This lecture is one of the best ones on this subject. I've never heard this interpretation of what the Bible has Jesus doing and saying. I always assumed that his actions and sayings where added later as part of the myth making process. But, listening to your lecture, I can really see this happening. You make perfect sense when you point out that people reading themselves into texts is something that happened even before Jesus, happens in our times, and will continue to happen. Why would it be different for Jesus? Very enlightening, Dr. Tabor!

Thanks, Dr. Tabor. I found you via MythVision awhile ago, and really enjoy listening to you. Thanks, also, for sharing your scholarship and unique perspectives with all of us, without the trouble of that pesky tuition. Cheers!

Great lecture, I loved it. Just clarifying a small detail: I have studied the history and doctrine of the Seven-Day Adventist Church (among others) and they have Never set a time for the "second coming of the Christ". On the contrary, they hold to passages like: a-"Nobody knows the day and the hour, not even the angels". b-"He will come like a thieve in the night when nobody is expecting". c-"He delays his coming so more can be saved"(...). Several groups (like the Davidians and others) that have Split from Main Core Adventism, or the Millerites (a movement predating the SDA church) had set such dates, but in all justice, that has Never Been the Doctrine of the SDA church. They Do believe that: 1-The Christ will come again (nobody knows when, but apparently sooner than later). 2-There will be Signs before His coming: 2.1-Cataclysms, Signs in the Heavens, and Certain Plagues (like in Egypt) will ravage the earth. 2.2-There will be Huge Advancements in the Scientific Field. 2.3-A gradual Demoralization of the Nations (people will call "Bad Things as Good" and vice-versa). 2.4-The State and the Church will Ally in Power to Control the World, and this will start in the USA. 2.5-The Sunday will be Established and Imposed as the "Sacred Day of Adoration": the following Prosecution of Non-Complaints will be fierce. 2.6-Almost everybody will have lost faith in the "Second-Coming" of Christ. 2.7-Then, suddenly, the "End" will come as prophesized: "Jesus will Come in the Clouds of the Heavens to Redeem his People". *** I know that this was Not the theme of this wonderful lecture and that Dr. Tabor just broadly summarized SDAs, Mormons, and JWs' scatological views. Just humbly pointing out my view here.

I love you, brother, and now that Michael Heiser is gone, you are my sort of "go to" guy on deciphering the Gospel....and that said, the thing that really baffles me, is how so many miss the obvious allusion to the "Fall" in the garden , pasted right there for those "with eyes that truly see" on your laptop lid, and how can that be? I wonder... Well, in any case, God bless you for your heart, to continue the very important work that you do, for yourself, for all, and also, for the select few which He has not only sent, but brought here Himself, too... so we may gauge how understanding, and discernment, is proceeding here, as His Will continues to unfold. God bless.

What’s funny is that Tabor is drawing me to Christianity more than any preacher ever has, despite his deconstruction of its origins. In the end, it becomes *the beautiful idea*. An idea given shape over generations by the workings of many minds and motivations. One is left to wonder if the crucial question concerns whether it actually happened.

Brilliant! I’ve been a fan of yours since I first saw you in the documentary “Waco: The Rules of Engagement”.

It's interesting to think of the possibility that there was a man, the Jesus who James, Peter, and John knew, with a Messiah Complex. But he would have thought he was the Logos. The dude was familiar with the teachings of Hillel. Lived in Egypt as a young man and learned about Serapis. Probably became a Jewish Gnostic. Yeah, read himself into the Tanach, as well as every religion and philosophy he was exposed to. Then, Paul latches on to his legacy. The gospels are written mid second to third century as additional scripture. Funny to think of a Jesus who succeeded in becoming Jesus!

How very confused. - The Gospel of Jesus was originally one book, written by Lazarus in consultation with the Apostles [John 21:24] and published soon after Jesus left them on their own. The religion was hijacked by Rome, the Gospel was broken up scrambled adulterated into a bunch of competing narratives. Later four of those adulterated gospels were canonized with falsely ascribed authorship and a Gnosticism cover-story. It was the finding of an original Gospel of Jesus scroll in Jerusalem that gained the Knights Templar power over the Church and their eventual undoing when the church finally retaliated against them.

Looking forward to this

Mate I ❤your work

Jesus referred to himself as the ''Son of Man'' - found 82 times in the NT. Ezekiel is called ''Son of Man'' - 93 times in the OT. There are many parallels between Ezekiel, The Son of Man, and Jesus, the Son of Man. I think Jesus studied Ezekiel very closely.

