Christ the King Books

I was looking for information on James Jesse Strang. This may be a little fictionalized for drama's sake, but the facts are as far as I can asertain from original sources, correct. Good
for anyone looking for information on this subject.

This book is composed primarily in a conversational and enlightening narrative and flows at a brisk tempo that maintained my interest throughout. The author makes perfectly clear his visceral dislike for Mr. George Soros and his aspirations, and conveys his feelings in an unvarnished fashion. Among those who clearly wish to blend politics with religion, the author stands as a polar opposite to the man he thoroughly examines. C.H. Hightower's ability to communicate his message in a forthright manner enhances the appeal of this book. This is a must read for every patriot American.

helpful resource for a minister, especially on those weeks when he is scratching his head wondering what next week should be about.

Henry Marsh's 1975 book, The Rebel King, is subtitled - "The story of Christ as seen against the historical conflict between the Roman Empire and Judaism." The book is well written and well organized. It provides a 50 page introduction to the Roman/Jewish background (predating the life of Jesus) that is interesting and informative. Marsh elaborates on some woefully neglected areas (e.g., the origins of the donkey's head in the Palatine grafitti; other Kings of soverign nations permitted by the Romans) that many may find esoteric, but I found illuminating.

The book is not without flaws. Here's a few:

- Talking about Israel at the time the Romans conquered, he wrote: "Like the Romans, they built enduringly in stone...a magificent temple which Rome herself might have been proud to have erected." (p. 22) The Temple was build after Rome took over, under the reign of Herod, and wasn't present before the Romans entered Israel.

- "In Nazareth of Galilee...there lived a man named Joseph who could trace back his descent from David through thirteen generations..." (p. 52) First of all, Joseph wasn't from Nazareth. Second, it isn't Joseph who traces his descent but Matthew and Luke. As far as we know, Joseph makes no comments about his ancestry. Finally, Matthew claims that it is 14 generations, not 13.

- "This statement that as one of the signs God would give of the fulfillment of his promise, a virgin would conceive..." (p. 46) Apparently Marsh is unaware of the difference between "virgin" and "young woman"

- "The couple had perforce to leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem [for the census]." (p. 54). This simply isn't true. Only the head of the household was required to go, not a pregnant wife. As well, most scholars consider the Luke census idea to be a mistaken attempt to get Jesus to Bethlehem, and the dating of the census at 6 AD is 12 years off the mark with respect to Jesus' birth.

-"There were in Jerusalem at that time three Magi." (p. 55). The gospels never give the number, nor were they in Jerusalem but rather they were on the journey to Jerusalem.

I'm stopping here because you can see that by page 55 there are already a large number of errors, and they continue throughout. Yet these errors are relatively minor. The heart of Marsh's book is the look at the interplay between Roman and Jewish cultures and this is a much neglected area that benefits from his efforts.

After reading many books of similar nature, this one is very enjoyable and readable. Beautifully illustrated, however, barely related to subjects. As to the factuality of content, you have to go by your own gut feeling; not much of it is substanciated. Still I recommend it as a very interesting idea, it makes you think.

If you are entranced by of sympathetic to the theories of Barbara Thiering, then Gardner's Bloodline books (this one is illustrated, the other isn't) are for you. He carries the Thiering hypothesis from the time of Jesus up to the Age of Chivalry. There are many interesting aspects to this book, but the main problem is the lack of thorough documentation for many of the claims and quotations. When plowing new ground, such an error is grevious indeed. Another problem with the illustrated version is that most of the illustrations are incidental to the text. A better bargain is the non-illustrated version of the same book which is cheaper and has more information.

What is the Holy Grail? Is it a cup, literally? Or something more symbolic. The term is first mentioned in the middle ages in its Latin forms, Sangrael and San Graal. These two terms are essentially the same but their literal definitions differ. San Graal = Holy Grail....Sangreal = Royal Blood. It is this later meaning that Laurence Gardner believes is the real interpretation of the Grail legend. A lineage that traces back through the Kings of Europe and secret societies and to Jesus himself.

The illustrated version of Bloodline of the Holy Grail is essentially the same as its non-illustrated counterpart but with less information and (obviously) lots and lots of paintings that give further insight into the thoughts and ideals of the artists that conceived them. This book serves as a good introduction to Gardner's interpretations and I recommend this before diving into his other works. Here, Gardner structures his information carefully assuming nothing of the reader and attempts to not only reveal the secrets of the bloodline, but also the world that existed around it and what these earliest Christians were really like. Also, here you'll find a good overview of Christian history in general. Highly recommended for those with an open mind and willing to accept the possibility (and probability) that Gardner and other researchers are correct in their assertions.

