Geza Vermes - Böcker

During his life Jesus did not view himself as divine, nor did his disciples. In THE CHANGING FACES OF JESUS the great scholar Vermes works back through successively earlier accounts of the life of Christ to finally reveal the true, historical figureof Jesus hidden beneath the Gospels: a Palestinian charismatic convinced he had an essential role to play in bringing about the kingdom of God.

In The Authentic Gospel of Jesus, renowned biblical scholar Geza Vermes distils a lifetime's knowledge to examine every saying attributed to Jesus and return to the true teachings of the man behind the messiah.Who was the real Jesus? What was the original message of the charismatic Jewish healer and moralist who changed the world?There can be no doubt that Jesus, 'a religious genius' as Geza Vermes describes him, lived and taught in Palestine some 2000 years ago. The influence he has had is incalculable. How though can we distinguish between the doctrines shaped to the needs of the burgeoning Christian church and the original views laid out by Jesus himself? How can we dig back through the additions, misinterpretations and confusions of later writers and two millennia of tradition to get back to the authentic gospel of Jesus? In The Authentic Gospel of Jesus, Vermes subjects all the sayings of Jesus to brilliantly informed scrutiny. The result is a book of unique value and novelty -scraping aside the accretions of centuries to come as close as we can hope to be to the true Jesus.'The greatest Jesus scholar of his generation' Sunday Telegraph 'A pleasure to read from cover to cover' Literary Review'One of the most commonsensical, wise books on the Bible ever published. Nobody can fail to be impressed by the magisterial scholarship and knowledge' Daily Express'Vermes has made his fine scholarship wonderfully accessible to the general reader' Karen Armstrong, Sunday Times'A truly fascinating book' Independent on SundayGeza Vermes is director of the Forum for Qumran Research at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. His books, published by Penguin, include The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English, The Story of the Scrolls and The Changing Faces of Jesus as well as the 'Jesus' trilogy: Nativity, Passion and Resurrection.

Geza Vermes, translator and editor of The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls and worldwide expert on the life and times of Jesus, tells the enthralling story of early Christianity and the origins of a religion. The creation of the Christian Church is one of the most important stories in the development of the world's history, yet one of the least understood. With a forensic, brilliant re-examination of all the key surviving texts of early Christianity, Geza Vermes illuminates the origins of a faith and traces the evolution of the figure of Jesus from the man he was - a prophet in the tradition of other Jewish holy men of the Old Testament - to what he came to represent: a mysterious, otherworldly being at the heart of the official state religion of the Roman Empire. Christian Beginnings pulls apart myths and misunderstandings to focus on the true figure of Jesus, and the birth of one of the world's major religions.Reviews:'A beautiful and magisterial book' Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, Guardian'An exciting and challenging port of call, sweeping aside much of the fuzzy thinking and special pleading that bedevils the study of sacred scripture ... courteously expressed and witty' Diarmaid MacCulloch, The Times'A challenging and engaging book that sets out to retrace the route by which a Jewish preacher in 1st-century Israel came to be declared as consubstantial and co-equal with the omnipotent, omniscient only God' Stuart Kelly, Scotsman'A major contribution to our understanding of the historical Jesus' Financial Times'A very accessible and entertaining read' Scotland on Sunday Books of the Year'A magnum opus of early Christian history and one of the year's most significant titles' Bookseller

The Nativity, Passion and Resurrection are the three defining episodes in the life of Jesus, forming the foundations of the Christian tradition. But what is the truth behind these epoch-making events?Geza Vermes is one of the world's most respected bibilical historians. Bringing together his three acclaimed works on the life of Jesus in one volume, this book examines the circumstances surrounding the miraculous birth of Jesus, from the prophetic star to Herod's murderous decree; looks afresh at the arrest, trial and execution of this Jewish charismatic; and finally analyses Jesus' crucifixion and the subsequent sightings of him by his disciples. Drawing on the New Testament, Jewish documents and sources from classical literature and history, these works separate myth from fact to penetrate the deeper meanings of the story of Christ.