There is SIMULTANEOUS TRUTH to all these perspectives. The time is NOW. 🕊

Very nice. In 1999 while still new to critical scholarship of Jesus and the Bible and Christianity I stumbled on Michael Wise ‘First Messiah’ while browsing the bookstore and just sat down and read it there. I thought it was interesting, but don’t think I’ve heard anything about it since until now. My own mental image of Jesus has become more clear, but is always subject to tweaks. The key to Jesus is likely lost to history, but seems to be the Baptizer, and the 5-10 years of Jesus and John before their public roles. I’ve long thought that either John or Jesus one or both may have spent time with the Qumran community, and that it was John who first saw Jesus as the end-times apocalyptic Messiah and was the one who convinced Jesus. Very nice video, thanks. Crossan (and Spong) in the 90’s was my introduction to Jesus scholarship and I still like them and others but wish I’d known Tabor back then and since, too.

Just waiting for ears that can hear.

I agree with Dr. Tabor. I also suspect Jesus had a photographic memory and could act accordingly.

Could there be an argument that Teacher of Righteousness, John the Baptizer and Jesus the Nazarene form that trifecta with ToR being the Profit and the later two being the dual Messiahs? I know that clearly isn’t how he saw himself, but the movement he was the first leader of CLEARLY heavily influences John B. and Jesus N. I do understand that shared influence can lead to a convergence in thought but the repeated and consistent usage of the same scripture and the same ethos seems really compelling to me, especially with the geographical proximity factored in.

I wonder about the whole "day and hour" of the Second Coming: Nobody knows the day or hour, not even the Son (but only the Father). Think about moisture condensing out of vapor into liquid and forming droplets on the window pane. This occurs when the conditions are right yet no scientist would be able to predict the precise moment that the first droplets form. Only the CONDITIONS surrounding the phenomena can dictate when the day and hour of the droplets forming will be. In a similar way, when the conditions are met fully, then He whom is prophesied will appear. And it is becoming apparent that perhaps these conditions are being fulfilled in the present days.

I love presentation. I'm definitely jealous of MythVision getting to go with you to Israel. Lol

If Jesus read himself into the Scriptures, where did he get them from? Were Scriptures readily available in first century CE Palestine? I would think only the rabbis had them, although his Uncle was a priest (asuming he and John the Baptizer were really cousins, as Luke claims).

In my experience the Biblical Archaeology Society has shown an inherent bias against the authenticity of the Turin Shroud. Therefore, I have to take my first view of any of its theologies with a skeptical eye. With that in mind, I have found many informative articles in BAR

I thought Jesus couldn’t read or write. How could he recognize himself in the OT?

Glory to Yah and to His Son ! Shalom M. Tabor ! I follow your work for many years ! good Job ! Can I suggest something to answer your interrogation... the prophecie inside... Bereshit 15: 8-10 : "And Abram said, "Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it ?" And The Lord God said unto Abram, "Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, "and a turtledove, and a young pigeon"." And Abram took unto him all these, "and divided them in the midst", and laid each piece one against another : "but "THE BIRDS" divided Abram not"." I'd appreciate to talk with you Brother ! Kerebyah

Unfortunately for our friend, Dr. Tabor, the miraculous images of a crucified corpse on the Holy Shroud falsify his "Making of a Messiah" ideas.

I think you miss the point totally dr Tabor. If you assume these texts as being in some historical accounts, you need indeed to assume Jesus did for instance predict his execution. But there is an other option some scholars also take in account. Those scholars have identified the theory of Q as the same source the Didaché points to. That is that those Gospels are a catechesis for the proselytes, that describe Jewish liturgical life according the Jewish liturgical calendar of the 1th century AC. So Mark would then start with Jom Kippoer/ Mikwah/ baptism and end with the last supper/ Pesach/ The pesach lamb slaughtered. The first time i saw this everything made sense like the feast of Chanuka / Jesus on mount Tabor. Jesus in the gospels is an interpretation, not a the historical figure. And as Bishop Spong + did clearly show, Judas is an invention of the Gospels and not a historical figure.

my book also separates the wheat and tares.

James the Just will fulfill the promises that God made to King David. He will be Branch.

So, in effect, Jesus and the Teacher of Righteousness, and others, made the same mistake that the later Christians are accused of making, adapting scripture prophecy to their own ends. If you are of a certain mind, it seems that it would be fairly easy to read virtually anything in the Bible and say: "Hey! That's me! Wonderful! I always knew I was something special!" David Koresh was the first person I thought of... does this qualify as a delusion of reference?

