Synopses & Reviews
In
The First Messiah renowned Dead Sea Scrolls scholar Michael O. Wise brings to light the life of Judah, a forgotten prophet who predated Jesus as a messianic figure by a century and has had a profound impact on the course of Christianity and Western civilization.
Although Judah, known in the Dead Sea Scrolls as the Teacher of Righteousness, preached a message distinctly different from that of Jesus, the parallels between their lives are striking. Sharing with his successor a strong foundation in earlier written revelation, Judah came to believe--through meditation on Holly Writ--that he brought a divine message from God; like Christ, Judah's claims to messianic status led to his arrest and condemnation. Judah's warnings of Jewish apostasy and his apocalyptic prophecies, combined with powerful personal charisma, also built a movement that survived his death and even grew into an institution comprising bishops, priests, and laity.
Unlike Jesus, Judah left behind a personal testament, in his own words, of his relationship with God. By analyzing the Thanksgiving Hymns discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls, Wise uncovers the basis of a groundbreaking understanding of the prophetic mind. In so doing, Wise deepens our understanding of Christ, his impact on the Jewish community of his time, and even his interpretation of his own messianic role.
The parallels between Judah and Jesus blaze forth in sharp relief:
- Both declared themselves prophets.
- Both were hailed by followers as He Who Is to Come and worked attendant wonders.
- Both founded vital and long-lasting movements before leaving this world.
In all these things, Judah was first, anticipating the far more famous prophet from Galilee. How can these similarities be explained?
A century before Christ, a man came to Jerusalem who became known as the Teacher of Righteousness. In The First Messiah, distinguished Dead Sea Scrolls scholar Michael O. Wise provides a detailed examination of Judah, a figure whose life and prophecies helped lay the foundation for the acceptance of Jesus as the savior. Drawing on ancient texts as well as contemporary anthropological thought, Wise reveals compelling parallels between early prophets such as Judah and Jesus, and messianic figures who have emerged through the ages to the current day in cultures around the world.
Review
andldquo;This vivid and dynamic picture of how and by whom written language was employed in ancient Judaean society is a rare achievement. It will be the gold standard on these subjects for a significant time to come.andrdquo;andmdash;Steven D. Fraade, Yale University
Review
andldquo;In this fascinating book, Michael Wise takes us on a remarkable journey through the languages and literatures of Judea in the second century.andnbsp; Scholars are deeply in Wiseandrsquo;s debt for untangling many complex linguistic and historical issues in this vivid and readable volume.andrdquo;andmdash;Edward M. Cook,andnbsp;Catholic University of America
Review
andldquo;Michael Wise has done us an immense service by examining the written effects that the Judeans left in caves of refuge as they hid from the Roman army during the first and second Jewish revolts with an eye to language and literacy. This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in the vernacular andandnbsp;literature of Judea in the 200 years from Pompey to Hadrian.andrdquo;andmdash;Martin Abegg, Jr., Trinity Western University
Review
andquot;An outspoken expert in the world of Judea and Rome, their languages, cultures and texts, Michael Wise offers a well-documented and masterly analysis of the milieu and languages of the Bar-Kochba texts as an exponent of literacy in Judea.andquot;andmdash;Emanuel Tov, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Review
andquot;In this marvelous and sensitive study, Wise examines the uses of language, script, and writing to explore literacy, class, cultural identity, the transmission of ideas, and the place and power of books in Roman Judaea.andquot;andmdash;Andrea M. Berlin, Boston University
Synopsis
This comprehensive exploration of language and literacy in the multi-lingual environment of Roman Palestine (c. 63 B.C.E. to 136 C.E.) is based on Michael Wiseandrsquo;s extensive study of 145 Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Nabataean contracts and letters preserved among the Bar Kokhba texts, a valuable cache of ancient Middle Eastern artifacts. His investigation of Judean documentary and epistolary culture derives for the first time numerical data concerning literacy rates, language choices, and writing fluency during the two-century span between Pompeyandrsquo;s conquest and Hadrianandrsquo;s rule. He explores questions of who could read in these ancient times of Jesus and Hillel, what they read, and how language worked in this complex multi-tongued milieu. Included also is an analysis of the ways these documents were written and the interplay among authors, secretaries, and scribes. Additional analysis provides readers with a detailed picture of the people, families, and lives behind the texts.
About the Author
Michael Wise, who is among the foremost young scholars translating the Scrolls today, has been profiled in Time, The New York Times, and the Chicago Tribune. He is Scholar-in-Residence and Professor of Ancient Languages at Northwestern College, St. Paul, Minnesota.