Rating: 
Summary: This book deserve 0 stars. Fraudulent Info at Best
Review: The vast majority of this book is following a questionable technique called the "Pesher Technique". "Pesher" is an interpretation written by an Essene priest to explain certain passages of the Old Testament. Thiering states that the Gospels were written this way and that under the stories of miracles and words, there are hidden messages which she proposes to disclose using the Pesher Technique. I'm going to concentrate my review in chapter 4 "The Pesher Technique" and Appendix IV, rules of the Pesharist, since the rest of this book is just a consequence of it.She, for example, mentions the miracle at Cana (John 2,1-12) states that after the changing of water into wine, inexplicably the steward didn't comment on Jesus' miracle, but went to him to complain that Jesus saved the good wine for last (p. 33). If the reader is not careful of this obvious distortion of the real story of the Gospel, it will take Thiering's statement for granted, and not find out that in the real story,... the steward *didn't know anything about a miracle having taken place*... then, how can he comment of the miracle if he didn't know about it in the first place? Secondly, the steward never went to Jesus to complain about the wine. The Gospel is clear stating that the steward went to the bridegroom to complain, because he believed that the bridegroom, not Jesus, was the one who prepared (non-miracolously I might add) the best wine for last. Obviously Thiering either didn't read the story carefully, or purposely distorted this story so that it fits her "pesher technique". I want to add also that this is not an isolated case, the same thing she does with the stories of the birth of Jesus, his parables, his miracles, his death and resurrection. Also she pulls people's leg when she mentions the rules for those who want to apply her "pesher" technique. Among that deception you find the following rule: "[. . .] all words must be accounted for; nothing may be omitted. One effect of this is a double negative is a positive. When Jesus said at the Last Supper "I will not not eat" (ou me phago, Lk 22,16), he meant "I will eat not fast" (p. 524). "ou" in Greek means no and "me" is a prohibitive element. Thiering makes the reader think that, like in mathematics and logic, a double negative equals a positive. But in the REAL Greek language, "ou me" is a way to enforce the negative. So when Jesus said: "ou me phago" what he is stating is "*Be sure* that I will *NOT* eat..." This rule is evidence that, if she knows Greek, she is being dishonest with the reader. Another rule that she declares almost infallibly: "all events in narrative are consecutive. There are no "flashbacks", going back to a previous event" (p. 524). Let's take for instance Jesus' incident in the Temple. According to the Synoptic Gospels this incident happened at the very end of his ministry, after the multiplication of the food and that this incident was the reason for the priests hatred against Jesus to kill him (Matt. 21,12-13; Mark 12,15-19; Luke 19,45-47). However, the Gospel of John puts this incident at the beginning of his ministry (John 2,13-22), and this happened before the multiplication of the food (John 6,1-15), and appears completely unrelated to his death. Also she heavily relies on questionable facts concerning Josephus and ignores some of her own sources. For example, she relies on the fact that Josephus stated that Essenes were mostly celibates and peaceful. Baigent and Lincoln, in their book "The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception", and is quoted in Thiering's book (p. 602), have presented evidence that in Qumran there were military fashion fortifications everywhere, and that the Dead Sea Scrolls include rules for MARRIED couples. I would write a book about all the foulups and deceptions, but because of space I can't write further. Recommendation: Don't buy it, it is a waste of time, misleading and deceiving.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Speculation
Review: This book does nothing more than guess at what the truth is. One of the major arguments I've seen that her work is accurate is the Shroud of Turin. Um...the Shroud of Turin could not have been the burial cloth of Jesus. At that point in time, in that locale, the deceased were wrapped in strips of cloth, case in point, Lazarus! (see the Gospel of John 11:44, other non-Bible sources have also verified this practice) It's sad that people have taken this as absolute truth without any research of their own. From a religous, historical, and academic viewpoint, Barbara Thiering's work is either misguided and/or very poorly researched, or she made it up off the top of her head. I just can't wait for her next book, "Joseph: Jesus' Earthly Father, Or Is He?" in which we learn the truth, that for no particular reason he all of a sudden wasn't a carpenter, he was the world's first indoor plumber! And not only was Jesus' birth not divine, Mary had multiple affairs on Joseph while they were engaged, and she never knew who the father was! But an early form of DNA testing in 197 A.D. proved it was Pilate! All in the name of pesher technique (which according to ancient documents is loosely translated to 'guesser technique'). I'm surprised Ms. Thiering even acknowledges Jesus existed at all, of course it seems she only does that so she can have someone to debunk. In the end, this book isn't the truth revealed. And I would say avoid it, whether you believe in Jesus or not, unless you're in the mood for a good laugh.
