Journey of the Magi: Travels in Search of the Birth of Jesus; New Edition [Paperback]

Paul William Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2006

In this classic travel narrative, journalist Paul Williams Roberts visits the Middle East to trace the Magi's legendary journey through Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan to Bethlehem. Chasing clues from Marco Polo's Travels and the Dead Sea Scrolls to the stories of King Solomon and the Crusader Knights, Roberts seeks the historical truth behind Matthew's account in the New Testament. Filled with encounters with eclectic characters, from smugglers to Zoroastrian priests, Journey of the Magi is the story of an extraordinary adventure and an illuminating voyage of discovery into the truth behind the Magi and the birth of Jesus. This latest edition includes a new introduction by Roberts.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I cannot recommend this book too highly: it is not only an outrageously funny travel narrative but also a work of radical scholarship that challenges and enlarges our readings of the gospels. Rare is the book that works so well on so many different levels all at once."--Pico Iyer, Time

 

"The book is full of observation, beginning with a flight from Frankfurt to Tehran, when passengers emerge as different people to those that originally climb aboard." --CNN Traveler

 

"Too many travel books hype the amusement value to make up for their lack of scholarly content, but this one is learned, informative, inquiring - and seriously funny." --Geographical

Praise for earlier editions:
"An instructive and entertaining travel book, a high comedy of cultural dissonance and a profound exploration of the evolution of the three great modern religions."--The New York Times
"Thought-provoking, laugh-provoking."--Martin Amis
"What a valuable book! At the very least, it is an engaging travelogue, and Roberts' account of his journey through Iran, Iraq, and Syria to retrace the steps of the Magi will easily hold an audience from beginning to end. But, more than travelogue, it is a provocative invitation to reexamine the Zoroastrian background of Christianity, providing an occasion for serious reflection on the intersection of religion and politics in one of the most troubled regions on the planet."--Booklist

About the Author

Paul William Roberts is a journalist, producer and filmmaker and a scholar of Jewish and Arabic history and religions. He is the author of many books including A War against Truth. Awarded the inaugural PEN Canada/Paul Kidd Courage Award in 2005, he lives in Toronto.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Tauris Parke Paperbacks (September 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845112423
• ISBN-13: 978-1845112424
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #579,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Travel > Middle East > Iran

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful adventure!, February 13, 2009

By 

Thinkerthinker (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey of the Magi: Travels in Search of the Birth of Jesus; New Edition (Paperback)

Loved this book ("In Search of the Birth of Jesus") and I must say I disagree with the one review that has been posted. Contrary to what the above reviewer has stated, the author doesn't make claims for knowing the truth, not at all! On the contrary, he takes us along on his journey spurred on by his own curiosity. He theorizes--and, once again, is always clear that he is theorizing--as he attempts to put pieces together. His ideas and his theories are fascinating and left this reader wanting to learn more (and more). I've had an interest in world religions for decades and all the new research out there is a treasure trove! This book took me off on an entirely new tangent in my own explorations, explorations that has been extremely fruitful. I feel like I have hit gold! And, if nothing else, as a travelogue, the book is interesting, well-written, and sometimes really hilarious. I had tears rolling down my cheeks a number of times (lots, actually) when reading it. Thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to hearing more about what the author has learned in subsequent years.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but biased, November 11, 2006

By 

L. Sawyer (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Journey of the Magi: Travels in Search of the Birth of Jesus; New Edition (Paperback)

This book, part travel journal-part theological discourse, is certainly an interesting read. It provides a unique look at several middle eastern countries, giving an uncommon window into their culture and people. Roberts has unabashed affection for most of the countries in the middle east and he seems intent on trying dispel some of the myths Westerners have of their religions, customs and politics. However, he is also equally intent on basically dismantling all of the key stories of the Bible and presenting Christianity as a complete farce. He makes many accurate connections between the origins of Christianity and other ancient religions, specifically Zoroastrianism, but he also makes many huge assumptions and presents lots of theories as though they are fact (simply because they are the theories he prefers). He has no trouble viewing all of the canonical scriptures as flawed and carrying a hidden agenda, yet any other ancient text not part of the canon he is more than willing to accept as unadulterated fact. It seems the only requirement of authenticity and value Roberts needs for ancient texts is that they not be found in the Bible. Like most journalists, he likes to pretend that as a journalist he is giving us the "truth" as we've never seen it before, but really this book would be more aptly titled, The World and Religion According to Paul William Roberts. Read this book and be entertained, and even inspired to look more closely at a fascinating ancient religion (Zoroastrianism), but I would encourage all to read Roberts' theories with a critical eye.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Journey Of The Magi, November 1, 2009

By 

Paul Whiting "poliwogg777" (Folsom, California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Journey of the Magi: Travels in Search of the Birth of Jesus; New Edition (Paperback)

Roberts adventure attempting to follow the journey of the Magi to the birthplace of Jesus is one of the most significant books I've read to date. All rolled into one, this book is an honest look at the modern day Middle East, a very humorous and exciting adventure story complete with illegal border crossings and trusting some most dubious guides and an excellent recap of the history of Persia and the Christian religion. Beyond all that though, this book makes the case that modern organized religions have it all wrong. The message Jesus brought and the effort to preserve it was lost ages ago in the dogmas and doctrines of competing religious organizations, all claiming to possess the truth.

Paul Whiting