Barbara Thiering's 1992 bestseller came with a cover statement that seems very difficult to live up to. Along the bottom
of the front cover was the claim" The controversial best seller that will change forever your view of Christianity", and that is some claim to make. But unlike many books that offer the same earth shattering revelations, Thierings approach is less controversial that you may think. Herself a Christian theologian, hers is not a mission to undermine anyone's faith or disprove anyone's spiritual beliefs. The view that she wishes to change is the picture of Jesus the Man and the meanings behind his actions. Whilst a reading of the New Testament seems to give you all the information that you need to know about the movements, actions and decisions of the key players in the new
religious movement, we must remember that we are viewing their political and social structures through two thousand years of interference. With a greater
understanding of the world of New Testament, its people, its organisations, its leaders and its religious views we can build a more historical picture of the era. And that is what is presented here.
One of the things that should be borne in mind is that by the time that any of the gospels were written down, with the possible exception of John, all the followers and religious leaders, politicians and military leaders that make up the biblical narrative are long since dead. As the gospels were written after the "eye-witness" period and the rest of the New Testament is based on the teachings of Paul, who never met Jesus, we are therefore dealing with an account of history as viewed from a generation or two away, which means that even this original account is more about interpretation than fact.
Working for over twenty years with the Dead Sea Scrolls in one hand and the New Testament in the other, Thierings book is an attempt to reconcile what has always been seen as opposite accounts. The conclusion of studying theses works has lead to some startling factors to be brought to light. Basically she reveals that the New Testament works on two levels. On the surface is the tale of the life of an inspirational leader of men who was the inspiration for a whole new faith, all the trappings and stories that we accept as the Christian teachings. But there is more to the gospels than meets the eye. She puts forward that the "Jesus movement" was a type of mystery school with a hidden mission that was only made aware to the inner circle of his followers. The "love thy neighbour", "turn the other cheek" teachings that we find in Paul's works are the writings of someone on the outside of these inner workings. The real mission was to unite the disparate peoples of the region, both Jew and Gentile alike in a united effort to over through the Roman domination and restore the kingdom to rightful Jewish rule.
Once you have an understanding of the times and the hidden language within the gospels this becomes evident. There are many meaningful phrases that can be read in many ways, such as "the fatted calf" and "the five thousand", phrases that refer to specific people rather than as the analogies and parables that they appear to be. As a prominent teacher in a radical religious group, called the Essenses, the stories that create our understanding of Jesus' life take on new meanings. It also show through re-evaluation of the stories with a better understanding of the times a different view of the man himself. The wedding at Cana for example is clearly Jesus own wedding, the water into wine incident is an act of serving wine to non-Jews at the ceremony, and a clear act of defiance against what he sees as out dated traditions.
The book, promoting a whole new view of Jesus' life will obviously outrage some, particularly those who see their faith as immutable and unchanging. Those who have a broader mind and see that understanding of our faiths are essential and should move out of medieval "carved in stone" apes will see this as a massive step in the right direction. It manages to present a historically more relevant view of Jesus without undermining the religious and spiritual concepts that he embodies. Rather than taking anything away from the Christian view of its founder it actually adds to his importance and historical relevance. A fantastic book, which as followed by two more equally explosive volumes that continue the ideas presented here and one which opened the door for authors to re-analysis such an important aspect of western religion.