A Stranger in Jerusalem

In A Stranger in Jerusalem, Trevan Hatch attempts to situate the stories about Jesus within their Jewish context. Jesus was a Jew, his friends were Jews, his first followers were Jews, he studied the Hebrew Scriptures (either orally or from texts), he worshiped in the synagogue, and he occasionally traveled to Jerusalem to observe the Israelite festivals. Hatch illustrates that Jesus does not seem to have rejected Judaism or acted as a radical outsider in relation to his Jewish peers, but rather he worked within a Jewish framework. The overarching questions addressed in this book are (1) how can an understanding of early Judaism illuminate our understanding of the Jesus traditions, (2) how did Jesus relate to his Jewish world and vice versa, (3) why did the Gospel writers portray Jesus and his Jewish peers the way they did, and (4) how would Jews in the first and second centuries have interpreted the Jesus traditions upon hearing or reading them? Hatch explores several topics, including childhood and family life in first-century Galilee; Jewish notions of baptism and purity; Jewish prophets and miracle workers; Jewish ideas about the messiah; and Jesus' relationship with Judas, the Pharisees, the priestly establishment in Jerusalem, the Jewish populace, and his own disciples. ""It is a given that the life and ministry of Jesus took shape within the Jewish community of Roman Palestine. Trevan Hatch takes this context of Jesus with deep seriousness and in this book fashions an interpretation of the Gospels within the Judaism(s) of their time. What emerges is an historically situated depiction of Jesus and his teachings. This book is a major contribution toward building Jewish and Christian understandings of Jesus."" --Peter J. Haas, Professor of Jewish Studies Emeritus, Case Western Reserve University ""A novel and intriguing departure from the traditional inferences from the Gospels and Acts. Carefully researched, Hatch's work sees Jesus, the Pharisees, and the crucifixion in a different light. . . . The author analyzes in detail the internal Jewish conflicts at the time, including the Jewish Christians and the various views on Gentiles' path to Christianity."" --Victor Mirelman, Rabbi emeritus of West Suburban Temple Har Zion and former professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Columbia University, and The Jewish Theological Seminary ""Jesus as an observant Jew of his time. The Pharisees as his allies. Judas as perhaps the closest apostle. These are among the thoughtful conclusions Trevan Hatch offers in this readable, reliable, and accessible book. Like the accomplished teacher he is, Hatch poses probing questions that lead his students--I mean, his readers--on fruitful journeys of discovery and reflection."" --Leonard J. Greenspoon, Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization at Creighton University Trevan G. Hatch is the biblical studies and religious studies specialist in the Lee Library at Brigham Young University and is an adjunct instructor in the Department of Ancient Scripture. His formal training and primary expertise is in Jewish studies. Hatch is a coeditor with Leonard Greenspoon (Creighton) of the forthcoming volume, Divine Jealousy: What Latter-Day Saints Can Learn from Jews.