Killing Jesus: The Unspoken Conspiracy behind the World’s Most Notorious Execution

Mansfield (Lincoln’s Battle With God) takes the reader on a ride into the Holy Land in the time of Jesus, conjuring the personalities of the people involved in the road to Calvary. “Jesus Christ was executed at a place so public that the sign explaining his death had to be printed in three languages, at the crossroads so well traveled that most people who saw him tortured were merely passing by,” Mansfield writes to open his narrative. Most compelling are the stories of the Sadducees, priests in the temple whose activities are disrupted by Jesus and who play a major role in the plot to destroy Jesus. Drawing on a myriad of primary sources, including the works of the historian Josephus and the Talmud, Mansfield prepares the readers for Jesus’ death. He masterfully integrates biblical texts with other research material. The scourging and the crucifixion are described in very graphic detail and are not for the faint of heart. This book will appeal to readers who want to know more about the central story of the New Testament. (May 7)