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The Jesus Dynasty: Stunning New Evidence About the Hidden History of Jesus

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Author: James D. Tabor
Publisher: Harper Element
Category: Book

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

15 reviews
Sales Rank: 4371

Media: Paperback
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.5

ISBN: 0007220596
EAN: 9780007220595
ASIN: 0007220596

Publication Date: June 4, 2007
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Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

The Jesus Dynasty - James D. Tabor October 7, 2007
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

This was an excellent and highly informative read. Previous reviewers have pretty much covered the aspects and arguments of the book so I won't repeat what has already been said.

Along with E P Sanders' "The Historical Figure of Jesus", I consider Tabor has got the closest to the real Jesus, that is, the Jesus living in first century Galilee. I have no trouble viewing Jesus as both a "viceroy for God" (as Sanders asserts Jesus saw his role as) and a would-be king of an independent Israel with apocalyptic tendencies (as Tabor sees him).

Tabor writes in a scholarly, yet popular and easy to follow manner, which helps to make a difficult subject accessible to scholar and layman alike. The notes and references at the back are plentiful, complete with with up to date scholarship, website references and a good use of primary sources, be it canonical, non-canonical, Roman, Jewish or pagan. One criticism is that there is no bibliography setting out all the sources in one section, the reader is left trying to "construct" one by the references used.

The illustrations are an added bonus, including pictures of the famous Talpiot tomb before being built over, the possibly genuine James Ossuary, the Pantera inscription (the possible, but highly unlikely father of Jesus), the Caiaphas Ossuary and the Temple Mount. Also featured are some drawings which bring to life events of Jesus' life and the world in which he lived.

All in all an essential read for anyone interested in Jesus and the origins of Christianity. This is a scholarly work without the pseudo-historical or sensationalism of other authors.

5 out of 5 stars

A Good Read for an Un-Decided June 12, 2007
4 out of 6 found this review helpful

Although some of the findings here are also mentioned in the book; "Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code", this is an excellent read.

As mentioned in other reviews, Tabor clearly states when he's expressing views, and presents some compelling evidence.

Thoroughly recommended. Even if like me, you know very little about religion, or history for that matter.

1 out of 5 stars

Discounting God, not a good thing to do October 3, 2006
19 out of 60 found this review helpful

If you liked The Da Vinci Code for its historical questioning of Jesus, His life and His linage, then you will probably like another "conspiracy" novel, The Jesus Dynasty, by James D. Tabor. With that said, ironically, Tabor himself blasts The Da Vinci Code for lack of evidence. At the outset Tabor lets us know that "The Jesus Dynasty has no connection to the recently popularized notions that Jesus married and fathered children through Mary Magdalene. While gripping fiction, this idea is long on speculation and short on evidence. But as is so often the case, the truth is even stranger than fiction - and every bit as intriguing" (pg 4).

The premise of The Jesus Dynasty is simply this: Jesus, a human, followed John the Baptist into starting a Two Messiah preaching of the establishment of God's Kingdom on Earth. Both men were executed and James, the brother of Jesus continued the lineage of Jesus and the introduction of Christianity to the world.

In his writing Tabor refutes the five basic tenants of Orthodox Christianity: Jesus' virgin birth, sinless life, sacrificial death, resurrection and His coming again. I will focus on the two most significant tenants - Christ's death and resurrection.

Concerning the sacrificial death, (that is where Jesus stated that no man takes His life, but that He lays it down, or as stated in the familiar verse, John 3:16.... For God so loved the world that He gave...), Tabor implies that Jesus was foolish in His thinking. Tabor says he is "convinced that he (Jesus) expected that he would be saved from death," (page 181). And again, on page 310 Tabor states that "he (Jesus) expected God would intervene to save him from his enemies at the final moment, and usher in the Kingdom of God" (pg 310). Tabor believes Jesus was tragically surprised when the crucifixion actually took place. Of course Tabor has no documents to support these claims, so he sounds a lot like Dan Brown, author of the Da Vinci Code.

Concerning the resurrection, Tabor states that there was none. His theory is that Jesus died from the crucifixion, but was buried twice; buried quickly the first time in a local tomb because of the Passover holiday, then reburied later in a grave closer to His home in Galilee (pg 238). Tabor then shares personal experiences of visiting different tombs in Israel to draw his conclusions.

Unfortunately, Tabor never examines or addresses the resurrection appearances of Jesus. If it can be shown that Jesus was alive after His crucifixion, then the basis of Tabors book.... that there is actual tomb with bones of Jesus' family (and most likely Jesus' also)... is bogus.

