Saint Saul: A Skeleton Key to the Historical Jesus

Abstract

The Gospels, scholars agree, were written after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD. This catastrophic event, argues Donald Akenson, forever altered the outlook and the agenda of the Christian and Jewish faiths. Of all the New Testament writings, only Paul's letters were composed before 70 AD. Thus, Akenson says, they are the only direct evidence we have that is untainted by this profound and lasting shift in perspective. And yet this most important source on the life of Jesus is also the most neglected. In this study, Akenson offers a lively and provocative account of what we can learn about Jesus by reading the letters of Paul, providing fresh new insights into both Jesus and Paul. Akenson painstakingly recreates the world of Christ, a time rich with ideas, prophets, factions, priests, savants, and god-drunk fanatics. He insistently stresses throughout the Jewishness of Jesus (for example, referring to Jesus and Paul as Yeshua and Saul, as they were then known).

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