And few figures better exemplified this principle than the charismatic Galilean who defied both the imperial authorities and their allies in the Jewish religious hierarchy.īalancing the Jesus of the Gospels against the historical sources, Aslan describes a man full of conviction and passion, yet rife with contradiction a man of peace who exhorted his followers to arm themselves with swords an exorcist and faith healer who urged his disciples to keep his identity a secret and ultimately the seditious 'King of the Jews' whose promise of liberation from Rome went unfulfilled in his brief lifetime. This was the age of zealotry - a fervent nationalism that made resistance to the Roman occupation a sacred duty incumbent on all Jews. Scores of Jewish prophets, preachers, and would-be messiahs wandered through the Holy Land, bearing messages from God. Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history's most influential and enigmatic characters by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived: first-century Palestine, an age awash in apocalyptic fervor. Within decades after his shameful death, his followers would call him God. Two thousand years ago, an itinerant Jewish preacher and miracle worker walked across the Galilee, gathering followers to establish what he called the 'Kingdom of God.' The revolutionary movement he launched was so threatening to the established order that he was captured, tortured, and executed as a state criminal. This made Jesus, the man, a martyr.From the internationally bestselling author of No god but God comes a fascinating, provocative, and meticulously researched biography that challenges long-held assumptions about the man we know as Jesus of Nazareth. And what he believed in was equality, humility, and compassion.

This book was about a man of unimaginable resolve and nobility. He risked death for what he believed in, not only to protect his character, but specifically for the principalities he represented. This indicated at the very least, that he was a man of morality. But he was stoic until the end – admirable. This is what the corrupt often do to the innocent. This increased the pressure, as it always does, on him and he was made a mockery. However, the following he amassed signified a desire for a change in government and in governance. To the current government it seems as if Jesus wanted to eventually overthrow the current power and we know that wasn’t the goal. What Jesus preached was for the people, yet like many governments today, the concern was more about who could or would wield power than the well-being of the people being governed.

Zealot by reza aslan summary