An Educated Man

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A magisterial project: a dual biography of the preeminent figures of Judeo–Christian civilization overturning conventional views of Moses and Jesus as humble men of faith. By reanimating the biographies of Moses and Jesus in their historical context, Rosenberg reads their narrative as a cultural—rather than religious—endeavor. He charges that Moses and Jesus were "educated" men, steeped in the literature and scholarship of their day. There were no old or new testaments for them, only a long history of writing and writers. When scholars and clergy quote Moses and Jesus, they routinely neglect to inform us that Jesus is quoting the Hebrew Bible, often in the manner that Moses quoted Egyptian medical texts. The remarkable ability of both men to recall and transform a wide range of sources is overlooked. Where did they get these profound educations? Part biography, part critical analysis, An Educated Man challenges us to envision what defines "an educated man or woman" today—and how understanding religious history is crucial to it. Rosenberg offers a sympathetic approach to why we need Judeo–Christianity—and ultimately convinces us that the life of Jesus is unthinkable without the model of Moses before him.