The Sage from Galilee: Rediscovering Jesus' Genius

Table of Contents:Forward, by R. Steven NotleyIntroducing David Flusser's Jesus, by James H. CharlesworthPreface1: The Sources2. Ancestry3. Baptism4. Law5. Love6. Ethics7. The Kingdom of Heaven8. The Son9. The Son of Man10. Jerusalem11. Death12. EpilogueChronological TableBibliographyIndex of SubjectsIndex of Scripture ReferencesFrom 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.

David Flusser was a Jewish New Testament scholar who taught at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Many people cite him as an expert on the Jewish backgrounds of Jesus and the New Testament. This expertise was evident in this book. However, his expertise also made the book difficult to read. It's not that he used big words or difficult concepts. The book is not overly academic.No, his book reminded me of an absent-minded professor who has not prepared well for the class he's teaching. Sure, he knows the material forward and backward, but it all comes out in a "stream-of-consciousness" way that makes it difficult to follow and harder still to grasp his ultimate point.The chapters are loosely connected around some major theme, such as baptism, love, ethics, the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Son of Man. And while each chapter did indeed contain some helpful background information on each of these subjects, such information was too scattered and disorganized to be of much benefit to the reader.As I read more and more books on Jewish backgrounds, this type of book organization (or lack thereof) seems to be a common theme. Of course, many of the other authors I have read learned under Flusser, and so maybe now I have simply found the wellspring of this merry-go-round way of thinking.Maybe this is just the Jewish (Eastern?) way of thinking and writing.Now that I think about it, much of Jesus' teaching as recorded in the Gospels also appears to be rather...scattered. So ultimately, maybe the difficulty is not with Flusser and his disciples and the books they write, but with my own western desire to see outlined organization and point-by-point argumentation. Someday I hope to find a book on Jewish backgrounds written with western thought-flow patterns.

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.

Purchased book for a class. Very interesting read.

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.

super wow!

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

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.

Great book which I am still reading