Firstly I consider this book to the definitive text on the topic of the bloodline of Jesus. Having read other books on the topic I have found them wanting either in information or clarity. The last book I read was Holy Blood Holy grail by Baigent which I found to be satisfactory but frequently annoying in its repetition of the same rhetoric. Also the information was all there but so difficult to read which takes alot of the fun out of the topic.
Gardner's book however is the ideal resource for this topic. The dogma is clearly articulated and the style of writing begs your attention. After reading, you get a clear picture of what the gnostic gospels offer and why they were omitted from cannonisation. The secrets of the templar Knights is also exposed but most importantly is the appocryphical portrayal of the true relation of Jesus with his disciples and especially Mary Magdalene with its resultant outcome. Interstingly ita lso goes in depth into the myths surrounding the crucifixion and the miracles of the historical jesus.

A most special thanks goes out to Sir Laurence Gardner for making
known to the public the suppressed history of THE DESPOSYNI
which is the HOLY GRAIL who pose a threat to both the legitimacy
of Imperial Rome & the legitimacy of the Church of Rome and has
been deliberately selectively excluded from church & school. Again, Sir Laurence, thank you for making known this suppressed
history of THE DESPOSYNI/THE HOLY GRAIL. Through your research
and making public what you discovered vindicates THE DESPOSYNI/
THE HOLY GRAIL and indictes Rome. --Gregory Thompson (MacTavish)

I just want to let everyone know that this is a great history book. I'm 18 years old and used this book as part of my curriculum. The book is very interesting and gives you more insight of everything that public schools don't teach you. The people in the Catholic Church has made many mistakes, but the Church itself is not to blame. This book doesn't sugar-coat every single thing because it's Catholic-based, but it shows the mistakes of Catholics also and of how they learned by their mistakes. Just because the author is Catholic doesn't mean all the Catholics in the book are perfect. No one is perfect, everyone is human. History is about learning from others and of how others try to make up for it. When someone burns a cake, someone else is there to make up for the burnt cake. The burnt cake doesn't mean that the art of baking is all wrong. The same with the Church. Read the book and you'll see what I'm talking about. Enjoy and let history take a hold on your mind. God bless ya!

What are people that like this book smoking?

history is so clear, yet it seems so many people only read what they want, dont have cable, and just plod along to what there parents and family has done so I guess it must be the right thing to do

Why was "I" the one that after being raised catholic, as an adult simple said, I am going to search out all things for myself and see what else is going on? yet my dozens of cousins and uncles and aunts and still stick in "same mode".

None of them ever read the bible, but they all have one sitting somewhere in the living room, like its supposed to ward off evil spirits or look cool for anyone that comes over, "say this person beleives in God". ( all this I thought as a boy growing up, although nobody insulted the Pope to me as a kid if they did I probably would of "gone off" on them! Hey! We have a big book about God and he is Gods main man! haha )

I have found this also true with every single catholic I know, and this is all colors and economics, from dumb as a hamer to smart as a whip.

maybe I would be the same if I lived 100 years ago? 500 years ago? 1000 years ago? I dont know, just being honest.

but come on, we have so much around us to read watch and learn, and also the freedom to do it!

I dont feel like I am anybody more special than the average joe, not smarter or dumber than the normal person.

I just dont get it

All I can finish by saying is, I am SO glad I never lived at any other time in history! I dont know what the future holds, who does, but by far and away living at anytime in the past, pick a century and tell me I can go back to live in it? never, never ever ever never ever. not one.

Lord I am thankful

this book is so ridiculously bias that it even made me at one stage laugh anne w carol instead of writing how things really were writes wot she thinks would make the catholics look good in every aspect.she focuses too much on silly unimportant observations and does not give the plain facts unlees she has altered them first to make them suite the message she tries to get across wich is catholics all throughout history are perfect and anyone who is not is evil .Her figures of deaths in the tudor times are amazinly inacurate she claims mary tudor had 102 peaple executed Elizabeth to have killed 800 and henry 600 i suggest that unlees you find it in a rubbish bin it is not even worth ridiculing

"Christ the King,Lord of History" has a few positive aspects (it's the seminal text for many Catholic homeschoolers). It doesn't secularize history. It acknowledges the Catholic contribution to world history. It doesn't have the political correctness of public school history textbooks- but,like them,it is biased,and the bias leads inevitably to inaccuracies.

