Messiah

by Jerald F. Dirks

In this his latest book, Dr. Dirks begins by exploring the linguistic meaning and historical evolution of the messiah concept. In tracing the messiah concept among the Israelites, Dr. Dirks makes use of numerous Biblical passages and ancient Jewish writings to illustrate the earliest messiah concept and how that concept evolved into the three-messiah and two-messiah concepts that were so prevalent following the Babylonian captivity of the Israelites of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Dr. Dirks then turns the readers' attention to the myriad of messiah figures that emerged in Palestine between 4 BCE and 135 CE. In closing, making use of extensive New Testament passages, he presents a provocative and daring thesis that there were two messiah figures named Jesus who operated during the same time in first-century CE Palestine and who were simultaneously tried by Pontius Pilate. One presented as a king messiah for which he was crucified, and one presented as a prophet messiah and was freed. It is posited that the identities and biographies of these two messiah figures were inadvertently fused by the New Testament gospel writers, thus accounting for some of the seeming inconsistencies in how Jesus is presented in the canonical gospels.

228 pages, Paperback

First published February 21, 2015

About the author

Dr. Jerald F. Dirks received his Bachelor of Arts (philosophy) from Harvard College in 1971, his Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School in 1974, his Master of Arts (clinical child psychology) from the University of Denver in 1976, and his Doctor of Psychology degree in clinical psychology from the University of Denver in 1978.

In 1969, he obtained his License to Preach from the United Methodist Church, and he was ordained into the Christian ministry (deaconate) by the United Methodist Church in 1972.

He converted to Islam in 1993 and completed his sessions program certificate in Islamic studies from Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in 1998.

Dr. Dirks is the author or co-author of over 60 published articles in the behavioral sciences (primarily in psychosomatic medicine), over 140 published articles on the Arabian horse and its history, and over 220 published articles and formal presentations on Islam, comparative religion, and private Islamic education in America. He has lectured widely on Islam at American colleges and universities.