The Search for Messiah

This was probably one of the books that was instrumental in my journey back to my Christian faith. I am a gentile, but the apologetics here are compelling for anyone. I still keep this book and highly recommend it to anyone who is honestly looking for understanding of the historic Christian faith and its prophetic underpinnings. Some points are arguable, but the same can be said for the many "anti-Christianity" books I've read - and for all their pretense at being unbiased, most of them positively drip with the authors' disdain for the faith and its followers. In my view, most arguments I've seen opposing the faith are badly fabricated and easily dismissed with just a little objective viewing of the information that is available. Dr. Eastman is no intellectual slouch, and his honest efforts to search the early writings of the Jewish sages should be commended.

I knew what the end of this book would be, but was surprised at the knowledge I gained that proved the point. I read the one review that was posted when I was reading the book and wondered if he read the book all the way through and if he was able to get beyond his own biases to really receive the truths that were presented. (ex. the word "almah" = young maiden and makes commits that are misleading to what the book says. Here is a paragraph from the book: "There is also a controversy as to the correct translation of the word "Almah", translated "virgin" by the translators of the Septuagint. When confronted with the word "Almah", they translated it into the Greek word "parthenos" meaning an unmarried virgin. This word is derived from the words "parthenia", meaning virginity and the word "agamos", meaning unmarried." One needs to read the whole section to really understand whether "Almah" is "young maiden" or "virgin" because it can mean both and the context determines which it is. The book points to the Septuagint (a translation of the Hebrew OT to Greek by the very learned rabbis of that day)to show that the Jews believed in the time before Jesus and the time of Jesus that the Messiah would be born of an unmarried virgin.) The book is very solid in its analysis by avoiding personal opinion and presenting what early and present day rabbis say of the scriptures. I would wish for more quotes and maybe a whole appendix of a great number of early quotes from a great number of early rabbis. The more leaders that agree the more likely that was the thought of the time. For the purpose of this book more is much better. I recommend this to all who would want some real facts on this subject. Cameron Moles