"Christ the King,Lord of History" sanitizes and sugar-coats abuses Catholics have engaged in throughout history. Carroll rationalizes the restrictions placed on Jews after Christianity was made the official religion of the Roman Empire. According to her reasoning, Jews' freedom of movement (esp. during Holy Week&Easter)&freedom of religion presented a tremendous danger to Christians. Jewish men HAD to wear special clothing to protect the virtue of Christian women. Carroll rationalizes the oppression of the Roma (Gypsies),saying they basically deserved it,since they're thieves and kidnappers anyhow. So,when Carroll condemns the second-class citizen treatment of Jews in Islamic countries,it's a case of the pot calling the kettle black. She rationalizes the oppression of heretics and non-Catholics,saying it was to protect the Faith. In her view,it's okay to execute heretics,because it's all about saving souls. So much for an open mind... If her faith is so strong,why does she think it was great that people who think differently were once killed for their ideas? It sounds like Orwellian thoughtcrimes to me.

"Christ the King,Lord of History" gets outrageous when Carroll condemns Martin Luther King,Jr and Nelson Mandela. Carroll views the movement for de-segregation as a vast Communist conspiracy to cause chaos in the US and the battle against apartheid as a Communist conspiracy to destroy South Africa. Yet Carroll has the audacity to say racism is wrong. Huh? Never mind Martin Luther King praised natural law&was a Christian minister.

When it comes to WWII,Carroll praises Spanish dictator Francisco Franco as a great Catholic. Never mind the fact he was a fascist,and that non-Catholics/non-Christians couldn't engage in public worship (sounds a lot like Saudi Arabia,where non-Muslims can't worship publicly)

"Christ the King,Lord of History" is a meta-narrative,full of propaganda. It sugarcoats and sanitized oppression,further promoting the view that history is written by the winners&those who have the power. Carroll's ideology can be summed up as- might makes right,and power is everything. In a sense,her book reads like a mirror-image of Marxist histories,and just as accurate (NOT!) as the history textbooks in the former Soviet Union. Carroll's ideal world is reminiscent of "1984" (she does praise Joe McCarthy's red-baiting),except it's Big Church,not Big Brother. What's tragic is that this book would further fuel anti-Catholicism&give militant atheists like Philip Pullman more reasons for what they believe. Her worship of power is insulting to Jesus,who embraced the Cross&taught love for all. What would Jesus do? He wouldn't oppress.

I don't want to rate the book, as I haven't read it, but the title alone tells me it's either heavy-handed satire or an educational travesty. For the sake of your kids, I hope it's satire.

The author tried to convince reader that Tut-ankh-amen was Jesus Christ, but did an inadequate job. There was however, valuable information presented in the book.

In 1992 a book was published in the UK with the title "The House of the Pharaos" (Listed in this book as "The House of the Messiah"). By now it has been re-published in the US as Jesus in the House of the Pharaohs: The Essene Revelations on the Historical Jesus. In 1997 Moustafa Gadalla published a book on the same issue, the one reviewed here. As I am familiar with both authors and appreciated the previous one, respectively some of the previous ones I had read, I read the two books of above in tandem in order to compare them. I have to say, I am deeply shocked about the ever deteriorating integrity of Moustafa Gadalla and severely concerned for the infringement of Osman's copyright. Moustafa Gadalla wasn't merely influenced by Ahmed Osman, he copied his work. As in: even the very words. Just having have read Osman's book before, I felt caught in a continuous déjà vu warp. The only thing he has done is to downsize Osman's some 300 text pages to a some 130 pages booklet. Smaller in size and bigger in the letters, that's probably further dividable at least by 2 compared to Osman's text pages. I am amazed upon reading two pages of bibliography supposedly used for Gadalla's book. In reality, the three books of Osman listed should have sufficed, maybe two others for the epilogue. (Small sections have been plagiarised from Osman's Moses and Akhenaten: The Secret History of Egypt at the Time of the Exodus as sick). The only section besides the epilogue and part of the brief introduction not having been penned by Osman before (that I am aware of) is a 3-page insert about Easter and Egyptian easter eggs. As I have rated Osman's original with 3.5 stars, I cannot help, but have to subtract further: For the audacity of copying. For delivering not even a quarter of the original's content, including the reasoning. Which isn't really helping the controversial content of the original book. For smoothing the not altogether congenial elements of Osman's book, thereby causing the material to appear to be more flawless than the more upfull Osman originally indirectly acknowledged is not the case. And finally for using Osman's work to further his own anti-Jewish (and anti-Christian) cause. Gadalla has produced downly racist, classist, religionist and culturalist booklets before (Exiled Egyptians: The Heart of Africa), so this outgrowth of bias doesn't really come as a surprise. There is talk of the Bible causing the on-going blood feud in the Middle East and ancient Egypt becoming "the permanent casualty of the 'CHOSEN PEOPLE'", and similar side blows. Which are about the only words added to this book by Gadalla himself (besides continously misspelling "hierarchy"). Whereas Osman, in stark contrast, remarked that, according to his theory, a priest slew Jesus and WITHOUT the support of anyone from the regular Jewish people as traditionally claimed, the latter causing resentment till today. Instead, according to the theory, Gadalla stresses the non-involvement of the Romans in Jesus' execution, putting ALL the blame on the Jews. Other changed tendencies include titling the section about the peaceful and wise King Solomon as "The Weak Grandfather". Whereas the war-hungry David becomes "The Mighty Great3-Grandfather". Which shows Gadalla's own priorities ever so bluntly.

