The Sage from Galilee: Rediscovering Jesus' Genius

Table of Contents: Forward, by R. Steven Notley Introducing David Flusser's Jesus, by James H. Charlesworth Preface 1: The Sources 2. Ancestry 3. Baptism 4. Law 5. Love 6. Ethics 7. The Kingdom of Heaven 8. The Son 9. The Son of Man 10. Jerusalem 11. Death 12. Epilogue Chronological Table Bibliography Index of Subjects Index of Scripture References From Chapter 1 to the end of Chapter 12 it is 165 pages. In David Flusser's own words, "The main purpose of this book is to show that it is possible to write the story of Jesus' life." This work is the conclusion of many decades of research and dedication to understanding the second temple period and Jesus. Originally, this was German book published in 1968. From that time, this book was translated into English in 1997. The content of the book has matured since the first editions in German and English through the archeological discoveries and maturing of David Flusser's own thinking. The first edition can be considered a mere beginning of his investigations and this edition is the culmination of his life's work. As such, this book should be treated more as a new work rather than a revision. Some of Flusser's driving belief structures are discussed in chapter 1 and continue to be divulged through the course of the book. Some of these beliefs are 1) it is possible to tell the story of Jesus through the Gospel accounts 2) foundationally, Jesus functioned as a miracle worker and preacher; not a "kerygmatic" risen Lord 3) Jesus learned Judaism (thus was impacted by His contemporary teachers/movements) and revolutionized certain aspects of Judaism 4) the gospel accounts are based on one or more non-extant with Luke being the most accurate at preserving the early source of the historical Jesus. Pros: David Flusser does a great job of combing through tons of second temple (and post temple period) literature and showing parallels between Jesus and other movements. Flusser did not set down all the technical details of those things which will ease the load for the average reader and provide a foundation for further research. Among varies literatures that the author utilizes, he most often went back to Essene for comparisons which is relatively new scholarship. Flusser also show examples of other people who were similar to Jesus, such as the Galileans Abba Hilkia and Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa. Flusser does a great job in highlighting what Jesus revolutionized: 1) "radical interpretation of the commandment of mutual love" 2) "the call for a new morality" and 3) "the idea of the kingdom of heaven." Cons: I can't mention many cons for myself, but one I know would be important to others. Flusser does not accept that the so called "kerygmatic" is the actual Jesus. As such, he believes there has been some tampering to the gospel accounts to make a "kerygmatic" Christ. This would be the largest stumbling block for some Christians I know. Conclusions: David Flusser has built the historical Jesus, and this book is well worth reading and studying. Even though David Flusser does not accept the full gospel story, it should not prevent the reader from making his/her own judgments on a great deal of material.

Davis Flusser was Professor of Early Christianity and Second Temple Judaism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He held that post for years and was in constant contact and in working relationships with Christian scholars in Jerusalem. He sees Jesus as a Jew of the first century. He respects the Gospel records. He thoroughly understands the more contempory accounts: Josephus, Philo, etc. He is also immersed in the Dead Sea Scrolls and what they teach us about the various currents of Judaism in the time of Jesus. We lost David Flusser to death in 2000. There is not likely to be a scholar rise up to equal him. He was in many ways unique. He wrote in Hebrew, German and English. This volumn is the fourth English edition and has been brought up to date by Steven Notley, Professor of Biblical Studies at the New York City campus of Nyack Collage. It will give the reader a fresh look at Jesus within his own time and culture. It will place him within the religious ferment of his time and show what he accepted and what he rejected of the various Judaisms that surrounded him. It is less difficult to read than some of Flusser's work and not overly long. This edition runs 191 pages. Like its author "THE SAGE OF GALILEE" is unique. It reflects an enormous respect for Jesus, and a focused attempt to understand him as a Jew of his time and place.

There are so many books that I just start and put down, forgetting to ever pick them up again. This is NOT one of those books. I took my time on this one, but read it from cover to cover, enjoying and appreciating every minute of my time reading it. This is the kind of book that makes one see things from the viewpoint of a different time and culture. I have it as my goal to know more about Jesus. I took this book everywhere I went, in case I had a few moments to read. If you want to know more about Jesus, this is not a light, easy read, but it does explore Jesus from his Jewish roots. I highly recommend it.

This is book is very informative. It is not an easy book to read though. It has a lot of good information and is intriguing but not fast read because it is the kind of book you read for information not for escape.

Flusser and Notley did a great job writing this book. If you are new to the Jewish perspective of Jesus and the New Testament, this book will baptize you into it in a nice way. While it is not too ACADEMIC, it still is scholarly. David Flusser was an orthodox Jewish professor at the Hebrew University, who had come in contact with Mennonites, I believe, as a student in Prague. Although no longer alive, Flusser remains as the foremost scholar in the Second Temple period. R. Steven Notley, a professor at Nyack College in New York City, is a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University (my alma matter), where he studied under David Flusser. I recommend this book to those who desire to learn about the Jewish roots of Christianity.

This book is very helpful in understanding not only the first century understanding of Ancient Israel but also how a "Messiah" would have been viewed. If one is serious about learning the culture of Ancient Israel, this is a good place to start. Most people are limited by theology instead of actual culture or history. This leads to presumptions that are completely off track. It is only when we put those of Ancient Israel back into their time period by understanding the culture, do we really have any idea of what was said and why it was said. The academics are very good in this book. I would suggest this book to anyone who is truly seeking to understand Ancient Israel on the level of the history and culture.

O livro é um clássico reeditado do David Flusser. Livro curto, direto ao ponto mais muito, muito, muito denso sobre o Jesus Histórico feito por um dos maiores pesquisadores e conhecedores do tempo de Jesus, ou seja, ele traz Jesus no contexto histórico no qual se insere. Um livro que vale muito a pena comprar e ler.

Flusser does a brilliant job of outlining the life of Jesus from the Jewish evidence, ie the Gospels. There is no massive split with the Jesus of the churches, but there are subtle differences. The book provides a succinct history of Jesus, outlining the main thrust of his teaching, parables and actions. Although similar in many ways to numerous other books emphasising the Jewishness of Jesus, it nevertheless manages to integrate the data to provide a solid picture of the flesh and blood Jesus in a powerful way.

super wow!

Great book which I am still reading

A very good and clear insight into early Christianity. A must for the student