Professor of systematic theology recover an original Christianity presuppositions, and biases can be Robert Strimple, in response to the and its potent message for our traced to his early training and cultic charge that the Gospel writers created times.’’4 indoctrination. Even Tabor admits certain events in their narratives, asks, However, the book does not live up this: ‘‘Are we to believe that the Evange- to its subtitle and its claims. Instead ‘‘All historians come to their lists felt themselves free to alter radi- it offers a lot of speculation and investigations with selective cri- cally the message of Jesus and to guessing. In short, Tabor believes teria of judgment forged by both ‘make up’ events that never happened acknowledged and unrecognized during his ministry, even though that his particular refashioning and predisposed interests and cul- there were eyewitnesses still living re-creation of Jesus is a key to the real tural assumptions. There is no who could point out their errors?’’1 Jesus that everyone so far has missed. There are so many caveats in the book absolutely objective place to The subtitle to James Tabor’s book, we have to wonder whether Tabor stand. ... When it comes to the The Jesus Dynasty, reads, ‘‘The Hidden believes his statement that it is ‘‘his- quest for the historical Jesus our History of Jesus, His Royal Family, tory, not fiction’’ or if the whole thing need to be aware of our own and the Birth of Christianity.’’ In the is publisher’s hype. With the success prejudices seems particularly book, Tabor goes so far as to write: of Dan Brown’s reconstruction of acute. ... I stand open to critique 5 ‘‘The Jesus Dynasty presents the Jesus in The Da Vinci Code, one can’t and revision.’’ Jesus story in an entirely new help but wonder if it hasn’t launched What the current biography does light. It is history, not fiction. ... a new bandwagon. not tell us is that Tabor is a 1970 The Jesus Dynasty proposes an TABOR’S OWN graduate of Herbert W. Armstrong’s original version of Christianity, Ambassador College. Though origi- HIDDEN HISTORY long lost and forgotten, but one nally baptized in the Church of that can be reliably traced back The dust jacket of Tabor’s book says Christ, Tabor says he ‘‘was baptized to the founder, Jesus himself.’’2 Tabor is ‘‘Chair of the Department of ... by Tony Hammer around Pass- He also writes: Religious Studies at the University of over’’ into the Worldwide Church of North Carolina at Charlotte. He holds God.6 ‘‘I truly believe that an under- a Ph.D. in biblical studies from the Most are well aware that Armstrong standing of Jesus and his family, University of Chicago and is an ex- and the dynasty that perpetuated led the Worldwide Church of God pert on the Dead Sea Scrolls and before his death7 his message, is one of the most and taught Sabbath Christian origins.’’ Tabor has written keeping, salvation by law keeping, important keys to completing our a few other books as well. But those and British Israelism. It was a mixture quest to know the historical Jesus weighty academic credentials are not of cultism, Judaism, legalism, and and the origins of Christianity.’’3 the end of the story. mutant Christianity with Armstrong He further claims: the chief prophet and teacher. Tabor himself has a hidden history. ‘‘An understanding of the Jesus Pointing this out leads to the realiza- Tabor became disgruntled after two dynasty opens the way for us to tion that many of Tabor’s views, years at Ambassador College and 4 · The Quarterly Journal July-September 2006 turned his back on the Worldwide sented in this book that conflicts with Noah? 1. Do not Blaspheme Church of God organization, if not all Islam’s basic perception. The prophet God’s name. 2. Do not worship of its teachings. During the decade Mohammed was in contact with idols. 3. Do not commit immoral from 1970 to 1980, Tabor took a Christian groups in Arabia, and there sexual acts. 4. Do not murder. 5. convoluted journey, which he de- is evidence to suppose that the Chris- Do not steal. 6. Do not eat the scribes: tians he met might have been closer flesh of an animal while it is still ‘‘I was exposed to the most in their beliefs to the Ebionites than to alive. 7. Creation of a judicial 9 radical historical-critical biblical the Western church.’’ Tabor’s Jesus is system. ... Noah - a ‘God-fearer’ - studies and gradually lost all a mix of the Muslim view and Ebion- saved the human race from ex- faith in God, the Bible, or any ite view, which we will examine tinction because he followed this idea of ultimate human purpose. shortly. ancient path. Noah entered into the Kingdom of Heaven without I was reading, during all that One of the more well-known lead- the aid of a mediator. As the time, dozens of books on phi- ers of B’nai Noah is Vendyl Jones: losophy, science, psychology, etc. Torah specifically states that I would characterize myself as a ‘‘Vendyl Jones, who once served ‘Noah found grace in the eyes of romanticized, bohemian, existen- Baptist pastorates, has renounced God’ and not in the eyes of a tialist, nihilist — basically a fol- his Christian faith (though he mediator - and so this can apply lower of Freud and Nietzsche. ... continues to minister!). He be- to you today! ... All you have to Just about two years ago, for lieves that the New Testament is do is ask God’s forgiveness. God reasons it is difficult to fully a fraud contrived by the Catholic will forgive you if you ask Him explain, I began to turn back church in the fourth century and follow the laws with the toward some kind of theism, and from collections of apostolic writ- right intent. The God of Noah, gradually, toward faith once ings with the intention of replac- Abraham, and Israel is awaiting again in the God of the Bible, ing Judaism. After moving for a for all descendants of Noah to and even in the Bible itself, but time to Israel, divorcing his wife return back to the Ark. ... Many in a non-fundamentalist way. ... I (leaving five children), and tak- are called but few choose the 12 don’t like labels, neither Jewish ing a younger Israeli wife, he original God-made path.’’ (which I am certainly not), nor started the B’nai Noach (‘‘Chil- An e-mail correspondence was sent Christian (since I think what dren of Noah’’) movement. This to Tabor to ask if he was still associ- Jesus of Nazareth was all about group seeks ostensibly to teach ated and active with B’nai Noah. No has so precious little to do with Torah to Gentile Christians but in answer was received before this ar- Christianity).’’8 fact has disrupted local churches ticle was published. and attempted to make church Tabor can say that Jesus had ‘‘pre- members convert to Judaism. ... SUMMING IT UP cious little to do with Christianity’’ He stated that the New Testa- Tabor’s main scenario of a Jesus because he has constructed a subjec- ment, Jesus, and the idea of the family dynasty through James is not tive and speculative idea of what Triunity of God are all false. He really new at all, but by his own early Christianity was like, and fabri- maintains that ‘Jews are saved admission is the borrowed story line cated a Jesus who may have had a through the Abrahamic covenant, of the Ebionites with a number of his Roman soldier as a father. not Jesus!’’’10 own additions. From the standpoint B’NAI WHO? Jones also claims to know the loca- of historic and orthodox Christianity, It also appears that Tabor’s more tion of the Ark of the Covenant. the Ebionites were severely heretical, but from Tabor’s perspective: recent history has been hidden as In 1991, the Jerusalem Post reported well. He acknowledges that in the that J. David Davis and James Tabor ‘‘They were known subsequently generally understood sense, he cer- visited Israel to promote B’nai Noah by the term ‘Ebionites,’ which tainly is not a Christian. That is teachings.11 meant in Hebrew ‘poor ones.’ because Tabor is fully identified with Eusebius knows of them, though The ‘‘General Introduction To B’nai and has been a spokesman for an he considers them heretics in Noah,’’ says: obscure cult called B’nai Noah. They contrast to the Christian ortho- are also known as the Noahide group ‘‘The B’nai Noah observe seven doxy that he championed. or the Rainbow Covenant group. This general and basic command- Among his charges was that the group has activities and conferences ments. These commandments Ebionites made Jesus a ‘plain and in Israel aiming to provide ecumenical were given to Adam, the first ordinary man,’ born naturally fodder for Jews, Christians, and Mus- God-fearer, and to the biblical from ‘Mary and her husband.’ lims. character Noah, and are still fol- Eusebius further stated that the It is, therefore, not surprising to lowed by those looking for a Ebionites insisted on observance read Tabor admitting that ‘‘there is place in the World to Come. ... of the Jewish law or Torah and little about the view of Jesus pre- What are the Seven Laws of that they maintained that salva- July-September 2006 The Quarterly Journal · 5 tion was by ‘works’ as well as There is a Q source, which no one has OSSU WHAT? faith, as the letter of James af- ever seen, that supposedly is an firms.