Jesus Before the Gospels: How the Earliest Christians Remembered, Changed, and Invented Their Stories of the Savior

Bart D. Ehrman

Mar 2016 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

The bestselling author of Misquoting Jesus, one of the most renowned and controversial Bible scholars in the world today examines oral tradition and its role in shaping the stories about Jesus we encounter in the New Testament—and ultimately in our understanding of Christianity.

Throughout much of human history, our most important stories were passed down orally—including the stories about Jesus before they became written down in the Gospels. In this fascinating and deeply researched work, leading Bible scholar Bart D. Ehrman investigates the role oral history has played in the New Testament—how the telling of these stories not only spread Jesus’ message but helped shape it.

A master explainer of Christian history, texts, and traditions, Ehrman draws on a range of disciplines, including psychology and anthropology, to examine the role of memory in the creation of the Gospels. Explaining how oral tradition evolves based on the latest scientific research, he demonstrates how the act of telling and retelling impacts the story, the storyteller, and the listener—crucial insights that challenge our typical historical understanding of the silent period between when Jesus lived and died and when his stories began to be written down.

As he did in his previous books on religious scholarship, debates on New Testament authorship, and the existence of Jesus of Nazareth, Ehrman combines his deep knowledge and meticulous scholarship in a compelling and eye-opening narrative that will change the way we read and think about these sacred texts.

Ratings and reviews

I am normally a huge fan of Bart Ehrman. I've read and enjoyed all of his other books immensely. This one falls short of his previous great work. It's essentially one point, repeated over and over. There isn't enough to support an entire book, so it becomes very repetitious.

This was shameful. There are no contractions in the Word of God. The disciples were not having memory losses. Just to let you in on a couple of facts you may have caught had you actually read the Bible, but to comprehend it, one must have the Holy Spirit, it is not for the carnal minded, and yes it actually says that in the Word. 1. John did not get Passover wrong. They ate 'The Last Supper'with Jesus the night He was arrested. Yes, Jesus was the Passover Lamb Who died a horrible death on Passover, for your sins and mine and rose again on the 3rd day after stripping your god of his power and taking back the keys Adam had given him. 2. Know why Pilate didn't remind them years later about the order of events? Because Rome had heard about the uprisings and his involvement and 'suggested' he kill himself or they could do it for him, so he committed suicide, less than 2 years after he sent an innocent man to death. btw, yes he was also guilty and stupid. 3. Bible is inspired by God's Holy Spirit who doesn't have memory lapse. It's called rightly dividing the Word of God.

Such an amazing historian. Great facts and calls himself an atheist, but in his last chapter he seems to finish with an excuse for people who still believe in nonsense.

About the author

Bart D. Ehrman is one of the most renowned and controversial Bible scholars in the world today. He is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and is the author of more than twenty books, including the New York Times bestsellers How Jesus Became God; Misquoting Jesus; God’s Problem; Jesus, Interrupted; and Forged. He has appeared on Dateline NBC, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, CNN, History, and top NPR programs, as well as been featured in TIME, the New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, and other publications. He lives in Durham, North Carolina. Visit the author online at www.bartdehrman.com.