'Probably the most important archaeological find in history ... Vermes' translations are a standard in the field' Los Angeles TimesThe discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Judaean desert between 1947 and 1956 was one of the greatest finds of all time. These extraordinary manuscripts appear to have been hidden in the caves at Qumran by the Essenes, a Jewish sect in existence before and during the time of Jesus. Written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, the scrolls have transformed our understanding of the Hebrew Bible, early Judaism and the origins of Christianity. This acclaimed translation by Geza Vermes has established itself as the classic version of these texts. Translated and edited with an Introduction and Notes by Geza Vermes

This volume presents the long-awaited edition of the Cave 4 manuscripts of Serekh Ha-Yahad or The Rule of the Community, in which the Essenes detailed the guidelines for membership in their community. Also known as the Manual of Discipline, a complete scroll was found in Cave 1 at Qumran and this edition illuminates the textual and redactional history of Dead Sea literature. The document is extremely important for understanding the nature, practice, and ideology of the Qumran covenanters.

The Penguin edition of Dr Vermes' The Dead Sea Scrolls in English must now be one of the most widely read books on the Qumran discoveries, containing as it does an attractive translation of the texts and comments on them. This companion volume, unique of its kind, takes a wider view and is the best available account of the background to the Dead Sea Scrolls and the modern discussions of their interpretation.Dr Vermes treats the finds in the Judaean desert, the authenticity and dating of the scrolls, the Qumran library, the life and institutions of the sects, the identification of the Qumran community, the group's history, its religious ideas and ideals, and the impact of the scrolls on biblical studies. The ample bibliographical material, updated for this edition, and the suggestions for reading specific texts help to make this a marvellous guidebook.`Brings us up to date on the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls, taking its place at the head of the line of introductions to the subject ... Students will be grateful for the interesting way in which issues are laid forth, a classic of elegant exposition of scholarly problems' (Jacob Neusner, in Journal of the American Academy of Religion).'Although the spate of publications on the Dead Sea Scrolls has been unending, there have been few works which one could unhesitatingly recommend as providing a comprehensive and reliable guide to their significance ... Dr Geza Vermes, who has been actively engaged in the study of the Scrolls since their discovery and is already well-known for his excellent translation of them, has admirably met this need in his The Dead Sea Scrolls. Qumran in Perspective. The volume is written at the level of the educated non-specialist, and the text is uncluttered by footnotes. But the author has appended to each chapter a series of notes and a selective bibliography which will be of considerable value to the serious student and the professional scholar by directing him instantly to the most important works on each of the subjects covered' (Michael Knibb in The Expository Times).

These studies develop further the investigation carried out in Dr Vermes' books Jesus the Jew and The Dead Sea Scrolls and shed light on many important and controversial issues from that period. Subjects include the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls for Jewish studies and New Testament studies; the relationship of Jewish studies to the interpretation of the New Testament; and Jesus' understanding of himself. In particular, this volume contains the Riddell Memorial Lectures, 'The Gospel of Jesus the Jew', which represent a continuation of Jesus the Jew. `New Testament scholarship owes an increasing debt to Geza Vermes for opening up perspectives on the understanding of the New Testament in its Jewish context. In this collection of lectures and articles dated between 1974 and 1981 we have a useful student's guide to essential Vermes. The material is mostly intended for a non-specialist audience, and so while it is sometimes inevitably oversimplified, it is more accessible to those who are not at home in the complexities of Jewish scholarship .. . No student of the New Testament should be unaware of Venues' positive contributions to our understanding of the world Jesus lived in, and of his challenges to traditional Christian approaches. This collection is a suitable lead-in. You will find it sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating, but generally a salutary challenge to re-examine your historical perspective on Jesus the Jew' (Themelios).

This book completes a trilogy which started in 1973 with Jesus the Jew and continued ten years later with the appearance of Jesus and the World of Judaism, by a leading Jewish expert on the history and literature of Jesus' time whose name is especially associated with work on the Dead Sea Scrolls.Like its predecessors, it is one man's reading of the Synoptic Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke. It does not offer a survey of scholarly views or a discussion of competing theories but focusses on the New Testament material and what can be understood from it.It is primarily addressed to readers whose expertise lies outside the Bible, the New Testament and theology, namely those interested in ancient religions, history and culture, and especially in Judaism, though of course biblical scholars and theologians will find much that is fascinating in it. Christians ignorant or unconcerned about the historical reality behind their faith may, however, find many of its pages, and above all the final chapter, disturbing.For Professor Vermes argues that Jesus, enthusiastic herald of the imminent Kingdom of God, could not have entertained the idea of founding and setting into motion an organized society intended to endure for. ages to come. He died in despair, with his heart broken, for having done the wrong thing in the wrong place at the wrong time.The genuine message of Jesus confronts Christianity with its greatest challenge and at the same time constitutes a powerful appeal to those outside the fold of organized religion.

