epee qugaquaaccuqequad deqaqaqcocaquane “JAMES D. TABORaay eieusa hap undertaken studies Par ees ‘been none has dared, advance the boldly provocative theses of The Jesus Dynasty, For sheer breadth of vision and imaginative reconstruction, rooied deeply is in the historical sciences, this prom- seen. » Professor Bart Ehrman, ny Departiiene of | Religious Studies, ‘ : the boldest reconstruction yet of the life and ~ times of Jesus of Nazareth. Working with the surviving evidence lke a CSI detective— especially the testimonies concerning Jesus’ family and the Jerusalem Nazarenes— "Tabor succeeds int reinsceibing what haé been lost (and in some cases erased) from « the historical record. “At once scholarly and accessible, Tabor’s book may very well inaugurate a new phase in the quest for the historical Jésus.” Se —Professor Arthur J. Droge; Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Literature and Director, Program in Religious Studies, University of Galifornia at San Diego, Sai ‘Tabor stands out among his generation of biblical scholars for his ea % familiarity wich the fall range of textual evidence from the first centuries, his extensive experience with archaeological excavations, and his imagination and creativity. Ts has a remarkable ability to discern the Gontours of vital religious movements from \ the scattered bits and pieces of evidence that ' ‘suryive from antiquity. Anyone who takes the career of Jesus aay willthave to reckon with his bold y synthesis i *< Peafeaban ager Galloghe, Rosemary Park Professor of Religious Studies, Connecticut College ea6y x gdeeedeecdeead qgeaqeqeeuuRaEcaa: RELIGION/HISTORY> (0406U.S. $27.00 Can. $34.95 Based on a careful analysis of the earliest Christian documents and recent archaeological discoveries, The Jesus Dynasty offers a bold new interpretation of the life of Jesus and the origins of Christianity. The story is surprising, controversial, and exciting as only a long-lost history can be when it is at last recovered. In The Jesus Dynasty, biblical scholar James Tabor brings us closer than ever to the historical Jesus. Jesus, as we know, was the son of 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 probably had a different father than his. He joined a messianic movement begun by his relative John the Baptizer, whom he regarded as his teacher and a great prophet. John and Jesus together filled the roles of the Two Messiahs who were expected at the time: John, as a priestly descendant of Aaron, and Jesus, as a royal descendant of David. Together they preached the coming of the Kingdom of God. Theirs was an apocalyptic movement that expected God to establish his kingdom on earth, as described by the Prophets. The Two Messiahs lived in a time of turmoil as the historical land of Israel was dominated by the powerful Roman Empire. Fierce Jewish rebellions against Rome occurred during Jesus’ lifetime. John and Jesus preached adherence to the Torah, or the Jewish Law. But their mission was changed dramatically when John was arrested and then killed. After a period of uncertainty, Jesus began preaching anew in Galilee and challenged the Roman author- ities and their Jewish collaborators in Jerusalem. He appointed a Council of Twelve to rule over the twelve tribes of Israel, and among the Twelve he included his four brothers. After Jesus was crucified by the Romans, his brother James—the “Beloved Disciple’—took over leadership of the Jesus dynasty. (continued on back fap) (continued from frons flap) James, like John and Jesus before him, saw himself as a faithful Jew. None of them believed that their movement was a new religion. It was Paul who transformed Jesus and his message through his min- istry to the Gentiles. Breaking with James and the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem, Paul preached a message based on his own revelations, which would become Christianity. Jesus became a figure whose humanity was obscured; John became merely a forerunner of Jesus; and James and the others were all but forgotten. James Tabor has studied the earliest surviving documents of Christianity for more than thirty years and has participated in important archaeological excavations in Israel. Drawing on this background, Tabor reconstructs for us the movement that sought the spiritual, social, and political redemption of the Jews, a movement led by one family. The Jesus Dynasty offers an alternative version of Christian origins, one that takes us closer than ever to Jesus and his family and followers. This is a book that will change our understanding of one of the most crucial moments in history. James D. Tabor is Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He holds a Ph.D. in biblical studies from the University of Chicago and is an expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls and Christian origins. The author of several previous books, he is frequently consulted by the media on these topics and has appeared on numerous television and radio programs. jansays.com for more information on this and other great books. ‘This title is also available from Simon & Schuster Audio JACKET DESIGN BY PATTI RATCHFORD AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIAN D. JONES PRINTED IN THE U.S.A COPYRIGHT © 2006 SIMON & SCHUSTERJESUS DYNASTY JAMES D. TABORjesus DYNASTYINTHE BEGINNING WAS THE FAMILYpeengnngeA Hl | rope rap eapeeeT Hsp . iGRowING uF JEWISHIN GALILEEsus TwGREAT REVIVAL AND A (GATHERING STORMENTERING THE LION'S DENWAITING FOR‘coo aus rues