Rating:
Summary: "Scholarship" based on faith
Review: This book is complete fiction, based on faith, not facts, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Rating:
Summary: The most uncritical "critical" book I've come across
Review: This book purports to give a totally new interpretation of both the New Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Well, if you're into leaps of faith far larger than anything in the Bible requires, you might like it, as you'd have to be a most credulous person to buy any of its statements. Basically the author's Method consists of interpreting any word as whatever currently suits her (e.g. loaves means levites, wine means the inner circle of the Essenes, Jerusalem means Qumran, Galilee means a place where some Galilean lives near Qumran...), which can make any text say anything whatsoever desired. The next strategy is identifying the most various people inside and outside the New Testament as one and the same person (e.g. John Mark and Bartholomew, Simon Magus as the Apostle Simon, as Lazarus, and also as some Jewish High Priest of that Time, Nathanael as the high priest Jonathan, the Virgin Mary as the woman bound by Satan, Mary Magdalene as the daughter of Jairus, and she is not 12 but 27 years old, etc.), and generally stating all her supposed "scientific" strangenesses as absolute fact without giving any hints on just how she arrived at them, except for guesswork. Some times there are about 20 of the most quirky assertions per page, liberally mixed with true but totally irrelevant historical statements and appeals to the enlightedness and spiritual far-sight and of the reader and his superiority to those who "still need to believe in miracles". Basically it is the old Gnostic method of totally twisting the text beyond anything probable while inflating the reader with "superior knowledge", combined with much dwelling on numbers, which, as is well known, can be made to mean anything. That's exactly the approach that was debunked as baseless by the first systematic books on Chrisitian faith, written by Irenaeus of Lyons in about 180 AD. It's really hard to believe that this isn't a deliberate construction to fool people into spending money for the book. Well maybe she really does believe it, but then that's it for her as a scientist. I conclude that there are still only two ways of approach to the Historicity of the New Testament that make any sense: Accept it as it is or admit that we don't know enough to support any grandiose theories. Otherwise you're building not so much on sand, but rather on clouds. Welcome back to reality! Buy a good book on Jewish history instead, or the stuff by Irenaeus, the latter is rather entertaining in his display of the quirks of the 1001 sects of his day.
Rating: 
Summary: 14,800 discrepencies between Oldest Bible and New Testament!
Review: This books is invaluable, along with the new book by another author called "The Bible Fraud".
The christians keep confronting people on the street and telling people about the bible this and that, and trying to ask u to go their church. And they say anything that is not in the bible (such as reincarnation, karma [which is basically the law of cause and effect, or the bible's "sow and you shall reap" etc)is just bull and superstition or the "devil's" work.
These people go to church just to be led by the beliefs of the pastors there, as if the pastor truly knows what the bible means. I once heard a pastor tell about his beliefs about some lines in the bible, and he interpreted it in his way. Then he told EVERYBODY there," i know some of you after this will come to me and tell me your interpretations of those bible lines,, but DON'T even try, because nothing is going to stop me from sticking to my own interpretations and i dont want to change my mind about it". And all this guys wants is just a feeling of certainty of his beliefs, and even when the opportunity for another interpretation of truth is available, he is unwilling to take it? And this guy is out there preaching to so many thousands of people??? And those Christians tell me, if i want to know about christinity, speak to their pastors and the "people who know". But just WHO are the people who know? A pastor must necessarily know the truth about his religion? Isnt it all just personal and collected BELIEFS?? Most people think belief is reality, yet it is only a description of what reality might be. If you can understand this, you will be able to realise that none of us really knows what reality is, or what really really happened.. all we can contruct is a model and a belief.. and some models are more accurate than others..
well, in the new book (written by a christian) called "Bible Fraud", the author refers to the OLDEST BIBLE IN THE WORLD- the Sinai Bible, the author finds a staggering 14,800 DISCREPENCIES between the Sinai Bible and the NEw Testament!!! (you'll like this - "REVISED" NEW edition of the New Testament, year 2000 edition? The question that pops into my mind is -revised by WHO? Hey i dont want the revised edition, I want the original bible!) Many things are deleted, such as Jesus's wife, their beliefs on reincarnation[ why do u think Jesus' disciple asked him if the malformed infant "sinned before"(meaning he existed before this life!) or his parents sinned?] etc... by the middle ages church because in those time the christians have a belief what a god should behave, live, be celibate.. etc or else the church can't collect money and manipulate people. The concept of reincarnation they deleted so they can make people work for the afterlife or they couldn't control people with their Sin and "you are all sinners" theories! And evidences are also shown in original paintings of the last supper, and of Virgin Mary and her twin childs (Jesus's twin brother!).. i guess people in those times still had access to older bible knowledge..
these books are really worthwhile to read, and you can start to realise how powerful a distorted story can be taken so literally by millions and millions of people, when delivered by a powerful manipulative source such as the Church. One of the Popes said something to this effect -"HOW PROFITABLE IT CAN BE, JUST BY TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT A STORY"!
