The Lost Mary: Rediscovering the Mother of Jesus
“Tabor restores her voice, her faith, her motherhood, and, most of all, her humanity, in this groundbreaking portrait that challenges everything we thought we knew about the origins of Christianity.” —Reza Aslan, author of Zealot
Mary, mother of Jesus, is the best known – and least known – woman in history. Revered and worshipped by millions, she remains a figment of the imagination, the ethereal subject of Raphaels and Botticellis, bathed in heavenly light, too virginal and too pure to move among us.
But what about the real Mary?
In The Lost Mary, renowned historian James D. Tabor lifts the veil on the life of Mary – and her revolutionary life as the matriarch of the Jesus movement.
‘Mary mother of Jesus, perhaps the most poorly-understood person who ever lived, could not find a better modern interpreter than James Tabor, whose life-long training in both archaeology and textual studies has given him the keys to, for the first time, construct a convincing portrayal of this enigmatic figure.’ John Dominic Crossan, author of The Historical Jesus -
‘Tabor’s accessible, informed and wide-ranging exploration challenges Mary’s traditional portrayal, while situating Mary solidly within the social and political world of her times. This is a book that will appeal to those who seek an alternative view of Christian history.’ Joan E. Taylor, author of Boy Jesus: Growing Up Judean in Turbulent Times -
‘She is the most revered woman in history, but how many people know who Mary, the mother of Jesus, really was? In a penetrating and deep analysis of all our available sources, James Tabor presents a surprising, historical view that places Mary in her own, first-century, Jewish context.’ Bart Ehrman, author of Misquoting Jesus -
‘Engaging, creative, thought-provoking, and revelatory.’ Amy-Jill Levine, author of Jesus for Everyone: Not Just Christians ‘A fresh perspective on a figure who continues to fascinate … Tabor makes a strong case for a Mary who was not a bystander but an integral part of a messianic movement.’ Ilene Cooper, Booklist -