Leeland Jones explains how the rosebuds on the menorah are related to moons and eclipses with clear predictions. Click below.

to believe that Jesus had to be a blood ritual human sacrifice, and believe that sacrifice was necessary for the christian god to forgive you of your sins, is evil, and these weirdo people are in their hearts murderers, and are the very people going to hell, not the rest of us who live normal lives.

The spirit is poured out upon your head and runs down your body like oil.

clouds is a metaphorical word describing God's people. You will love my videos!

You lost me when using Yahweh, YHVH know as Yahavah by some scholars as Hashem hasn't revealed it to man as Musa who saw his backside. I see you use Jesus instead of his name know in his times for he only spoke using the Aramaic ? Mashiach is a thought that we need to become as Mashiach.

I, the Messiah, son of Joseph/Ephraim would tend to agree with you James! Reading in myself after first being led by the spirit so proving my sonship. When the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead led me to keep the words of the prophecies of the book on Sept. 30th 2008. 7 times 390 years after 721 BC the dispersion of the Israelites of the northern kingdom. Then eventually I find the Birth days of me agtrrs with the 364 day calendar. 153rd day of the year every year is my birthdate. Shavuot What year? Who Moses said sent him. H- 1961 . Name Antichrist, Prince William had deadly head wound on my 30th birthday June 3rd 1991. William is a Clone of. Jesus Christ. Mouth of Lion, body of leopard, feet of bear, Serves the red dragon. Gave a 70 year old Woman a baby in her womb with my word in tongues, babbling lips stammering tongue. Before the labor pains came she had an abortion. Her spirit is that of Eve. Jewish widow born 1947. Batmitzvah at 12 on Passover chanting 33 Hebrew prayers out of the Torah. James Tabor was Thomas Jefferson and Paul Rabbi Gabliel. Spelling? I. Elijah, angel of the covenant, hidden servant. Overcomer of Rev. Rider in Rev. 19. I have the resume and Satan will die like a man. All the saints are here again. All the kings of the Earth have been brought up also. Yo be cut off root and branch and soon.

Jesus “read scriptures”? Was he literate?

The making of a "messiah" is the making of a LIAR! The Lord CANNOT be Man BUT Man CAN be BORG! NANNO NANNO!!🥺😎

🕊I HAD A TEST MUCH AS ABRAHAM. I WILL SAY GOD “A VOICE IN MY HEAD” ASK COULD I CRY FOR MY SAVIOR YASHUA”JESUS”DYING ON THE CROSS FOR ME ? I STARTED TRYING WAS AT THE LEVEL OF ON N MY KNEES YELLING AND COULD NOT. SO I HAD A COFFEE TABLE THAT HAD A DISASSEMBLED LEG. PREVIOUS TO THIS I THOUGHT THE LEG LOOKED LIKE A GOATS. HOWEVER I STARTED HITTING MYSELF WITH IT ARMS,LEGS,HEAD SIDE OF MY BODY AS I BELIEVE I CRACKED A RIB. I STILL COULD NOT CRY. SO I HAVE A INDIAN RELIC SIGN AROUND THREE FOOT LONG WITH A IRON ROD.THE END WAS DULL SO I TOOK IT TO THE GARAGE THEN GOT OUT MY GRINDER TO SHARPEN THE ROD SO I COULD JAMB INTO MY FOOT ! THIS IS WHEN GOD SAID STOP. ✝️🌹🕊GOD BLESS

sort of really funny... his computer logo is an apple with a bite out of it? lol

Whats coming Is the Bride.

He's been here from the beginning through Eve. How else could Yeshua be her seed.

There have been a number of failed messiahs who are barely remembered and probably a number totally forgotten. Is it possible that Jesus' ultimate success is because a leading core of his followers located in Jerusalem and in a way challenged the temple? This attracted opposition, criticism and persecution with one of the persecutors being Paul? Paul, being an international traveller and Roman citizen, had a bigger vision. Had Jesus' followers imply returned to Galilee, I think he would be barely remembered. Jesus took his message to the religious capital of his religion, thus establishing a powerful focal point. In a sacrilegious comparison, the self-styled counterculture 'messiah', Charles Manson, and his followers, did their deeds in a huge, romanticized city and they interacted with and ultimately killed prominent people. If Manson and his family were an offshoot of a snake handling cult in a southern backwoods who killed local dignitaries, they would be nothing more than a macabre joke in the annals of true crime. Because so many aspects of the crimes garnered international news space, there are some today who still emulate Manson. It is said there is even a white supremacist political party named for him. In this case, the news coverage did in a short time, what Paul did over many years. The way I feel God mostly works in my life is with timing of events. There can be good ideas but if the time is not right, nothing will be accomplished. Jesus came at a perfect time for his vision to become reality and to be perpetuated through millennia.