As for the content of the book itself: That's averaging this entire book to 1.5 stars, as I cannot ignore it completely. If I hadn't read the original before, I would have probably rated the smoothed content higher than 3.5 stars, in turn averaging the entire book a bit higher. Just the day before I have reviewed the original and I don't like to repeat myself, repeating the reading with this rip-off was a big enough time thief already. For anybody agreeing that a reader's digest may not be that advisable with this sort of controversial revelatory content I give the urgent advice to read Osman's original instead. Also, inspired by Osman's work, Ralph Ellis wrote yet another book series on the subject, identifying Jesus and Moses with other historical figures, which I am starting to read now. The first one is: Jesus: Last of the Pharoahs (amazon's 2007 spelling).

This author has done a lot for the deprograming of Africans from the disease of Christianity. I have been studying African Legecy for 10 years and been practicing for 3 years. Most Africans who do study, do just that STUDY. But do not apply what they have learned in everyday life. Basically seeds fallen on rock! Gadalla writes this book on the same idea that my greatest teachers taught Africans how to study our history. Stay away from Europeans dates and times!!! They mean nothing to us!- Dr. Ben & Dr. Clarke
Thats what was done here in this book and once this is accepted your are open to the truth Gadalla has brought to Us. TUA NTR !
This is a book for the student who still has a grip on Christ and the bible, but still are energized when speaking of Our Legecy! This book is not finish work! The rest is for us to do. Someone comment that Gadalla research on King David and Solomon are false and this and that. But have you read EVERYTHING out there about the Kemetic Kings and their Legecy?? Oh but you thought Gadalla was going to lay it all out for you? Shame Shmae! In my studies alone I realized that Ankenaten was also known as Moses and King Ezana the first Ethiopian King. No one told me this in a book but thru many books reading and putting one and one together. Now this connection by Biblical times is about 3,000 to 3800 years off each other. But now world religions authorities are agreeing with Gadalla theories. What will be next? This book can give you a insight! TUA NTR for Gadalla!

I came to this theory via the Caesar/Christ parallels. And of the two, Caesar wins out. The oriental archetype of the 'king' is no conspiracy or coincidence. What great hero wasn't born under divine supervision, fought opposition and died a venerated death? One could make a similar argument with the similarities between Jesus and Superman (or Kennedy, or Charlie Brown), requiring the reader to suspend disbelief less frequently. Worst of all is the offensively thin scholarship pertaining to the Qumran scrolls and the Talmud.

I noticed a that couple criticisms of this book are not quite accurate. The author did not say that Tut-Ankh-Amen means the Living image. He said Tut's birth name, Tut-Ankh-ATON, means the living image. This is a correct translation as the Aton (or Aten) was an abstraction. I can understand someone not agreeing with the author, but let's not mislead his potential audience by misquoting him.

And many of the ideas here are borrwed from Ahmed Osman. But the author doesn't try to hide this. I recommend this book.

I believe the author of this book misses the entire point of Jesus BUT from his viewpoint he does an excellent job of "talking" with Jesus. I admire the author for reviewing and taking the stand he does. I would love to meet him someday and just discuss with him this entire book and his life and action with other Christians and with his fellow Jews. He gives you the feeling he is very honest and forthright in his beliefs and understandings of our "GOD".

Jacob Neusner is a Professor of Religion at the University of South Florida and one of the most popular living writers of Judaism. He comes from the Reform school, but is best known for Rabbi Talks with Jesus, A, a groudbreaking little book which analyzes the Matthean Jesus through a 1st century Jewish perspective.

The imaginary, highly theological conversation occurs during and immediately after Jesus' sermon on the Mount, where Jesus exclaims he has not not to "destroy the law, but to fulfill it." The law he is talking about is the Torah, and this is where Prof. Neusner challenges Jesus. He contends Jesus' torah (teaching) is so radically different from the Torah (five books) that it is an entirely different law.

The heart of the difference for Neusner is Jesus' emphasis on the individual, versus the Torah's emphasis on the homes and communities of Israel. This difference accounts for why Jesus can tell his listerners to come follow him, leaving mother, father and community for the way of the cross. Neusner seeks to ask Jesus what will happen of Israel, God's chosen people, as a race. His questions are not insulting, but show a genuine respect for Jesus as teacher, if not Jesus as Lord.