Geza Vermes is known world-wide as an expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls and for his pioneering work, Jesus the Jew. But in addition to that he is the living embodiment of Jewish-Christian relations in the context of an honest quest for the truth. Few scholars can have had such a colorful and eventful life, the course of which he describes here. Born into a Hungarian Jewish family which later converted to Christianity, he received a Catholic education and was later ordained priest after the turmoil of the War. The quest for membership in a religious order led him to the Sion Fathers, in Louvain and then in Paris, where among other things he was introduced to biblical studies and became fascinated with the newly discovered Dead Sea Scrolls. Subsequent emotional turmoil from conflicting pressures made him ill, but a series of Providential Accidents" which gave this book its title brought him to England, marriage and a new fulfilled life, first in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and then in Oxford, and to a public re-assertian,of his Jewishness. As well as telling a fascinating personal story, this book also provides a vivid insider's account of developments in Scrolls research and of the lengthy battle with procrastinating editors over the "academic scandal of the century."These memoirs shed much light on the deep personal friendships and antagonisms and the complex, non-scholarly factors which accompany even committed study of the Bible, Qumran, and the Gospels.

Geza Vermes has been associated with the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls from the very beginning, and his translation of them, now published in this volume, is regarded as a classic.

In this, Geza Vermes' best known book, there emerges perhaps the closest portrayal that we have of a genuinely historical Jesus. Freed from the weight and onus of Christian doctrine or Jewish animus, Jesus here appears as a vividly human, yet profoundly misunderstood, figure, thoroughly grounded and contextualised within the extraordinary intellectual and cultural cross currents of his day. Jesus the Jew is a remarkable portrait by a brilliant scholar writing at the height of his powers, informed by insights from the New Testament, Jewish literature, and the Dead Sea Scrolls alike.

Written by Geza Vermes, one of Jewish studies' leading figures, this text acts as a useful introduction for undergraduate students studying historical Jesus modules. New material covered by the book includes: the Jesus Notice of Josephus re-examined; a summary of the law by Flavius Josephus; Josephus' treatment of the Book of Daniel; new light on the "Binding of Isaac" from Qumran; and the Dead Sea Scrolls 50 years on.

Geza Vermes is the greatest living Jesus scholar. In this collection of occasional pieces, he explores the world and the context in which Jesus of Nazareth lived and tells the story of the exploration of first-century Palestine by twentieth-century scholars.Informed by the work of a world-class scholar, the articles in this book open to the general reader the findings of some of the major discoveries of the twentieth century such as the Dead Sea Scrolls.This collection of shorter popular pieces, many of which appeared in The Times and other newspapers, makes Vermes' research on Christian origins, the Dead Sea Scrolls and most importantly Jesus the Jew accessible to a wider readership.

In this, Geza Vermes' best known book, there emerges perhaps the closest portrayal that we have of a genuinely historical Jesus. Freed from the weight and onus of Christian doctrine or Jewish animus, Jesus here appears as a vividly human, yet profoundly misunderstood, figure, thoroughly grounded and contextualised within the extraordinary intellectual and cultural cross currents of his day. Jesus the Jew is a remarkable portrait by a brilliant scholar writing at the height of his powers, informed by insights from the New Testament, Jewish literature, and the Dead Sea Scrolls alike.

Critical presentation of the whole evidence concerning Jewish history, institutions, and literature from 175 BC to AD 135; with updated bibliographies.

Emil Schürer's Geschichte des judischen Volkes im Zeitalter Jesu Christi, originally published in German between 1874 and 1909 and in English between 1885 and 1891, is a critical presentation of Jewish history, institutions, and literature from 175 B.C. to A.D. 135. It has rendered invaluable services to scholars for nearly a century.The present work offers a fresh translation and a revision of the entire subject-matter. The bibliographies have been rejuvenated and supplemented; the sources are presented according to the latest scholarly editions; and all the new archaeological, epigraphical, numismatic and literary evidence, including the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bar Kokhba documents, has been introduced into the survey. Account has also been taken of the progress in historical research, both in the classical and Jewish fields. This work reminds students of the profound debt owed to nineteenth-century learning, setting it within a wider framework of contemporary knowledge, and provides a foundation on which future historians of Judaism in the age of Jesus may build.

