James the Brother of Jesus (book)
Encyclopedia
James the Brother of Jesus: The Key to Unlocking the Secrets of early Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls is a 1997 book by American archaeologist
and Biblical scholar
Robert Eisenman
. He is most famous for his controversial work on the Dead Sea Scrolls
and the origins of the Christianity
.
, preceding the recorded history of early Christianity
. He critically reviews the narrative of the canonical gospels drawing on the Dead Sea Scrolls
, the Clementine Recognitions and Homilies, the Apostolic Constitutions
, Eusebius, the two James Apocalypses from Nag Hammadi
, the Western Text of Acts
and the Slavonic Josephus.
The central claim is that Jewish Christianity emerged from the Zadokites, a messianic, priestly, ultra-fundamentalist sect, making them indivisible from the milieu of contemporary movements like the Essenes
, Zealots, Nazoreans, Nazirites, Ebionites
, Elchasites, Sabeans, Mandaeans, etc.
In this scenario, the figure of Jesus
at first did not have the central importance that it later acquired. The canonical Twelve Apostles were no more than an artificially expanded replacement for the smaller circle of brothers of Jesus. After his crucifixion
one of his brothers, James the Just
took his place as the leader of this party, besides other factions loyal to Jesus (Ebionites) and to John the Baptist (Mandaeans). The central triad of the early Jerusalem Church will be composed by James, Peter
, and John the Apostle
. According to Eisenman, James was an important religious figure in his own right.
Chronologically, the book moves the events reflected in the gospels closer to the First Jewish-Roman War
than usual, identifying an Herodian named Saulus, active during the siege of Jerusalem
, with Paul of Tarsus
, and considers the identification of Simon Peter
, with Simeon bar-Cleophas.
Eisenman continues this discussion in his 2006 book The New Testament Code.
, author of Jesus is Dead, reviews the book with enthusiasm but does not support all aspects of the thesis (2001).
Adalbert Davids notes that "the thesis has met with much criticism" notably from John Painter who in an 11-page excursus of his book Just James (1997), "easily refutes the more outlandish aspects" (McGinn 2001). Painter accepts James was the leader of the Jerusalem church, but concludes there is "no evidence of a direct relationship between James and the Qumran Righteous Teacher" (p. 234). He concludes that Eisenman's book "is both erudite and eccentric" (p. 277), an assessment that Shelia McGinn (JECS, 2001)) characterizes as "a gracious reading if ever there was one". Another criticism of Eisenman's thesis that James is the Righteous Teacher of Qumran has been made by Philip R. Davies
(1999). Geza Vermes
also criticised the thesis within the context of reviewing the book Eisenman co-authored with Michael Wise The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered, published in The Times Literary Supplement (1992).
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and Biblical scholar
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
Robert Eisenman
Robert Eisenman
Robert Eisenman is an American Biblical scholar, theoretical writer, historian, archaeologist, and "road" poet. He is currently Professor of Middle East Religions, Archaeology, and Islamic Law and director of the Institute for the Study of...
. He is most famous for his controversial work on the Dead Sea Scrolls
Dead Sea scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name...
and the origins of the Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
Content
Eisenman attempts to reconstruct the events surrounding the origins of ChristianityOrigins of Christianity
For centuries, the traditional understanding has been that Judaism came before Christianity and that Christianity separated from Judaism some time after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE....
, preceding the recorded history of early Christianity
Early Christianity
Early Christianity is generally considered as Christianity before 325. The New Testament's Book of Acts and Epistle to the Galatians records that the first Christian community was centered in Jerusalem and its leaders included James, Peter and John....
. He critically reviews the narrative of the canonical gospels drawing on the Dead Sea Scrolls
Dead Sea scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name...
, the Clementine Recognitions and Homilies, the Apostolic Constitutions
Apostolic Constitutions
The Apostolic Constitutions is a Christian collection of eight treatises which belongs to genre of the Church Orders. The work can be dated from 375 to 380 AD. The provenience is usually regarded as Syria, probably Antioch...
, Eusebius, the two James Apocalypses from Nag Hammadi
Nag Hammâdi
Nag Hammadi , is a city in Upper Egypt. Nag Hammadi was known as Chenoboskion in classical antiquity, meaning "geese grazing grounds". It is located on the west bank of the Nile in the Qena Governorate, about 80 kilometres north-west of Luxor....
