Jesus the Pharisee [Paperback]

Hyam Maccoby (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2000

In this text, Hyam Maccoby controversially suggests that Jesus was not only friendly to the Pharisees, but was actually a member of their group. He aims to throw new light on the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist, exploring the political aspect of their movements and their adherence to the Torah. He looks at evidence from the rabbinic sources to show a strong affinity between Jesus and the Pharisees and discusses previously misunderstood or ignored stories about Jesus found in the Talmud. The book rehabilitates the Pharisees and uses the New Testament to show that there is continuity between Pharisaism and rabbinism. It should prove influential in the strategy to combat anti-Semitism.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Professor Hyman Maccoby is currently a Research Professor at the Centre for Jewish Studies in Leeds, having been a Scholar-Librarian at Leo Baeck College, London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: SCM Press (September 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0334029147
• ISBN-13: 978-0334029144
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #624,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shocking and Amazing, October 6, 2005

By 

jdmbamd "Rick" (Maryland) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Jesus the Pharisee (Paperback)

In 1980, Maccoby wrote his first book entitled "Revolution in Judea"--don't bother trying to find this book--it's out of print. If you are somehow able to get a copy, grab it--it will open your eyes about what really happened in the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Be prepared for all of your conceptions and beliefs to be systematically shattered by this master historian. Now, 23 years later, Maccoby's book Jesus the Pharisee is the expounding of his earlier work on this subject, not as much focused on the crucifixtion and trial, but moreso on the actual intent of Jesus's sayings and works. Maccoby lays out a very compelling, if not certain case that Jesus was a Pharisee, most likely a Chasid, and had no intention whatsoever of abrogating or eliminating even a single Jewish law. In fact, he and his disciples were extremely scrupulous adherents of Jewish law. His claim to be the Messiah was not only not unusual (other Jews had done so as well), but the leader of the Pharisee movement himself, Rabbi Gamaliel, defended Peter's leadership of the post-crucifixion Jesus messianic movement. Maccoby has an amazing ability to find bits and pieces of truth amongst the writings of the Gospels. The Gospel writers all, to varying degrees, accidentally left lines from the original Jerusalem Church documents as they were redrafting and concocting the Pauline Jesus mythology---lines which completely contradict their other manufactured statements and depictions of the life of Jesus. Maccoby successfully challenges the theories of many contemporary pro-Gospel Christian historians who, as Maccoby demonstrates, lack even the most basic logical and commonsensical abilities, and whose true motivations can sometimes best be explained as anti-Semitic. Through proven and accepted methods of textual examination, Maccoby pieces together a truly shocking picture of Jesus that goes completely against the portrayal that Christians are taught to believe. Although this was certainly not his intent, this book exposes the fatal flaws of Christianity's Jesus mythology and makes its adherants look absolutely foolish.

You will not be able to put this book down, and will certainly want to pass it along to friends and family.

40 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Disturbingly eye-opening, with well-marshalled evidence, February 20, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Jesus the Pharisee (Paperback)

Maccoby (in this and his other books) examines the New Testament without making assumptions based on later Church teachings. He gathers compelling circumstantial evidence, common sense, and knowledge of historical events at the time. By unearthing and contextualizing passages that run against the grain of later Church teachings, Maccoby demonstrates that Jesus was more Jewish and anti-Roman than the depiction of the Gospels.

This, together with Maccoby's "The Mythmaker" provide eye-opening correctives to perceptions of Jesus and his world around him.

When Diane Sawyer interviewed Mel Gibson about his movie, "The Passion of the Christ," she asked him if the Jews killed Jesus. Gibson replied flippantly that Jews and Romans were there, and that there weren't any Norwegians. Later Church teachings and their advocates (until Vatican II) promulgated that "the Jews" (as if they were one cohesive monolith) killed Jesus. Curiously, though, these same teachings have also successfully wrenched Jesus from *his* Jewish -- and Pharisaic -- roots.

If you thought "The Da Vinci Code" was eye-opening regarding the Holy Grail, I urge you to read this about Jesus himself.

9 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, April 15, 2007

By 

camden0022 "Amazon Jungle King" (CARY, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jesus the Pharisee (Paperback)

This totally goes against what most evangelical and regular christians believe but it is very educational and sheds some light on a subject that perplexed and haunted human beings for the nearly the past 2,000 years. All I can say is this is a lot better than some of the more evangelical books such as "More than a Carpenter" and "A Case for Faith" by Lee Strobel (note: I didn't comment on those books yet and I will try not to because it might just make me angry)...