Includes bibliographical references (p. 321-344) and index

Preface : discovering the Jesus dynasty -- Introduction : a tale of two tombs -- A virgin shall conceive -- A son of David? -- An unnamed father of Jesus? -- Children of a different father -- The lost years -- A kingdom of this world -- The religion of Jesus the Jew -- Hearing the voice -- A crucial missing year -- Ushering in the kingdom -- Herod strikes -- Last days in Jerusalem -- The king is dead -- Dead but twice buried -- Go to James the Just -- The challenge of Paul -- The legacy of the Jesus dynasty -- The end of the age -- Conclusion : recovering lost treasures

Based on a careful analysis of the earliest Christian documents and recent archaeological discoveries, The Jesus Dynasty offers a bold new interpretation of the life of Jesus and the origins of Christianity. Biblical scholar Tabor brings us closer than ever to the historical Jesus. He sheds new light on Jesus' relationship with John the Baptizer, the role played by his brother James, and how Paul's ministry transformed Jesus' message into what would become Christianity. Tabor has studied the earliest surviving documents of Christianity for more than thirty years. He reconstructs for us the movement that sought the spiritual, social, and political redemption of the Jews, a movement led by one family. This book offers an alternative version of Christian origins, one that takes us closer than ever to Jesus and his family and followers.--From publisher description