Overview

“A great leap forward in understanding and contextualizing Mary’s life, after two millennia of her being dismissed and rewritten by patriarchal power structures.” James Cameron “Tabor restores her voice, her faith, her motherhood, and, most of all, her humanity, in this groundbreaking portrait that challenges everything we thought we knew about the origins of Christianity.” – Reza Aslan A world-renowned historian of early Christianity and ancient Judaism lifts the veil on the life of Mary – revealing her revolutionary role as the matriarch of the Jesus movement. Mary, mother of Jesus, is the best known – and least known – woman in history. Revered and worshipped by millions, she remains a figment of the imagination, the ethereal subject of Raphaels and Botticellis, bathed in heavenly light, too virginal and too pure to move among us. But what about the real Mary? In The Lost Mary, James D. Tabor corrects the record, laying out the results of his intensive textual and archaeological sleuthing over the past three decades, including new evidence regarding Mary’s genealogy (which may be hiding in plain sight in the New Testament!). Tabor’s quest for the historical Mary offers a transformative perspective on Jesus and his early followers, and recovers the nature and essence of earliest Christianity. “In recovering her story, we discover not only the hidden roots of Christianity but also a model of resilience that speaks across time. Mary, Tabor shows, reminds us that behind every movement are women whose voices have been silenced, whose influence has been hidden in plain sight.” – Candida Moss, National Geographic ""The Lost Mary effects an imaginative repatriation of this ancient and elusive figure, vividly conjuring both her character and the times that she lived in. Tabor’s Mary is ‘lost’ no more.” – Paula Fredriksen, author of When Christians Were Jews: The First Generation

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9780008812096

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Reviews

‘Mary mother of Jesus, perhaps the most poorly-understood person who ever lived, could not find a better modern interpreter than James Tabor, whose life-long training in both archaeology and textual studies has given him the keys to, for the first time, construct a convincing portrayal of this enigmatic figure.’ John Dominic Crossan, author of The Historical Jesus ‘Tabor’s accessible, informed and wide-ranging exploration challenges Mary’s traditional portrayal, while situating Mary solidly within the social and political world of her times. This is a book that will appeal to those who seek an alternative view of Christian history.’ Joan E. Taylor, author of Boy Jesus: Growing Up Judean in Turbulent Times ‘She is the most revered woman in history, but how many people know who Mary, the mother of Jesus, really was? In a penetrating and deep analysis of all our available sources, James Tabor presents a surprising, historical view that places Mary in her own, first-century, Jewish context.’ Bart Ehrman, author of Misquoting Jesus ‘Engaging, creative, thought-provoking, and revelatory.’ Amy-Jill Levine, author of Jesus for Everyone: Not Just Christians ‘A fresh perspective on a figure who continues to fascinate … Tabor makes a strong case for a Mary who was not a bystander but an integral part of a messianic movement.’ Ilene Cooper, Booklist

“In The Lost Mary, renowned historian James Tabor launches a bold quest to rediscover the historical Mary, mother of Jesus. Far from the passive, deified figure of Christian tradition, the real Mary was a Jewish woman shaped by the revolutionary fervor of her time. Tabor restores her voice, her faith, her motherhood, and, most of all, her humanity, in this groundbreaking portrait that challenges everything we thought we knew about the origins of Christianity.” —Reza Aslan, author of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth “Mary mother of Jesus, perhaps the most poorly-understood person who ever lived, could not find a better modern interpreter than James Tabor, whose life-long training in both archaeology and textual studies has given him the keys to, for the first time, construct a convincing portrayal of this enigmatic figure.” —John Dominic Crossan, author of The Historical Jesus ""Tabor’s accessible, informed and wide-ranging exploration challenges Mary’s traditional portrayal, while situating Mary solidly within the social and political world of her times. This is a book that will appeal to those who seek an alternative view of Christian history.” —Joan E. Taylor, author of Boy Jesus: Growing Up Judean in Turbulent Times ""Informed by archaeology, the history of Romen-ruled Judea and the Galilee, Jewish messianic speculation, and early Christian texts, Tabor offers numerous striking insights regarding not only Mary of Nazareth, but also her son Jesus, John the Baptizer, and James the Just. Engaging, creative, thought-provoking, and revelatory."" —Amy-Jill Levine, author of Jesus for Everyone: Not Just Christians ""A fresh perspective on a figure who continues to fascinate … Tabor makes a strong case for a Mary who was not a bystander but an integral part of a messianic movement."" —Ilene Cooper, Booklist ""[A] deep dive into Mary as a credible historical reality … Tabor’s very readable retelling of her life boasts impressive research.” —Library Journal

“In The Lost Mary, renowned historian James Tabor launches a bold quest to rediscover the historical Mary, mother of Jesus. Far from the passive, deified figure of Christian tradition, the real Mary was a Jewish woman shaped by the revolutionary fervor of her time. Tabor restores her voice, her faith, her motherhood, and, most of all, her humanity, in this groundbreaking portrait that challenges everything we thought we knew about the origins of Christianity.” -Reza Aslan, author of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth “Mary mother of Jesus, perhaps the most poorly-understood person who ever lived, could not find a better modern interpreter than James Tabor, whose life-long training in both archaeology and textual studies has given him the keys to, for the first time, construct a convincing portrayal of this enigmatic figure.” -John Dominic Crossan, author of The Historical Jesus ""Tabor’s accessible, informed and wide-ranging exploration challenges Mary’s traditional portrayal, while situating Mary solidly within the social and political world of her times. This is a book that will appeal to those who seek an alternative view of Christian history.” – Joan E. Taylor, author of Boy Jesus: Growing Up Judean in Turbulent Times ""Informed by archaeology, the history of Romen-ruled Judea and the Galilee, Jewish messianic speculation, and early Christian texts, Tabor offers numerous striking insights regarding not only Mary of Nazareth, but also her son Jesus, John the Baptizer, and James the Just. Engaging, creative, thought-provoking, and revelatory."" – Amy-Jill Levine, author of Jesus for Everyone: Not Just Christians ""A fresh perspective on a figure who continues to fascinate … Tabor makes a strong case for a Mary who was not a bystander but an integral part of a messianic movement."" – Ilene Cooper, Booklist ""[A] deep dive into Mary as a credible historical reality … Tabor’s very readable retelling of her life boasts impressive research.” – Library Journal

Author Information

Prof. James D. Tabor is a distinguished scholar and chair of the department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. He is also a high-profile archaeologist, specializing in biblical archaeology in Israel, Jordan and Palastine. He has already had a two-hour documentary made of his research called ‘The Search for John the Baptist’ (History Channel, March 05). Tabor is also chief historical consultant to Kathy Reichs, the bestselling fiction writer.

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