, the Western Text of Acts
Western text-type
The Western text-type is one of several text-types used in textual criticism to describe and group the textual character of Greek New Testament manuscripts...
and the Slavonic Josephus.
The central claim is that Jewish Christianity emerged from the Zadokites, a messianic, priestly, ultra-fundamentalist sect, making them indivisible from the milieu of contemporary movements like the Essenes
Essenes
The Essenes were a Jewish sect that flourished from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE which some scholars claim seceded from the Zadokite priests...
, Zealots, Nazoreans, Nazirites, Ebionites
Ebionites
Ebionites, or Ebionaioi, , is a patristic term referring to a Jewish Christian sect or sects that existed during the first centuries of the Christian Era. They regarded Jesus as the Messiah and insisted on the necessity of following Jewish religious law and rites...
, Elchasites, Sabeans, Mandaeans, etc.
In this scenario, the figure of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
at first did not have the central importance that it later acquired. The canonical Twelve Apostles were no more than an artificially expanded replacement for the smaller circle of brothers of Jesus. After his crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
one of his brothers, James the Just
James the Just
James , first Bishop of Jerusalem, who died in 62 AD, was an important figure in Early Christianity...
took his place as the leader of this party, besides other factions loyal to Jesus (Ebionites) and to John the Baptist (Mandaeans). The central triad of the early Jerusalem Church will be composed by James, Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, and John the Apostle
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
. According to Eisenman, James was an important religious figure in his own right.
Chronologically, the book moves the events reflected in the gospels closer to the First Jewish-Roman War
First Jewish-Roman War
The First Jewish–Roman War , sometimes called The Great Revolt , was the first of three major rebellions by the Jews of Judaea Province , against the Roman Empire...
than usual, identifying an Herodian named Saulus, active during the siege of Jerusalem
Siege of Jerusalem (70)
The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD was the decisive event of the First Jewish-Roman War. The Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus, with Tiberius Julius Alexander as his second-in-command, besieged and conquered the city of Jerusalem, which had been occupied by its Jewish defenders in...
, with Paul of Tarsus
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, and considers the identification of Simon Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, with Simeon bar-Cleophas.
Eisenman continues this discussion in his 2006 book The New Testament Code.
Criticism
Eisenman's theses were received by most scholars as eccentric, but partly favourably by reviewers, among whom Robert M. PriceRobert M. Price
Robert McNair Price is an American theologian and writer. He teaches philosophy and religion at the Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary, is professor of biblical criticism at the Center for Inquiry Institute, and the author of a number of books on theology and the historicity of Jesus, including...
, author of Jesus is Dead, reviews the book with enthusiasm but does not support all aspects of the thesis (2001).
Adalbert Davids notes that "the thesis has met with much criticism" notably from John Painter who in an 11-page excursus of his book Just James (1997), "easily refutes the more outlandish aspects" (McGinn 2001). Painter accepts James was the leader of the Jerusalem church, but concludes there is "no evidence of a direct relationship between James and the Qumran Righteous Teacher" (p. 234). He concludes that Eisenman's book "is both erudite and eccentric" (p. 277), an assessment that Shelia McGinn (JECS, 2001)) characterizes as "a gracious reading if ever there was one". Another criticism of Eisenman's thesis that James is the Righteous Teacher of Qumran has been made by Philip R. Davies
Philip R. Davies
Philip R. Davies is a biblical scholar with interests in Early Judaism, History of Ancient Israel, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Davies has been labeled a biblical minimalist and associated with the Copenhagen School...
(1999). Geza Vermes
Geza Vermes
Géza Vermes or Vermès is a British scholar of Jewish Hungarian origin and writer on religious history, particularly Jewish and Christian. He is a noted authority on the Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient works in Aramaic, and on the life and religion of Jesus...
also criticised the thesis within the context of reviewing the book Eisenman co-authored with Michael Wise The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered, published in The Times Literary Supplement (1992).
External links
- Robert Eiseman's JAMES THE BROTHER OF JESUS – Review by Robert M. PriceRobert M. PriceRobert McNair Price is an American theologian and writer. He teaches philosophy and religion at the Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary, is professor of biblical criticism at the Center for Inquiry Institute, and the author of a number of books on theology and the historicity of Jesus, including...
- JAMES THE BROTHER OF JESUS – Review by Michael Turton
- http://roberteisenman.com – Robert Eisenman's web site, with a link to his lectures and conferences on youtube.
- http://www.csulb.edu/centers/sjco/ – Robert Eisenman's articles, interviews and reviews of his books.