Rating:
Summary: A good fiction book
Review: This is a great fiction book. The whole thing about jesus marrying an divorcing and the....... Wait up she believes this? She thinks this really happened? Sadly she does. This books and her other books aren't as one reviewer put scholarly or credible. They are as Geza Vermes (who is the man you should read on the dead sea scrolls) " a silly little fairy story. Theirings books make huge assumptions and really like her whole pesher method. These huge leaps tend to be nothing more than a a hunch. The stupidity of method shows that these books should not be read by anyone wh is interested in getting to know the historical Jesus. If you want some things on the historical Jesus don't read theiring read N.T Wright, Darrell L Bock, Ben Witherington, Vermes, Twelftree and paul barnett. These are scholars who don't let thier philosophical predispositiuons get in the way of thier serious historical scholarship.
Rating:
Summary: TRUE LIFE OF OUR CREATOR
Review: When Christians have made a mistake for 2,000 years , misleading people, it would be difficult for them to admit their error. Barbara Thiering's book was"translated" from the writings made by Jesus himself and his disciples, yet our churchs are so proud to admit their error. Is Jesus their Lord God as the New Testament states? If He is their Lord, why would they not read the scrolls found included in all the books. The Other Bible, Harper & Row, The Nag Hammadi Library, James Robinson, The Gnostic Paul. It is because they do not have the GNOSIS, of the pneumatics that they can not see they made an error. The Pistis Sophia, words of Jesus to his disciples, and His mother Mary, should be included in the New Testament. The Sophia of Jesus Christ should be included in there as well. It is because they are physics, and do not have God within that they did not know that the female names Sophia,Jerusalem, Achamoth, belong to the God Mother, who does exist and has been rejected and shunned by ALL churchs for too long. The First Mystery of which Jesus spoke is this, that He was married to Sophia, before the foundation of the world was, and still is with her bearing angels for heaven and holy souls for the earth. These things were revealed to me by Jesus, who is God, thru the Logos, speaking in my ear, and gifted me with tongues, to speak foreign languages, Hebrew, Arabic, Greek, Italian, of which the doctrines of Jesus in all these scrolls were His writings, and His teachings. The churchs have gone completely away from His doctrine, and will not be born again without Gnosis which He taught. They do not love Jesus to deny his writings. Shame on you all. You really think He could multiply the fish and bread? Think about it.
Rating:
Summary: This book is one of the biggest truths of the century.
Review: When I read a book called 'Jesus in India' by Hazrat Ahmad. I found out that, this is the biggest truth of the century, that Jesus did not die on the cross. He was saved with the help of God and his disciples. After crucifixion Jesus migrated from Israel in search for the 'lost ten tribes of Israel'. He traveled through Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and then settled in Kashmir in India. Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had three kids. One of the sons of Jesus settled in Afghanistan after the death of Jesus. Even today there is a tribe in Afghanistan which proudly declares to be the direct descendants of Jesus Christ. Jesus lived upto the advance age of 120 years. Over hundred years ago, there was a discovery of 2 coins, one of them has Jesus' name in 'Pali' Characters, which is the local Kashmiri language. Which shows that Jesus did not die until he got kingly honour. Then I read this book 'Jesus the man' which proves with the help of 'Dead Sea Scrolls' the truth about the real life of Jesus Christ.This book is one of the biggest truths of the century. This is a must read book for all Christians. Accept the true Jesus, not the fairy tale Jesus. I not only strongly recommend this book, but I also recommend two very true and very fine books. One is called "Jesus in India" by Hazrat Ahmad (1835 - 1908) and the other book is "Jesus lived in India" by Holger Kersten. According to these fine books Jesus was a true messenger of God, but not God in any sense. Jesus did not go to heaven bodily, because if he did he contradicted bible. Because Bible says "Flesh and Blood Can not inherit in the kingdom of God" (1Corinthians 15:50) There is however, only two references in the four gospels about the ascension of Jesus bodily. One of them is Mark 16:19 and the other is Luke 24:51. All the Bibles with the footnotes have footnotes for these verses of Bible, that these verses are not found in the two most ancient and most reliable manuscripts (Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticus). The question is, when these verses were not found in the two most reliable and most ancient manuscripts, then how did they get in the Bible? "Shroud of Turin" is another evidance of Jesus' survival from the cross. It shows too much blood to be leaking from a corps. Which shows Jesus was alive when he was taken down from the cross and wrapped in it. According to Hazrat Ahmad he is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The same way, John the Baptist came in the name and power of Elias ( Luke 1:17, Matthew 17:11 and Matthew 11:14) Jesus said " You will not see me again until you say blessed is he, who comes in the name of Lord (Matthew 23:39)
Rating: 
Summary: Jesus the Man
Review: While many interpretations of the Dead Sea Scrolls have plausible explanations, all who offer such an explanation(s) should have their backgrounds examined for possible bias and motive. Barbara Thiering is no exception. While I'm sure Ms. Theiring has done a wonderful job as a university professor, its more than apparent she is pushing a pro-feminist agenda in this book. There is a lot of information presented in the book that is useful for someone searching for the true meaning of the life of one of the most important figures in history, but her attempts to wash Mary Magdaline as having as much historical importance as Jesus is beyond rediculous. Also, by crucifying men for having hidden her place in history, she actively seeks political demagoguery in her bias against men. Its a shame because this bias hides what could've been a very useful book.
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