Morton Smith seems to spark controversy at every turn, yet his stature as one of the most erudite scholars of the 20th century is undeniable. Curiously, the controversy surrounding "Jesus the Magician" was as much that Smith suggested that Jesus really did perform acts understood to be miraculous, as that he suggested that Jesus fit into the ancient type 'magician.' I've read this little book two or three times. It's a great example of a top scholar presenting a fascinating thesis to an educated lay readership in an engrossing and understandable way. Highly recommended. It'll give you a new perspective on Jesus and the world he lived in. (Get it from interlibrary loan.)

There are almost as many views of the historical Jesus as there are authors of books about the topic. After awhile many of them they tend to blend into one homogeneous view; one that acknowledges that indeed he was a Jew, and a reformer, and a healer, etc. The debate is still out on his Zealot propensities, but apart from that, the field seems so bland. But read this 1978 book by Morton Smith and you will discover a Jesus not dreamt of by Smith's contemporaries, nor by anyone since. Smith goes through the gospels and the ancient texts to demonstrate that underneath everything else, Jesus was primarily a magician. No, not the David Copperfield type, but a true magician whose powers came from his divine spark. Smith's analysis of the ancient evidence is masterful, and his case is very convincing. No matter what your position is on the historical Jesus, you need to read Smith's perspective.

There are almost as many views of the historical Jesus as there are authors of books about the topic. After awhile many of them they tend to blend into one homogeneous view; one that acknowledges that indeed he was a Jew, and a reformer, and a healer, etc. The debate is still out on his Zealot propensities, but apart from that, the field seems so bland. But read this 1978 book by Morton Smith and you will discover a Jesus not dreamt of by Smith's contemporaries, nor by anyone since. Smith goes through the gospels and the ancient texts to demonstrate that underneath everything else, Jesus was primarily a magician. No, not the David Copperfield type, but a true magician whose powers came from his divine spark. Smith's analysis of the ancient evidence is masterful, and his case is very convincing. No matter what your position is on the historical Jesus, you need to read Smith's perspective.