To any reader, I wish you to know that Jesus did rise from the dead! He did it because he was God incarnate, and he did it that he might save you from your sins. This trial was a work of fiction. What was not fictional, however, is the fact that Jesus rose from the dead and that the Jewish Sanhedrin went to a great deal of trouble, as fictionalized here, to keep the knowledge of Jesus's resurrection from the world. If Jesus did not rise, Jesus was not God. If Jesus was not God, Jesus could not save anybody from their sins

Were the resurrection appearances real physical events - or nothing more than grief-induced hallucinations? What does it mean to say, Jesus rose from the dead? Dissatisfied with what he regarded as evasive answers given by theologians and scholars about the nature of the resurrection of Jesus, Gerd Ludemann here subjects the New Testament traditions to a thorough investigation. In particular, Ludemann is concerned with the story of the empty tomb and the subsequent appearance stories first related by Peter. Ludemann's startling and somewhat radical conclusions have created a stir in Europe. This book, written for nonspecialists, presents Ludemann's provocative conclusions. Readers will find a positive, albeit a revolutionary, new way of viewing the resurrection.

The Jesus Family Tomb tells the story of what may be the greatest archaeological find of all time—the discovery of the family tomb of Jesus of Nazareth The Jesus Family Tomb includes: A gripping real-life detective story that combines history, archaeology and cutting-edge science, and reveals the truth behind 2,000 years of mystery Scientific details about the Jesus family tomb ossuaries Results from DNA tests performed on human residue taken out of the Jesus ossuary and the Mary Magdalene ossuary

Featuring vibrant full color throughout, this new edition of A Brief Introduction to the New Testament is a concise version of Bart D. Ehrman's best-selling The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, Fourth Edition. Retaining the approach of the longer book while condensing and simplifying much of its material, this volume looks at the New Testament from a consistently historical and comparative perspective and emphasizes the rich diversity of the earliest Christian literature. This edition features several new text boxes on fascinating topics; a new photo essay on important Greek manuscripts of the New Testament; updated content reflecting recent scholarship and discoveries, including the Gospel of Judas Iscariot; and much more

No event in the history of humankind has elicited more comment or sparked more controversy than the trials, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus of Nazareth. The Trials, Crucifixion, and Burial of Jesus of Nazareth investigates each of these events in much detail from the historical, archaeological, theological, geographical, and biblical viewpoints. The book distinguishes between the late-night, hurriedly called meeting of a quorum of Sanhedrin members and the official meeting in the Chamber of Hewn Stone the next morning. It examines the ten charges made against Jesus and why they changed so often throughout his trial. It also investigates the twenty-five obvious irregularities from Jewish law that were evident in Jesus’ trial. Explored is the legitimacy of applying Mishnaic law to a first-century trial. Every suggested location for the trial and crucifixion of the Master is explored along with the question “Did Jesus really die, and does it matter?” Finally, a complete inventory of Jesus’ physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering between Gethsemane and Golgotha is provided along with appropriate comments. This book is something of a one-stop shop for all things related to the trials, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus.

This study reconstructs the historical Pontius Pilate and looks at the way in which he is used as a literary character in the works of six first century authors: Philo, Josephus and the four evangelists. The first chapter provides an introduction to the history and formation of the imperial Roman province of Judaea. The following two chapters examine the references to Pilate in Philo and Josephus, looking at each author's biases before going on to assess the historicity of their accounts. The next four chapters look at the portrayal of Pilate in each gospel, asking how a first century reader would have interpreted his actions. Each chapter asks what this portrayal shows about the author's attitude towards the Roman state, and what kind of community found this useful. The conclusion distinguishes between the 'historical Pilate' and the different 'Pilate of interpretation' preserved in our first century literary sources.