According to contemporary scholar Gary Habermas, "virtually all scholars agree that 1Corinthinans 15:3ff records an ancient oral tradition (s) that reports the Gospel data: Jesus Christ's atoning death, burial, resurrection and appearances to many persons. Critical scholars usually agree that this tradition introduced by Paul had a remarkably early origin. Most scholars who provide a date think that Paul received this creedal tradition between two and eight years after Jesus' death, or from approximately A.D. 32 to 38. Even skeptics frequently agree." The significance of the early dating of 1Corintians 15 is that those familiar with the situation would have been alive and able to refute these claims. Habermas shares that a "consideration is the failure of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem to disprove the resurrection, even thought they lived precisely where Jesus had died and been buried just a brief time before. These ancient scholars were in the best position to expose any error, both because they strongly opposed his teaching and because their location allowed the most through inspection. In brief, these leaders had a motive, great location, and a method, but even as the resident skeptics, they did not refute the evidence."

Habermas goes on to say that there are "at least nine independent sources... all attesting to the resurrection appearance of Jesus. Such richness of texts is almost unheard of in the ancient world."

By concluding that Jesus died, and stayed dead before examining the resurrection appearances, Tabor has not been a true scholar and his conclusions are suspect. Anyone making eternal decisions in their own life based on Tabor's book would be foolish.

An interesting twist at the end of this novel is the politically correct way that Tabor melds together Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Tabor "offers new avenues of understanding between Jews, Christian, and Muslims" (pg 314). He goes on to state that "there is little about the view of Jesus presented in this book that conflicts with Islam's basic perception" (pg 316). In our post 911 political atmosphere perhaps Tabor feels that disclaimer is necessary. The Jesus Tabor presents is just another guy in history, not the Son of God in flesh.

All in all Tabor gives bizarre reasons for his views based on naturalistic thinking. Unfortunately, discounting the supernatural is like discounting God.... something they would not even dare to do at K-Mart during a blue light special.

5 out of 5 stars

A splendid book, but .... July 18, 2006
40 out of 43 found this review helpful

I completely agree with all the other reviewers about what an informative, well written, thought-provoking book this is. I especially admire the way in which Professor Tabor is so scrupulous in attaching his own estimates of certainty to the statements which he makes: quite likely to be true ... possibly true ... mere conjecture. This is a refreshing contrast to the way in which so many other searchers after the 'historical Jesus' set about their work - orthodox believers and non-believers alike.

Yet, paradoxically, it's this feature of the book which, ultimately, makes it a bit disappointing. Especially when you read the book in conjunction with some of the critiques of it on the Web (which vary from the highly intelligent to the downright stupid) what's borne in on you is the sheer impossibility of reconstructing any reliable portrait of the `historical Jesus' from the available evidence. It's salutary to remember that the idea that the New Testament is a completely reliable and accurate record of events was disposed of over 150 years ago. Many Christian organisations have fought a long drawn out and stubborn rearguard action to conceal this uncomfortable fact, but the cat is out of the bag, and it is now generally accepted. However, to date, nobody has produced an account of `what really happened' which can hope to receive universal respect or acceptance.

Professor Tabor certainly shows what progress has been made, though, for anyone who kept in touch, even vaguely, with developments, the book contains few surprises. Crucially, and possibly without intending to, he also shows how limited we are by the available documentary and archaeological evidence. To me, he seems to demonstrate that, in the absence of new major documentary or archaeological discoveries, the end of the road has been reached, and that the search for the `historical Jesus' is, in a serious sense, a wild goose chase. Most believers and some non-believers will find this a very disappointing conclusion, but I can't see how it can be avoided.

But it's an excellent book - if the subject matter interests you even slightly, do read it.

5 out of 5 stars

Albert Schweitzer has a successor. May 24, 2006
15 out of 20 found this review helpful

Having read Schweitzer's Quest for the Historical Jesus fifty years ago, I have been disappointed by almost everything I have read on the subject since then - until James Tabor came along. He seems at last to have taken the quest forward and found a credible Jesus, rooted in a family and a society, shaped by its beliefs and expectations, a real human being whose virtues are highlighted by his shortcomings. One of the most striking things is that Tabor makes it clear how much Jesus was an exile, not only as a member of a Davidic family living outside Judaea, but also, during his mission, spending much of his time fleeing from Herodian Galilee. Like Muhammad, he is someone for all outcasts and emigrants and victims of persecution to identify with. It is time for the rest of humanity to reclaim Jesus from the Christians who have tried to make him their monopoly. He belongs to us all - Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, freethinkers...