A classic work on Christians, Jews, and their shared past in Jesus No matter what we would make of Jesus, says Schalom Ben-Chorin, he was first a Jewish man in a Jewish land. Brother Jesus leads us through the twists and turns of history to reveal the figure who extends a "brotherly hand" to the author as a fellow Jew. Ben-Chorin moves easily between literature, law, etymology, psychology, and theology to recover "Jesus picture from the Christian overpainting." Ranging across such events as the wedding at Cana, the Last Supper, and the crucifixion, Ben-Chorin reveals, in modern Christianity, traces of the Jewish codes and customs in which Jesus was immersed. Not only do we see why these events also resonate with Jews, but we are brought closer to Christianity in its primitive state. Early in his book, Ben-Chorin writes, "the belief of Jesus unifies us, but the belief in Jesus divides us." It is the kind of paradox from which arise endless opportunities for Jews and Christians to come together for meaningful, mutual discovery.

Translated by: Dr. Max Reinhart, Jared S. Klein