The book delves into the various conflicts surrounding the historical Jesus, examining the cultural, political, economic, and religious factors that culminated in his arrest, trial, and execution. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the societal tensions of the time, offering insights into how these elements intertwined to shape the events leading to this pivotal moment in history.
The theme of the Jewish rejection of Jesus is examined as a pivotal factor in shaping Christian identity, highlighting the ethnic, social, cultural, and theological conflicts involved. This scholarly work is designed for students and researchers in biblical studies, New Testament studies, and early Christianity, offering insights into the complex dynamics between Judaism and the emerging Christian faith.
In his work, Simon J. Joseph proposes a new working model for understanding the Jewish ethnicity, community, provenance, and compositional traits in Q — the earliest and most reliable source for the Palestinian Jewish Jesus movement. He critically compares the major literary features of Q 3-7, a section which introduces John the Baptist and includes the Beatitudes and Jesus' reply to John in light of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Essenes, and first-century Jewish wisdom traditions and messianism. By conducting a critical comparative analysis of Q 6:20-23, Q 7:22, 4Q525, and 4Q521, this approach effectively challenges the prevailing assumption that Q is a Galilean text representing a non-messianic and non-apocalyptic Galilean branch of the early Jesus movement that was dissociated from the early Jerusalem community and provides a new way of understanding the intimate relationship between Early Judaism and Christianity.