Written by one of the world's leading authorities on the Dead Sea Scrolls, these groundbreaking essays explore the significance of the scrolls for our understanding of the New Testament and Christian Origins. Updated in the light of the most recent scrolls research these essays offer an overview of Dead Sea Scrolls research, ranging from an examination of 'The Essenes in History' to a study of 'Biblical Proof-Texts in Qmran Literature' Volume 56 in the Library of Second Temple Studies

Critical presentation of the whole evidence concerning Jewish history, institutions, and literature from 175 BC to AD 135; with updated bibliographies.

Emil Schürer's Geschichte des judischen Volkes im Zeitalter Jesu Christi, originally published in German between 1874 and 1909 and in English between 1885 and 1891, is a critical presentation of Jewish history, institutions, and literature from 175 B.C. to A.D. 135. It has rendered invaluable services to scholars for nearly a century.The present work offers a fresh translation and a revision of the entire subject-matter. The bibliographies have been rejuvenated and supplemented; the sources are presented according to the latest scholarly editions; and all the new archaeological, epigraphical, numismatic and literary evidence, including the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bar Kokhba documents, has been introduced into the survey. Account has also been taken of the progress in historical research, both in the classical and Jewish fields. This work reminds students of the profound debt owed to nineteenth-century learning, setting it within a wider framework of contemporary knowledge, and provides a foundation on which future historians of Judaism in the age of Jesus may build.

Emil Schürer's Geschichte des judischen Volkes im Zeitalter Jesu Christi, originally published in German between 1874 and 1909 and in English between 1885 and 1891, is a critical presentation of Jewish history, institutions, and literature from 175 B.C. to A.D. 135. It has rendered invaluable services to scholars for nearly a century. The present work offers a fresh translation and a revision of the entire subject-matter. The bibliographies have been rejuvenated and supplemented; the sources are presented according to the latest scholarly editions; and all the new archaeological, epigraphical, numismatic and literary evidence, including the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bar Kokhba documents, has been introduced into the survey. Account has also been taken of the progress in historical research, both in the classical and Jewish fields. This work reminds students of the profound debt owed to nineteenth-century learning, setting it within a wider framework of contemporary knowledge, and provides a foundation on which future historians of Judaism in the age of Jesus may build.

Emil Schürer's Geschichte des judischen Volkes im Zeitalter Jesu Christi, originally published in German between 1874 and 1909 and in English between 1885 and 1891, is a critical presentation of Jewish history, institutions, and literature from 175 B.C. to A.D. 135. It has rendered invaluable services to scholars for nearly a century.The present work offers a fresh translation and a revision of the entire subject-matter. The bibliographies have been rejuvenated and supplemented; the sources are presented according to the latest scholarly editions; and all the new archaeological, epigraphical, numismatic and literary evidence, including the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bar Kokhba documents, has been introduced into the survey. Account has also been taken of the progress in historical research, both in the classical and Jewish fields. This work reminds students of the profound debt owed to nineteenth-century learning, setting it within a wider framework of contemporary knowledge, and provides a foundation on which future historians of Judaism in the age of Jesus may build.

Geza Vermes is known world-wide as an expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls and for his pioneering work, Jesus the Jew. But in addition to that he is the living embodiment of Jewish-Christian relations in the context of an honest quest for the truth. Few scholars have had such a colorful and eventful life, the course of which he describes here.Born into a Hungarian Jewish family which later converted to Christianity, he received a Catholic education and was later ordained priest after the turmoil of the War. The quest for membership in a religious order led him to the Sion Fathers, in Louvain and then in Paris, where among other things he was introduced to biblical studies and became fascinated with the newly discovered Dead Sea Scrolls. Subsequent emotional turmoil from conflicting pressures made him ill , but a series of "Providential Accidents" which gave this book its title brought him to England, marriage, and a new fulfilled life, first in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and then in Oxford, and to a public reassertian of his Jewishness.As well as telling a fascinating personal story, this book provides a vivid insider's account of developments in Scrolls research and of the lengthy battle with procrastinating editors over the "academic scandal of the century." These memoirs shed much light on the deep personal friendships and antagonisms and the complex, non-scholarly factors which accompany even committed study of the Bible, Qumran, and the Gospels.