Michael jordan jordan in Religion Books

Based on recent interpretations of ancient Near Eastern, Jewish, and Christian texts, The Historical Mary unravels the mystery of who Mary really was and the role she played in Jesus' life and ancient society. Drawing on new anthropological discoveries, Michael Jordan carefully establishes the widespread existence of pagan traditions and fertility rites at the time of Mary's birth and at all levels of Jewish society. Working from this fresh perspective, the author reveals that the life story of Mary is an elaborate myth invented by the early Church to further the interests of its male hierarchy and disguise the pagan origins of the mother of Jesus. Why is Mary rarely mentioned in the New Testament? Why did Jesus treat her so coldly and with such distance? The author explores provocative questions such as these and draws conclusions that many will find surprising. This controversial history of the mother of Jesus reveals the living person behind the myth and complements popular studies of the historical Jesus.