The priests were often allies of the Roman emperors under whom they served, and they also were exclusive, rich, powerful, and not particularly interested in the poor, except the taxes they could get from them.
Only the high priests could enter the very heart of the Temple. The Temple had several courtyards, into which were admitted increasingly select groups of people. Jerusalem was the holy city of the Jews, centered around the holy Temple. Israel at that time was ruled by despotic and often cruel leaders of the Roman empire. This is why it is folly to take the Bible literally, word for word, as the “Word of God.” People were less interested in what actually happened than in what it meant. History wasn’t about facts, but rather about revealing truths. It’s important to understand that, with our modern obsession about history and facts, “history” as we see it today was an unknown concept in Biblical times. (I don’t believe this either.) So why is he the center of one of the largest faiths in the world? (But then, I’ve never believed this anyway.) Did he literally rise from the dead? Probably not. Was he born through immaculate conception? No. In fact, I went to many passages in my Bible that he quoted in Zealot, in order to see the wording and context. I would attend Bible Study if a book like this was used.
The author’s note on the back flap of the book says that he is “an internationally acclaimed writer and scholar of religions.” He has written about Islam and about God in the modern world. With age, he became less zealous and more circumspect about religion in general. Who was Jesus really? What was his life like? What were his beliefs? What did he actually say and do? Who were the people that influenced him and that he influenced? These are questions explored in the book.Īslan was born in Iran into a secular Muslim family, but attended an evangelical Christian camp as an impressionable adolescent, where he embraced Jesus as his savior wholeheartedly. Zealot, by Reza Aslan, is the author’s quest to find the historical Jesus (as opposed to the divine).
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan 24, 2018 in my personal journal now posting for reading challenge When Have You Read 2018.
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