Mailbox Monday ~ Zealot

Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth ~ by Reza Aslan, 2013, biography

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.  Scores of Jewish prophets, preachers, and would-be messiahs wandered through the Holy Land, bearing messages from God.  This was the age of zealotry — a fervent nationalism that made resistance to the Roman occupation a sacred duty incumbent on all Jews.  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.

Click here for a 27-minute video interview with Reza Aslan, along with a long excerpt — the entire nine pages of the book's Introduction.

This book arrived in my mail a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't mentioned it yet here on the blog.  Mailbox Monday is a place for readers to share the books that arrived in the past week and explore other book blogs.  Different bloggers host the meme each month, and Yolanda @ Notorious Spinks Talks is our September host.  The monthly tour schedule is on the right sidebar of Mailbox Monday.