Zealot
The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
by Reza Aslan, Dr Mounir Moussa, Dr Hoda Abbas Moussa, Mr Ashraf Killany · first published 2013
91% recommend9% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Accessible historical account of Jesus of Nazareth that places him in his Roman and Jewish context and separates what can be established from the biblical narrative; suited to readers wanting background without jargon.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Two thousand years ago, an itinerant Jewish preacher walked across the Galilee gathering followers to establish the "Kingdom of God." He was tortured and executed as a state criminal. Within decades, his followers would call him 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.
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I'm currently reading Zealot by Reza Aslan, which doesn't really debate whether or not there was a historical Jesus, but discusses the differences in fact vs the bible. I highly recommend it.
on “What did Jesus really look like? (2015)” ↗I just finished reading Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan and found it quite fascinating.
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?” ↗…https://www.amazon.com/Rubicon-Tom-Holland/dp/1400078970 Christopher Browning, Ordinary Germans Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution - https://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Men-Reserve-Battalion-Soluti... Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth https://www.amazon.com/Zealot-Life-Times-Jesus-Nazareth/dp/0... The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates - https://www.amazon.com/Poison-King-Legend-Mithradates-Deadli...…
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite history books?” ↗I really enjoyed this book on the topic: “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth is a book by Iranian-American writer and scholar Reza Aslan. It is a historical account of the life of Jesus and analyzes the various religious perspectives on…
on “What did Jesus really look like? (2015)” ↗…existed, and if there was any doubt they would have definitely smeared James as having made up his imaginary brother. But none of them did. If anyone is interested in this question btw, Reza Aslan's Zealot is an approachable book on the historical Jesus, what little we know for certain and the surprising amount we can confidently infer from the available evidence.
on “Someday aliens will land and all will be fine until we explain our calendar” ↗…made me more conscious of myself and my emotions, both of which I find difficult to understand. Some other great ones: The Neurobiology of We - Daniel Siegel (lots of stuff on interdependence here) Zealot - Reza Aslan (a great book detailing the life of the man, Jesus of Nazareth) 1984 - George Orwell (I think very topical) The Field - Lynne McTaggert (some "woo" but thought provoking)
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2013?” ↗This article disappointed me a little. For a deeper dive into this, I got a lot out of "Zealot" by Reza Aslan.
on “What Archaeology Is Telling Us About the Real Jesus” ↗After the Bible & The Quran, Reza Aslan’s “Zealot” (Christianity) & No god but God (Islam) provide some great historical context.
on “Ask HN: What's the Best Book on Religion” ↗A trilogy of books from Reza Aslan: God: A Human History, Zealot, and No god but God. These follow 1) the evolution of human conceptions of God, 2) the historical Jesus, and 3) the historical Muhammad, respectively. They're extremely accessible and have deeply influenced…
on “Ask HN: Any interesting books you have read lately?” ↗Great post! One book that got a lot a press a few years back was Reza Aslan's "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth". It works to establish the historical Roman & Judaical context that Jesus the person would have been operating in. Probably a lot of crossover with the other…
on “Is the Q source the origin of the Gospels?” ↗Is it? My impression is that this is quite common, where "real story" is some reductionistic account of something biblical (e.g., Reza Aslan's "Zealot").
on “Robert Boyle's Experimental Proof of the Possibility of the Resurrection” ↗