"Zealot" by Reza Aslan

One thing leads to another - it seemed just appropriate that after reading Ian Wilson's CSI-like investigation, I would eventually turn to current best-seller by Reza Aslan, that has been widely read and translated even in my own Croatia. This is a story about (possible) historical figure of man we all know as Jesus Christ, but told from a completely different perspective - where Ian Wilson goes on about Mel Gibson's movie and Shroud of Turin (neither of whom I would take seriously), Aslan digs deep into historical research about social and political background of Middle East territories occupied by Roman Empire and explains circumstances where population was ripe for arrival of Messiah who would free them from Romans and corrupted priestly elite. Needless to say, its a gripping read because it sheds light on long-forgotten life and what went on before New Testament was written.

This is not the first time I had encountered story like this - there was a huge 1960s best-seller written by Hugh J. Schonfield ("Passover plot") that covered very much the same territory and Reza Aslan simply upgrades it for a new millennium, skillfully I must say - his story is very interesting and would probably appeal to atheists, since it does not follows dogma but ponders on background of historical person we call Jesus and what were his motives & goals. Contrary to what was later accepted as written in stone, Aslan believes Jesus was a follower of another travelling prophet (John the Baptist) whose role was later completely & purposely overshadowed by Catholic church, he was also very probably an ascetic and charismatic prophet-leader known as a healer, who took on against both Romans and corrupted Jewish priests, which at the end cost him life. Aslan waves a very interesting story, where in aftermath of Jesus's death the whole myth went completely out of control and eventually went on to became re-constructed as a new religion based on (probably) completely misunderstood messages that actual historical prophet would not recognise himself. It is a mind-boggling sorry, no matter how one looks at it.