Of course Jews and Christians will always differ on the primacy of what these two proud peoples follow. For Jews, the Torah is first. For Christians, Jesus is first. The Torah reveals God's will for the former, Jesus reveals God's will for the latter. The goal of Rabbi Talks with Jesus, A is not to convert Christians to Judaism or vice versa. The goal is to establish a common dialogue for two major religions that is not demeaning to the traditions and beliefs of either. Neusner has great respect for Jesus and Christianity and does good for both by avoid the common pitfalls of Jewish apologists and Christian critics.

Neusner argues in an uneven but innovative short work that neither Jews who want to make Jesus just another rabbi or Christians who nod to Jesus' teachings as rooted in the Torah are making the right move. He takes a central text that shows Jesus preaching to convince the Jews to change Torah and follow him. Why? Matthew 5-7 appeals to the Jewish community. It, before John's vitriolic gospel against the Jews, or Paul's messianic deification of Christ, represents an earlier stage in what we can learn about the core teachings of Jesus as he proclaimed them to his fellow Israelites.

Neusner, with his erudite incorporation of Talmudic passages and contrasts the message on another mountain, that of the Torah to Moses on Sinai on behalf of the community of Israel. The Torah requires a collective response and defines familial and cultic responsibility to ensure devotion of the Hebrews to their God on a daily, detailed, and sanctifying basis. Jesus, in the Sermon, addresses not the gathering of Jews at the base of the Mount-- who were amazed at his speaking with such bold authority against tradition even as he promised to fulfill the Torah-- so much as the smaller band of disciples at the top of the hill.

To his followers, Jesus began, Neusner explains, speaking to "you" as often in the singular as the plural. Rather than the incorporation of the communal and the domestic, the national responsibility of Israel and the actions prescribed to the priests in the Temple to attain holiness by ritual and practice, Jesus began to appeal to his disciples. In conversations, Jesus starts-- as Matthew describes it-- to place the personal ahead of the collective ''you." This, in turn, ties into the promotion of commitment to the Master instead of the Torah. Neusner demands that both Christians and Jews take seriously this crucial difference. The rabbi argues that Jesus did not follow Torah faithfully-- even long before the claims of messianic rule were attributed to him. By evidence in Matthew, which Neusner interprets as much as possible rather than using later New Testament texts that elaborate on earlier gospels, the rabbi asserts that following Jesus leads, inexorably, away from the communal Torah into an individual's reliance upon salvation through a decision to follow Jesus rather than stay behind with one's family and community in the Jewish tradition. Holiness, rather than perfection, and sanctity inched towards in the here and now rather than salvation in the world to come, are what distinguish Torah-true Judaism from Jesus's Sermon.

A Jew, Neusner imagines then (as now), cannot have it both ways. Jesus invites one to follow him towards holiness rather than remain totally loyal to the Torah of the Pharisees and scribes, of keeping holy the Sabbath, or of looking after one's parents instead of taking off with Jesus as he leaves Galilee for Jerusalem. These chapters, which take passages from the Sermon and juxtapose them with challenges made by Jews then to Jesus and other scriptural and Talmudic passages, do move in fits and starts, perhaps in homage to yeshiva discourse with its give-and-take as well as Neusner's own quickly paced method of scholarship.

Neusner is an astonishingly prolific critic on rabbinic-era texts; he notes how he wrote this book at a chapter or so a day and finished it in a week. (He wrote this in 1993 on his sixtieth birthday and already takes credit for 480 books.) This speed of composition implies a vast and rapid command of texts and ideas. In this book, aimed at the everyday reader, this accustomed pace may present a drawback for this short book; it could have been at least a third more brief as it is. Editing could have sharpened his argument. It rewards attention, but the critique unfolds in a recursive rather than linear fashion that may frustrate those less familiar with this venerable tendency of Jewish discourse about texts. I find it touching that Neusner looks forward to arguing in the Heavenly Yeshiva with Moses and the sages.

Chapters tend to drift about, although they do accumulate into a thoughtful consideration of why Jewish believers deserve, after two thousand years of condemnation and condescension by the majority faith, a chance for autonomy. Neusner posits that only now, in our climate of intermarriage, conversions across both communities, and interfaith dialogue, can Jews finally gain respect from Christians and return it in kind. A pioneer in Jewish-Christian dialogue, Neusner knows both sides well, and with his command of the Mishnah, he instantly can conjure up the proof-text he needs. This book comes with a pre-papal nod on the back jacket from no less than Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger!

