The lost Mary Rediscovering the mother of Jesus

As the title implies, Tabor's (emeritus, religious studies, Univ. of North Carolina; The Book of Genesis: A New Translation from the Transparent English Bible) new book stems from a desire to unearth the historical Mary, the mother of Jesus, whom he calls "the most erased woman in history." Tabor believes that the New Testament writers have systematically marginalized Mary and that she deserves due consideration as a Jewish heroine, no less than Sarah, Rebekah, or Esther. Furthermore, Tabor identifies Mary's priestly lineage and the roles of her eight children--especially those of her sons James and Simon--in carrying on Jesus's teachings after his crucifixion. Tabor reveals the life of the young Jewish woman and single mother of eight who survived one of the most dangerous periods of Jewish history--a time that killed two of her sons. While there is no shortage of recent books on Mary, including The Real Mary by Scot McKnight and Mother of God by Miri Rubin, Tabor's very readable retelling of her life boasts impressive research, including a 12-page bibliography and exhaustive footnotes. VERDICT An academic deep dive into Mary as a credible historical reality.--Sandra Collins

Quest for the historical Mary. Bible scholar Tabor adds to modern scholarship that argues that the lives of certain biblical characters have been "deliberately erased" by adding Mary, the mother of Jesus, to that list. Though Mary has retained an honored spot in the Christian faith, and a special level of reverence among Catholic believers, especially, Tabor argues that her true life and influence have been completely forgotten by the church and that this was done entirely by design. The author draws on recent archaeological and textual discoveries but also tends to stretch his suppositions in ways that are plausible but not necessarily probable. He should be credited for making it clear to the reader that Mary was born into a deeply troubled, violent, and dangerous time and place and that dynastic infighting, rebellious fervor, and Roman oppression must have shaped her early life in profound ways. Tabor asserts that Mary, influenced by these experiences, held an outsize sway on the thinking not only of Jesus, but also of John the Baptizer. He boldly declares that Mary "is not only at the heart and soul of what scholars call 'the Jesus Movement' but also the glue that held it together." In order to support this theory, he uses a historical-critical reading of scripture, evidence from apocryphal writings, and simple speculation that can never be proven or disproven. Though it is undeniable that Mary's place in Christianity was manipulated and mythologized through the centuries (especially in regard to early church discomfort with sexuality), it is far harder to accept whether her "real" role was as broad and profound as Tabor believes. Searching for a clearer picture of who Mary was in her own context is commendable; however, Tabor's labors come up short of being thoroughly convincing. Interesting and thought-provoking, but far from being "the Gospel truth." Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.