A major new work on the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest sacred documents of Judaism, which reveals their surprising connections to early Christianity. “A luminous treatment of a fascinating subject! Highly recommended!”—Scott Hahn, author of The Fourth Cup From award-winning scholar John Bergsma comes an intriguing book that reveals new insights on the Essenes, a radical Jewish community predating Christianity, whose existence, beliefs, and practices are often overlooked in the annuls of history. Bergsma reveals how this Jewish sect directly influenced the beliefs, sacraments, and practices of early Christianity and offers new information on how Christians lived their lives, worshipped, and eventually went on to influence the Roman Empire and Western civilization. Looking to Hebrew scripture and Jewish tradition, Bergsma helps to further explain how a simple Jewish peasant could go on to inspire a religion and a philosophy that still resonates 2,000 years later. In this enriching and exciting exploration, Bergsma demonstrates how the Dead Sea Scrolls—the world's greatest modern archaeological discovery—can shed light on the Church as a sacred society that offered hope, redemption, and salvation to its member. Ultimately, these mysterious writings are a time machine that can transport us back to the ancient world, deepen our appreciation of Scripture, and strengthen our understanding of the Christian faith. “An accessible introduction . . . This is a handy entry point for readers unfamiliar with Essenes or those interested in the Dead Sea Scrolls.”—Publishers Weekly

"A passionate quest for the historical James refigures Christian origins, … can be enjoyed as a thrilling essay in historical detection." —The Guardian James was a vegetarian, wore only linen clothing, bathed daily at dawn in cold water, and was a life-long Nazirite. In this profound and provocative work of scholarly detection, eminent biblical scholar Robert Eisenman introduces a startling theory about the identity of James—the brother of Jesus, who was almost entirely marginalized in the New Testament.Drawing on long-overlooked early Church texts and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Eisenman reveals in this groundbreaking exploration that James, not Peter, was the real successor to the movement we now call "Christianity." In an argument with enormous implications, Eisenman identifies Paul as deeply compromised by Roman contacts. James is presented as not simply the leader of Christianity of his day, but the popular Jewish leader of his time, whose death triggered the Uprising against Rome—a fact that creative rewriting of early Church documents has obscured. Eisenman reveals that characters such as "Judas Iscariot" and "the Apostle James" did not exist as such. In delineating the deliberate falsifications in New Testament dcouments, Eisenman shows how—as James was written out—anti-Semitism was written in. By rescuing James from the oblivion into which he was cast, the final conclusion of James the Brother of Jesus is, in the words of The Jerusalem Post, "apocalyptic" —who and whatever James was, so was Jesus.

In the latest volume of the distinguished Anchor Bible Reference Library, the author of Jesus Within Judaism explains why the Dead Sea Scrolls have been called the greatest archaeological find of the millennium and how they have revolutionized our understanding of Jesus of Nazareth. Photographs and drawings.

Jesus never wrote a book. Most scholars assume that information about Jesus was preserved only orally up until the writing of the Gospels, allowing ample time for the stories of Jesus to grow and diversify. Alan Millard here argues that written reports about Jesus could have been made during his lifetime and that some among his audiences and followers may very well have kept notes, first-hand documents that the Evangelists could weave into their narratives.

In this follow-up to his blockbuster biblical studies, world-renowned scholar Eisenman not only gives a full examination of James' relationship to the Dead Sea Scrolls, he also reveals the true history of Palestine in the first century and the real "Jesus" of that time. It's a work of intriguing speculative history, complete with a conspiracy theory as compelling as any thriller.

How a Simple Act of Obedience Is Igniting Revival in Our Nation's Schools What happens when a teenage convert from atheism hears a challenge from the Lord--and decides to act on it? This true story is the catalyst for a move of God that is taking the high schools of America for Jesus. Brian Barcelona, a dynamic leader on the forefront of youth evangelism, recounts how he answered God's call on his life with dramatic and miraculous results. Just a few months out of high school, Brian obeyed God's directive to return to his alma mater and preach the gospel to the kids in the Bible club. Suddenly lives began to be changed. Hearts were saved. Numbers grew. Soon other schools joined in, sparking a youth revival in which thousands of teens are letting Jesus heal their lives. This remarkable story will inspire you to reach out to others, particularly young people, and believe that God will equip you for the call he gives you. Let your heart be energized through simple acts of obedience and watch as God does mighty things!