Neusner, as a believer but also as a scholar, looks at Matthew's primary appeal to the Jews, the Sermon on the Mount. He asks that both Jews and Christians look at Matthew's earlier gospel not as refined scholars (who take into account extra-textual sources) but on the level of the believer of the text-- and the inquirer who comes from the outside to the text and regards it (how else could it be thousands of years later?) as the primary instigation for dialogue and interfaith inquiry. Matthew sought to convert the Jews to the teachings of this radical rabbi, and Rabbi Neusner takes him on with respect in the Jewish tradition of a long conversation continuing over the centuries about how best to live life according to the Torah, and talks to as well as with Jesus, as one sage to another.

In a moving chapter, he concludes his study of the Sermon by defending his own Jewish observance against the new faith that Jesus creates. Neusner would not join the disciples, but would have remained at the foot of the Mount, "because, for Jesus, 'you' is as often singular as plural. But for the Torah, from Sinai onward, 'you' is always plural. 'You shall have no other gods before me.' 'We'-- eternal Israel-- are here to respond: 'We shall do and we shall obey.' And I do not believe God would want it any other way." (143)

I feel Rabbi Neusner on the whole does a fine job of addressing areas of contention and disagreement between the two faiths- however, he does miss some fine critical points:

- He contrasts the (Jewish/Torah) call to be holy because the Lord God is holy, over and against the Christian call to give up all and follow Christ- without, apparently, recognizing that for believing Christians as well as faithful Jews the chief motive for right living is to emulate God's character (why aspire to "be perfect"? Because our heavenly Father is perfect).

- He sees Judaism as addressing the practical concerns of living in the the here-and-now while Christianity is concerned with the future Kingdom Come- missing the relevance of applied Christian principles for daily living, and the idea that Christians no less than Jews are called to sanctify our days and hours, our waking and working and eating and sleeping; not just wait for "Pie in the sky by and by".

- Lastly, Neusner takes issue with the fact that that the Christian gospel message is addressed to the individual "you" and "I", not to the communal "we" of Israel. This is in fact largely true. We are called as individuals AS WELL AS corporately. But it is also a call to community, as the Body of Christ. How else to put into practice all those commands to love, serve, edify and encourage one another?

Torah, or Christ? At the end of the day, for Neusner, the question leads finally to a regretful parting of the ways.

Rabbi Neusner imagines the opportunity to live in Jesus' day and age and to enage in conversation with him. Neusner makes it very clear to his readers that he would not become a follower of the Nazarean rabbi, because he finds several problems with the content of Jesus's teachings. Here are some examples:
Jesus' teaching is not addressed to the "eternal Israel" but to "you", a selected few who will follow him rather than the Torah: "The message of Torah always concerns the eternal Israel. The message of Jesus Christ always concerns those who follow him." (p. 103).
Jesus' emphasis is on intimate, secluded, individualistic prayer rather than public, collective (i.e., family and community), liturgical prayer: "the individual in search of salvation, the private person in quest of God." (p. 96)
Jesus' teaching undermines the primacy of the family in the social order: to follow Jesus entails abandoning home and family.
Jesus' focus is on himself, NOT on the Torah (when Jesus says: "whoever loves his father and mother more than him, is not worthy of being his disciple," it is a stumbling block: only God can ask that!!!). So, we have a shift from Torah to Jesus, as if the Ten Commandments and the Law were not enough.
Jesus' emphasis on "be perfect", salvation, freedom from sin and atonement vs. "be holy" of the Torah (sanctification of daily life, separation of sacred from profane).
Jesus' emphasis on kingdom to come vs. "here and now".
According to Neusner, it's what Jesus did NOT talk about that is disturbing, namely the importance of Torah or God's revelation on Sinai. Neusner argues that it is important to both keep rites AND inner morality, instead of privileging the latter at the expense of the former. It seems that Jesus dispensed with the rituals prescribed by the Torah: "To Jesus all that matters is obedience to the moral and ethical teachings of the Torah." (p. 137).
In conclusion, Jesus abolished some of the dots and iotas of the Torah (Mt 15:10, 17-20) despite his protestation that he did not come to abolish it.
Despite of his criticisms, Neusner remains one of the few Jewish scholars to take Christianity seriously and to converse with it.

After a great book "The Hebrew Pharoahs of Egypt" Osman ruins his reputation as a scholar worth reading with this book. What a turnaround.

I wouldn't have read this seeming science fiction style book, if I hadn't read Moses and Akhenaten: The Secret History of Egypt at the Time of the Exodus by the same author before. Claiming that both are the very same person turned out to be convincing. But only after having read the book. Even though in this succeeding book Ahmed Osman goes quickly into that to pick up that line of thought in order to reveal yet more, I would have begged the author's pardon, if I hadn't read that prior book. I did not yet read The Hebrew Pharaohs of Egypt: The Secret Lineage of the Patriarch Joseph, which may help, too, in accepting this book presently reviewed. This sort of revelation simply cannot get squeezed into a pitch. The evidence will have to get presented entirely or not at all for any possibility of believing it.

