But, since any Tom, Dick, and Appolonius could claim to be a prophet, it was the claim that Jesus was resurrected that was key to a long run, and Ehrman focuses on that. (No, not Brian) His pilot was not picked up by the world at large, so you might find him in the antiquity channel’s version of “Brilliant but Cancelled.” And he was not alone. But no, it turns out to be another prophet entirely.

In fact, Ehrman opens his book citing an unnamed individual whom one might expect is JC, as the details are incredibly reminiscent. Without that there is no such thing as Christianity, as prophets and Messiahs were sold by the gross at the dollar-store equivalent of the era. Key, of course, is the belief that Jesus rose from the dead. I am inclined to give his very accomplished, educated interpretation of the material he examines a bit more weight than I might the opinions proffered by individuals boasting lesser scholarly accomplishment. I refer you to his considerable bona fides, here. Ehrman, on the other hand, has written vast amounts on things biblical. Twelve years of Catholic school taught me a lot more about obedience than it did about biblical scholarship, and while I have read the odd book here and there about the period, I claim no particular expertise, so am not in a position to offer a particularly educated consideration of the information presented here. My knowledge of the period is extremely limited. Or who said what, and when, where and why did they say it? And who saw what, where, when, how and why? I am instead interested in the historical development that led to the affirmation that he is God. I do not take a stand on the theological question of Jesus’s divine status.

Not much to work with here as far as physical evidence goes, but Ehrman does apply his considerable skill to analyzing what documentation we have, tracing provenance, to the extent possible, applying what we know of the period(s), and lasering in on crucial questions.Įhrman makes it very clear that he is not about trying to turn anyone away from a particular set of beliefs. One might consider Ehrman’s task a very challenging episode of Cold Case Files, or maybe fodder for a new version of a favorite show (as if there are not enough already) CSI Antiquity. Was it there from the beginning? How did it arise? What does it even mean? Was he considered divine by believers before conception, at conception, at baptism by John, when he died on the cross, when he rose from the dead, when he headed upstairs to the executive offices? And the answer? Yes.Īs with many mysteries there is a paucity of physical evidence. Ehrman takes on the subject of how, in history, the notion of Jesus as god developed. And it came to pass that I read and ye shall learn of a pretty amazing book.

How Jesus Became God by Bart D. Ehrman