Herodian Messiah: Case For Jesus As Grandson of Herod

by Joseph Raymond

This work details the author's painstakingly collected evidence supporting a shocking theory, that Jesus was the grandson of both Herod the Great and the last Hasmonean king (Antigonus). The analysis begins with one loose thread in the official biography of Jesus Christ, the claim by the Sanhedrin that it lacked authority to execute him. Why didn't the Sanhedrin execute Jesus after convicting him of blasphemy? The same legal body executed Stephen and James the brother of Jesus for the same crime. During Roman times, the Sanhedrin lacked authority to execute only one class of Jew--Roman citizens. All descendants of Herod were Roman citizens. Two elements of proof for the theory are the ancestor list found in Luke, Ch. 3 (it appears to contain the names of Hasmonean kings) and Jesus' denial that he is a son of David. See Matthew 22:41-45, Mark 12:35-37 and Luke 20:41-44.

Genres: History

278 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2010

Reviews

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jaha. OK. Detta var intressant som idé men inte så mycket mer. Det finns inga underbyggda fakta, utan bara intressanta indicier, som författaren drar längre än vad som riktigt anständigt.

[Ben Tousey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesus was a Herodian? It's an interesting hypothesis. Joseph Raymond states up front that he's an attorney, and he goes about 'making the case' that Jesus was a Herodian, which is why the Sanhedrin or Jewish leaders could not arrest and try him. He also points out certain idiosyncrasies in the genealogies of Jesus which are also quite fascinating. As a 'juror,' I can't yet hand down a verdict, but I'm willing to consider his thesis.

[Merlijn Van Houten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raymond's theory is very interesting. Despite the use of historical sources, his theory relies heavily on religious texts and speculation. Still, it is an interesting and entertaining book with a lot of information about the history of the area, and information about Judaism and Christianity.