That said, I find this book rather ambivalent. Sections of it are more convincing than others. The new title is a bit misleading as the majority of the book is NOT about Jesus (even less about the Essene). In 1992, this book was originally published as the more fitting "The House of the Pharaos". (I review the 2004 edition.) Only two sections focus on Jesus, in which the author avers that his mythology is based on first Joshua, then Tut-Ankh-Amun. These are the weakest parts of the book. Far more convincing is the revelation that there were actually TWO King Davids, one of them having lived some 500 years earlier and having done all the warring action described in the Bible, the latter of which remains unsubstantiated as soon as archaeology comes in - but which is very much based on history, as soon as Pharao Tuthmosis III is concerned. Also the re-connection of the rather mythological King Solomon and historic Pharao Amenhotep III is accomplished successfully. The supposed revelations about Jesus are not altogether congenial. If the author's findings should be true, then he fails to present adequate evidence. Leaving out religion for a moment, while accepting history only, I have to admit, this is the best we have to work with currently (according to what I have read so far). But this has more to do with that the Bible cannot get historically confirmed at all than with satisfactory evidence presented here.

The roles the Essene and John the Baptist play in this reasoning are ok, yet the identities (!) of Jesus appear to be rather constructed. When the Bible appears to be inconsistent with history, then that's an error. But when the same applies to the author's theories, then the reason is supposed to be a slip of ancient scribes or even a cover-up, conspiracy theory style. Occasionally, I asked myself: If I wanted to cover up, I wouldn't change a single letter in a name, but the entire name or erase that name or drop the story entirely. On the other hand, the author uses the Bible in a very literal, almost hair-splitting fashion to support his theories, as soon as it gets convenient. I find this overall sort of reasoning a bit lame to convince me. At least, these fishing parts should have been supported by more than cover-up claims, such as at least circumstantial evidence. However, the book is worth reading for the other parts and even for the challenge itself of its weaker moments, smoothing the way for further research.

Other authors contribute additional pieces of the puzzle, Ahmed Osman hasn't picked up yet. He is still writing about Joseph's multi-colored coat and Abraham attempting to sacrifice Isaac for real. Of course, there is a diametric clash between the theory that Jesus was Pharao and that he himself (and not his biological/adopting father) was a carpenter or rather: a construction worker. Variations on the meaning of "Nazarene" exist as well, which is also true for the David and Goliath story. The latter appears to be valid in a complementary way. For the other versions of all of the above read 101 Myths of the Bible, Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why (Plus), Let There Be Light: The Seven Keys and probably (not read yet) The Hiram Key: Pharaohs, Freemasonry, and the Discovery of the Secret Scrolls of Jesus, books you will probably appreciate when you like this one in principle. A bit more amazing is the neglect of considering the Egyptian resurrection concept in a phenomenological approach (i.e. in the ancient Egyptian's state of mind instead of our modern one). Orthodox Egyptology blinds it as a funerary rite. However, Ahmed Osman is miles apart from orthodox Egyptology in every other matter. Yet, he is obviously not a fan of mysticism either. Pharao becoming Osiris and resurrecting is an initiation rite, emphasizing the Oneness of all, especially of (very much living) Pharao and God. Considering this would have actually contributed to the author's thesis... Read more about that e.g. in Shamanic Wisdom in the Pyramid Texts: The Mystical Tradition of Ancient Egypt. On the other hand, some of the included evidence means next to nothing, because the resemblances are not exclusive to Jesus and the respective pharao, but rather inflationary. Ostrich feathers were very commonly used as symbols in ancient Egypt, while the title of the Lord venerated by the Essenes doesn't only match Jesus, but about any holy figure there is to be found in the ancient world.

In 1997, this book was blatantly plagiarized in an abridged form by Moustafa Gadalla: Tut-Ankh-Amen: Living Image of the Lord. In contrast, in 1998, Ralph Ellis built upon the original and came to varying identities for Moses and Jesus in Jesus: Last of the Pharoahs. (And Solomon, Falcon of Sheba: The Tombs of King David, King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba Discovered by the same author). You may also be interested in "The Africans Who Wrote the Bible".

are you decieved/brainwashed/blinded/scared of the unknown/dont wanna know the truth facts about the bible because your faith will be challengeD and that is your crutch IN LIFE TO sustain life is the christian faith( the standard bible that contradicts itself) well UNWELD YOUR BRAIN AND STOP BEING SO CLOSED MINDED SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH DONT HIDE FROM IT SEEK DONT LIVE ON BLIND FAITH RESEARCH WHAT YOU HOLDing onto AS BEING THE pure TRUTH this book might solve a few things for ya

