Jesus and the Riddle of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Unlocking Th Secrets of His Life Story

Barbara Thiering has been marginalized by the traditional Biblical and Dead Sea Scroll scholars because she dares to fill in the missing spaces in the history of the Essenes. Where others only ask questions or avoid discussing issues that are contrary to accepted dogma, she brings to life the history of the times in which the Christian church was born. The logical assumption that Jesus was a man who was involved in the political as well as the spiritual issues of his time is validated by even a cursory knowledge of human nature. A mystic wandering the wilderness of biblical Palestine would not have attracted as much attention as a man who was involved in the social changes that were taking place at the time. The fact that his followers also had personalities and were involved in social / political issues is also overlooked by many Biblical scholars. The people involved in the ministry of Jesus were not mythological beings; they were real people whose lives also had an impact on the times. The relationship between Jesus and those who ruled ruled Palestine is also revealed in real-life terms, not in mystical suppositions. In short, a knowledge of the Essene organization and the political structure of Roman dominated Palestine is essential to an understanding of the roots of Christianity and no-one does it better than Prof Thiering.

The bible suddenly makes sense. The reality of Jesus' royal bloodline and the marriages of Joseph and Mary and then Jesus and Mary Magdalene make perfect sense as jesus the man literally jumps out of the pages of the gospels. Jesus is a King, not a God - but a visionary King who is determined to bring monotheism to the pagan roman world. Be prepared to do a lot of reading - there are three books in this series, and you should also read Elaine Pagel's books on the gnostic gospels and the secret gospel of thomas, and the gospel of mary magdalene. Once you have Dr Thiering's explanations "under your belt" you will be able to make sense of all of it - the politics, the miracles, the crucifixion... This is not a book for those who will be disturbed by a re-appraisal of christianity. But for everyone else, this will be a revelation!

To put it simply, a Scholar who has had the actual material at her disposal or a bunch of religious fanatics that have been told what to believe since the moment of birth. Who are you going to believe? I`ll go with the Scholar. The majority of the comments on this book are negative and shallow/close minded. If God speaks to them then he just spoke to me and said he`s proud of miss Thiering and is glad that the truth is finally out there. A great book and enlightening read, and a must have for anyone looking for the truth in the misleading books of the Bible.

Dr. Thiering is a highly respected scholar that has direct experience with the Dead Sea Scrolls. What she has read there can be read by others and will give the same answer: the historical events at Qumran are identical to the events of the Gospels. If you want to understand what happened and how to read the encoded text of the Gospel, start with this book. It is a little difficult to read and deals with very complex constructions but you are rewarded mightily. If you skim it and have strong religious biases then you will think it is sacreligious. It's not; it's simply good science based on hard fact. The Dead Sea Scrolls are authentic and so is this book. Then go read "Jesus of the Apocalypse" and "The Book Jesus Wrote" for more detail and understanding. This is very impressive scholarship and anyone with an objective mind (and the time to carefully examine the text) will be stunned. If your faith is delicate, turn away. A thousand years from now this book will be considered a cornerstone of Western culture.

I grew up during the 60s and 70s aware of the war, protests, racial riots, and the assassination of a President and asked then where was God. As a young man searching for the truth, I found it harder and harder to accept the beliefs of those preaching and that of an institution full of hypocrisy. I am, before and now, an atheist who has always seemed to see things a little differently than what was and is preached in the pulpit. Dr. Thiering's book has provided me with a better understanding of the early church's and Jesus' struggle to bring God to all people and not those self-professed to be the "chosen" ones. `Jesus the Man' adds to my understanding of Christians and more clearly defines Jesus' as a man and the "head of the church." Dr. Thiering has opened a narrow doorway that may someday allow me to come to God.