Jesus is not COMING but he is RISING IN US but when and how? The when is our appointed HOUR, our appointed visitation (Jewish feast days that are REAL ONCE IN A LIFE TIME EVENTS in every soul) and HOW? Well Jesus explains, if you DENY your life for his sake, you will find it but if you choose your life, (EGO which you think you are) you will lose it: every word in the Bible is about a part of us: Paul (little) is the part of us that experiences Messiah (Jesus): So the ANOINTING IN US is Gods blood and the part that receives it is the MAN who God is making in his image and likeness which is a spiritual MAN, Adam resurrected, the LAST ADAM: Jesus is a name for the INNER SPIRITUAL MAN of one's heart: He is not a PERSON, but "MAN" (Adam) who is ONE as God is ONE force dispersed into MANY: Jesus is the name of the heart that has GIVEN BIRTH to the anointing which is in everyone but it must "RISE" and it only rises when people stop using it for 'self' and evil. The anointing rises by the right brain (left hand, receptive side) and cuts off the FOCUS of the right hand/left brain (learned knowledge-Satan/evil inclination) so the person can become MAN, the image and likeness of God, the FORCE OF NATURE that is "FORMING" MAN within creation. So Man is not made by the culture or by religion but by the DENIAL OF SELFISHNESS and that is the ONLY WAY the anointing rises because it is presently being used for the sexual force that brings physical life into the world. If you want to bring spiritual life into the world, you deny self and the OIL, the ANOINTING RISES through the heart first (this is the birth of Messiah) and circumcision of the heart making it a JEW: Then it goes UP to the place of the SKULL with even more self denial, following this MAN CHILD up the SPINE (Aaron's rod-serpent lifted up) to bring the ANOINTING to the whole brain and this changes consciousness forever. When this happens, you KNOW JESUS and you are King David. So its up to you all: DENY your right to be right and really understand there is ONE GOD and he is the LOVE IN ALL or in nobody. Jesus is a Greek name for the MAN God is FORMING IN YOUR HEART and MIND (new covenant): If Jesus is not being FORMED into the FULL STATURE of the INNER MAN of your heart, the ISHYOWN (apple of Hashem's eye) then you do not KNOW him, but believe in him only:

What was the chance that Jesus knew how to read?

🕊THERE IS MORE TO THIS PART OF MY PROFICIENCY. HOWEVER. I WAS NOT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. I WAS SITTING AT MY DINING TABLE DOING WRITING FROM REVELATION. I BECAME FRUSTRATED. I TOLD GOD JUST TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE MY LIFE I NO SOONER FELT FAINT. THEN PICKED MY SELF UP FROM THE FLOOR WITH BLOOD 🩸 RUNNING DOWN MY FACE. I KNEW THEIR WAS A HIGHER POWER OVER ME ! 🕊GOD BLESS

Funny, I found me in scripture because my book Redeems true Israel.

You see when you want to argue fact about history, you have to provide evidence and fact which have references from the same timeline or place and one evidence is not enough to criticize Bible with multiple evidence, you can’t just set down and use your own thought to argue history base on your own thought. When your say “or, I think, I don’t know, your thought, your understanding and your own personal view” on historical fact, make every thing about your lecture weak. I was entice by the topic but listening, is not what I expect!!! Ur argument is not legit and it weak.

We read the scriptures and it could be that they are all saying just what they say. Daniel was written 500 years before Christ. Jesus really said what the Gospels report and Revelation will actually come true. It can also be true that God created the universe about 6000 years ago. Light speed is no longer the clock of the universe. So maybe every word is the right one, even the symbolized words are the right words to explain. It's hard to write yourself into the script to be born the King of the Jews. There is a whole Royal Family line that has to come into agreement on that. When the Temple was standing it follows that some enemy will stand in the Holy place to declare themselves god. That is the altimate insult. The US had a White House, the British burned it down. Things just follow. The Bible doesn't talk about DNA, but God did say He makes each person and they are all different and yet human. Science is catching up to the Bible.

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