worth considering...of James, the brother of Jesus, of John the Baptizer, Jesus' closest friend and cousin and of Jesus' family...who saw themselves as the Davidic line from whom would arise a messianic king, or a succession of kings (hence dynasty) chosen by God and guided by the light of the Hebrew prophets to be "a righteous Branch," a shoot from the stump of Jesse, a branch growing out of his roots to usher in a real and tangible Kingdom of God on earth to fulfill Israel's destiny to be a light to the nations.

The implications of Dr. Tabor's thesis provide an onslaught of sharp mental collisions, but if Dr. Tabor is right...many awkward problems that vexed later 3rd and 4th century Church fathers for appropriate explanations suddenly resolve themselves into focus around a recaptured sense of the Jewish worldview in the time of Jesus. In the end..."The Jesus Dynasty" is only one scholar's interpretation among many and Dr. Tabor does not claim his is the "Rosetta" stone to understanding Christian origins. He plays no tricks on the reader in this regard. Yet I found myself more than once nodding..."that makes sense...that has the ring of truth."

First, I am not a Christian, by definition; but I do feel I share much with those who place Love above any perceived reality. I find Dr. Tabor's book to be the most accessible, most alive and historically grounded book I have ever read on this historical Jesus. This is a landmark piece. Truly a lifetime achievement for Dr. Tabor. Fundamentalists will scoff at the book. Those who seek to be truly baptized in the Oil of Knowledge, will be so through the reading of this work.

I was a student of Dr. Tabor's in the early 1980s. I learned more from him in a 3 credit course at ND than I did in all my years at Catholic school and at Notre Dame. Still a great treacher and the book is a great read. Dr. Tabor presents the historical Jesus which we as Christians may not be able to accept.