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135 of 154 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A revolutionary concept treated with scholarly exactness., August 5, 1999
By A Customer
Did Jesus orchestrate his public life and subsequent crucifixion and disappearance from the tomb? Hugh Schonfield, a renowned scholar and former Pulitzer Prize nominee, feels that is a possibility. And in his book "The Passover Plot," he presents his scholary arguments as to how and why Jesus could have pulled off such a feat. If you are a Christian this book could well destroy your faith, or else strengthen it. The author does not attempt to debunk Christian beliefs, but instead he gives us the "historical" Jesus as he sets down his arguments in the context of the times in which Jesus lived. He takes into consideration the political climate of the area, as well as the feelings and beliefs of contemporary Jews of which Jesus was one. For whatever reason you read this book, I suggest you do it with an open mind. If you can do so, you will surely agree that "The Passover Plot" is indeed an interesting and exciting read. Schonfield's ideas are revolutionarhy at the very least, and whether you agree with his treatise or not, you must laud his painstaking, scholarly sincerity and careful scrutiny of the available references. To reach his version of the truth, Schonfield tries to dispel the myths through which Christ looms larger than life in the Gospels of the New Testament. He sifts and probes the Gospels and other authoritative works, including those of the contemporary Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, and the Dead Sea Scrolls, to arrive at the facts which have not been previously represented. He attempts to show that it was the personality of Jesus which enabled him to embark on a program calculated to fulfill what he believed the prophecies demanded of the Messiah. The plot of Jesus was unique in that it called for intense messianic faith, acute perceptiveness, an iron will and extreme intelligence. To accomplish his goals, Jesus had to produce certain calculated reactions. The Galilean, the first-born of a Jewish carpenter Joseph and his wife Miriam (Mary), was to prove to be no ordinary boy, for he was destined to play a unique part in history. Very little information is available regarding the early life of Jesus. The Gospels pass over completely his entire life prior to his public ministry. It is fairly certain, however that Jesus having grown up under the influence of the Essene sect, their teachings influenced the shaping of his beliefs. The Gospels suggest that Jesus was imbibed by notions presented by the Nazarenes, and his younger brother James had somewhat embraced the ascetic way of life. Early in his life, Jesus put into operation a program which was the outcome of his prior messianic investigations in the years before his baptism by John the Baptist. That Jesus believed he was the Messiah of the Jews is divulged in the Gospels, the author feels. Following his baptism by John, Jesus put into motion his plot to fulfill the scriptures as to his ministry and subsequent crucifixion. Jesus was fully aware that the only future that mattered depended upon what he said and did in his life and finally upon his death. He knew exactly what he was doing, and every word and action was well planned and thought out. Schonfield weaves an intricate tapestry of Jesus' public life, taking into consideration the political climate of the times and the belief by many Jews that the end was at hand, as well as strong messianic fervor. Jesus calculated his entry into Jerusalem and subsequent ministry to coincide with the scriptures.s Because of the harsh political climate in the city, he had to carefully orchestrate his public life so as to not prematurely infuriate either the Roman rulers or the Jewish hierarchy. The author delves deeply into the brief ministry of Jesus, his agony on the cross, his burial and subsequent disappearance from the tomb. Although the written information of these events is sparse, Schonfield offers his take on a very intriguing chain of events in the life and death of Jesus. He tries to explain details of the resurrection using the resources at hand and a very fertile, educatiod mind. I think he has succeeded beyond what could have been expected. In conclusion, Schoenfield points out that Jesus exerted a powerful influence on those who came in contact with him. If you wish to know the real Jesus, he concludes, we have to be acutely aware of all that was going on at the time, the highly charged atmosphere and political tension. We must think of Jesus not as a divine being or teacher of ethics,but as a son of his country, a man with the blood of kings in his veins, exercising authority, because he truely believed it to be his messianic destiny. The Jesus of history can only be correctly known by those who are willing to see him as a Jewish Messiah. Finally, the author tries to lay out the origins of Christianity, completely interlaced with synoptic and paganic influences. His premise is that Christianity was in origin a messianic movement, and that it's development as a new religion was conditional by its subsequent non-Jewish environment. Schoenfield has indeed portrayed the historical Jesus as a real person of his time, rather than as a theological figure of Cbhristian faith. The figure that evolves is a person of dynamic character, with one perpose and one goal in mind. I strongly encourage you to read "The Passover Plot." It will either shake your Christian faith or greatly reinforce it. But surely, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
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