I have just recently become a fan of author Osman. While some of his theories are out there, I have been intriged and amazed at both the time and research that he has put into his books. As a student of archeology and anthropolgogy, I am thrilled to finally find an author who will go out of the way and really put to tests his beliefs. I have enjoyed his earlier books, and am looking forward to his new books. T he only problem that I find in reading this authors works, is that he leaves the reader pondering more questions then ever before. I think that he does this puposely to not only encourage his fans to buy more of his books, but also to really expand the readers own ideas and beliefs. Some of Osman's earlier books are hard to find, and after having written the author, I still have not been able to find them yet.

I was interested in researching this book as I believe that Egypt had an esoteric school at the time of Jesus because it was there that He was nurtured as a child. But the review claims: "Although it is commonly believed that Jesus lived during the first century A.D., there is no concrete evidence to support this fact from the Roman and Jewish historians who would have been his contemporaries." I suggest that the author study the book: "Joshephus The Complete Works" where he will find mention of Jesus by a contemporary Jewish historian.

Given that this research was overlooked by the author, I decided not to purchase the book on the grounds that his research is selective and incomplete.

This is an excellent way to listen to scripture especially while driving. Fast delivery. Thanks.

Monotone? I loved listening to Mr. Jones' voice, and I would tend to listen all the way through and even understand it better than when I read it myself....and as for mispronouncing words, I have no doubt that there was training and practicing of unfamiliar words ahead of time, so any "mispronunciations" were just a matter of choice by the speaker, his OWN variation of some words which is very often allowable in our English language. I have always found his brand of accent/dialect very appealing, so yes, I was very happy to start listening to these CDs performed by an actor I've always admired. To each his own though, I guess......

I was excited to get this CD set, since I know James Earl Jones has a great set of pipes, and I have listened so much to Alexander Scourby's reading of the Bible that I was ready for a new reading. I was disappointed the first time I listened. Jones does not use inflection while he reads; the result is that the words sound lifeless. As a Christian believer, that abhors me.

But more than his lifeless reading, I am apalled at Jones' changing of the text. He is reading the King James Version, but he changes the words at will. For example, the text will read "Christ Jesus" and Jones will read "Jesus Christ." I counted 21 errors in his reading of the Book of Ephesians alone. If you believe, as I do, in the divine inspiration of the Word of God, you will not be able to stand how Jones imposes his own changes to the text without any textual or scriptural justification. Jones should stick with Darth Vader.

The guy has a voice like no one else, but the original King James version language (all the "unto's" and "ye's" and "thou's"). - lame backround music - and a whispery, momontone reading (if you can imagine James Earl Jones doing that) - makes this far inferior to Johnny Cash's reading of the New Testament.

Johnny Cash proclaims the Word of God beautifully and simply. If you're not much of a believer, it just is done well and straight forward.

The New King James Version in Cash's reading is more modern English (Easier on the ears.) But this is still majestic langauge. Also, no accompanying organ music. Just him reading slowly and with understanding.

If you are going to buy one - get Johnny Cash reading the New Testament.

I love this reading of the King James Version's New Testament! I only wish he had done the Old Testament as well! He is still alive, so maybe they will do that someday (hint, hint)?

James Earl Jones has a great, classy voice for this type of reverent material. He makes the sometimes difficult King James Version easier to follow, during his reading.

This James Earl Jones set has some quiet music playing in the background, so that is my biggest criticism. The music is more like MUZAK, which has nothing to do with the Bible scenes being read. Distracting, but it also fades away from notice eventually.

If you know any Star Wars fans, then this is a perfect way to get them introduced to Bible material, since James Earl Jones is the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films.

I love these celebrity readings of the Bible. Another great celebrity Bible reading is Johnny Cash's attempt, so check that out, too! These type of celebrity readings are great for fans of the celebrity, but if you are wanting a great Bible reading on CD, then I would suggest a dramatized version of the New International Version (NIV) from the Zondervan company.

I also really enjoy THE MESSAGE!, a contemporary paraphrase, not a translation of the Bible, which is very engrossing, but sometimes strays too far from the actual scripture verses. All of these Bible CDs are imperfect, but it's fun to hear and get exposed to the differences, as long as they make a serious attempt to be faithful and accurate to the Scriptures.

If you are considering buying this James Earl Jones set, then you probably have enough interest to enjoy owning and listening to this. I love this CD set! Even though it's not perfect, it is still very enjoyable and inspirational. I highly recommend it!