Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

It has been a while since I have posted anything here on the Jesus Dynasty Blog. For the past two months I have pretty much gone “underground” to complete my new book on Paul. I have been writing non-stop, with trips to Rome and Jerusalem sandwiched in, to move the book along as soon as feasibly possible.

Fresco Image of Paul at St. Tekla Catacomb in Rome

As some of you know, Paul has been in the news of late, with stories about his tomb in Rome being validated, as well as the newly uncovered portrait of Paul in the catacomb of St. Tekla. I have been working on the Paul book since late 2008 when I signed a contract with Simon & Schuster. There was a time when I expected it might be out by Spring, 2010 but as I got deeper into my work I began to develop my ideas in directions I had not originally anticipated, so I have ended up taking most of 2010 to complete the manuscript. The book has been listed on Amazon now for over a year with the fetching title: Paul Untitled and still no cover image. I know many of my readers have pre-ordered it, and I appreciate your patience. The pre-orders do count, and when the book is released they can give it a great send-off, so if any of you are willing to “stand in that Amazon line,” I thank you for it. My editors and I are still talking about a final decision on a title, as well as the cover art, and I hope it will appear soon. I will let everyone know.

What I think I can safely say is that the book will be worth the wait! I don’t know of another book on Paul by a scholar in the field that is like this one, either in ideas, approach, or style. I did my Ph.D. dissertation on Paul at the University of Chicago (1982), directed by the incomparable Jonathan Z. Smith. It was published as a monograph in the Brown University Judaic Studies series in 1985 titled Things Unutterable. It has long ago gone out of print though an unbound facsimile edition is available on Amazon. For the past 30 years, teaching at three universities (Notre Dame, William & Mary, UNC Charlotte) I have continued to think deeply about Paul, covering him in my courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

So far as books on Paul go, I think they must outnumber the books on Jesus, but almost without exception the academic study of Paul is pretty much an “in-house” enterprise with most of the scholars who specialize and write about Paul producing endless books primarily intended for their colleagues.  Most of the writings on Paul are highly technical, very theological in orientation, and full of jargon particular to the field. “Pauline Studies,” is such a vast field right now it is impossible for all but the most devoted, who rarely work on anything else, to keep up. I am not one of those people and though I have published and written about Paul along the way.  My concentration has been much broader–namely trying to analyze the many ways of understanding “salvation” in ancient Mediterranean religions, particularly in late 2nd Temple Judaism and earliest Christianity–with apocalypticism as my main focus. Such a general description certainly pulls in Paul, but in a broader way that most Pauline scholars deal with him.

What I hope I have produced is a readable and accessible book on Paul, but one that offers an analysis of his mission and message that I have not seen anywhere else. Mine is neither a Paul-bashing nor a Paul-applauding book. I guess you might call it “Paul in His Own Words,” in that I try as best I can to let Paul speak for himself, based on the seven “authentic” letters we have from his hand. And speak he does! I think I have succeeded, at least on an introductory level, to offer readers a clear, refreshing, and provocative look at the Apostle.

I thought I would paste the Table of Contents in here, just to whet a few appetites, and I plan to begin a series of blog posts over at TaborBlog the next few weeks that will explore various aspects of Paul and his thinking–as a kind of prelude to the book itself–so check there if you are interested.

Preface: Discovering Paul

Introduction: Paul and Jesus

The Quest for the Historical Paul

Chapter 1: After the Cross

Chapter 2: Reading the New Testament Backwards

Chapter 3: A Forgotten Brother, A Lost Christianity

Chapter 4: A Cosmic Family and a Heavenly Kingdom

Chapter 5: A Mystical Union with Christ

Chapter 6: Already but Not Yet

Chapter 7: The Torah of Christ

Chapter 8: The Battle of the Apostles

Conclusion: Does God Care for Oxen?A

Ruins of Ancient Tamar

Over the past 20 years I have made 40 trips to Israel, nearly always for purposes of archeology and research. Many of my friends, family, and associates, including readers of my books that I have never met, have asked me if I would ever consider leading a tour. I have never seemed to find the time to work that in until now.  I am now able to officially announce such a tour. The dates are October 25 through November 5, 2010.

Here are the details:

I have teamed up with Dr. DeWayne Coxen of Blossoming Rose, who is highly experienced on the logistical side of things, but also gives us special access to the biblical site of Tamar in the Negev desert, as well as the archaeological site of ‘Ein ‘Hatzeta, the Iron Age fortress from the time of the 1st Temple–where we will actually do some digging! I have also included special guest Keith Johnson, who will go with us on the entire trip, and Nehemia Gordon, who will teach us in Galilee about what he and Keith have discovered regarding the “Lord’s Prayer” as covered in their book, A Prayer to our Father.

This trip is different from any that I have ever seen. It is neither Christian nor Jewish, but we will visit sites relevant to both traditions. One can never include everything but DeWayne and I have spent several months working out the itinerary and balancing choices so that I think our result is going to be the best possible one in terms of balance and depth.  I want to take people (many who will go have never been to the Land) all over and show them many things I have learned over the years, but I also want some in-depth time in the desert, at Tamar, as a Sukkoth type experience. This amazing site, down in the Negev, will be the centerpiece of our tour.

We are opening the enrollment today. Our space is limited to 40 people and I think these spaces will go fast.  If you are interested in going you should go ahead and save your place for now and work out details later.

We have kept the price under $3000 which is hard to do with prices for flights rising. This covers round-trip travel from the NY area to Tel Aviv and most all ground expenses. You book your own flight to NY but we will help you once you register to work that flight into a package deal that will save you some money. You also have the option of getting your own flights using Frequent Flyer or other options and buying just the Land package. And for those who have been many times to Israel and do not want to tour the whole Land, you can join us just at Tamar for a reduced price.

This is a very special trip, different from any other I am aware of, and what it offers, both in terms of the group that will be going, the teachers, and the itinerary, makes it a once in a lifetime opportunity. I will be present on the entire tour and be accessible to those who travel with us.

Hope to see many of you join us!

I am attaching two documents, one giving the itinerary, the other providing you with a registration form to send in. All the pricing questions, logistics, and arrangements are being handled by Blossoming Rose but feel free to write me with any questions about the trip itself or its contents.

Prof. James D. Tabor

jdtabor@uncc.edu

Tabor & Coxon Itinerary (PDF)

Tour Registration form (PDF)