Judas, My Brother

"Whom shall I release to you? Yeshu'a bar Amma or Yeshu'a bar Abbas? Iesus son of his mother? Or Iesus son of his father?" (Pontius Pilatus)

Frank Yerby's Judas, My Brother The Story of the Thirteenth Disciple was published in 1968. A result of thirty years of research in Italy, Greece, Egypt, Jordan and Israel, Yerby himself believed that his work would be controversial. The hero is Nathan, son of the richest and most powerful man in Jerusalem, who befriends Yeshu'a (Jesus of Nazareth), a son of a poor carpenter. They have the same age and physical resemblance.

With his research, Yerby tried to tell a story about Yeshu'a based from the facts he had collected. In this book Nathan points out the flaws in the 4 gospels. He doesn't believe the story around Yeshu'a's miraculous birth and explains that Yeshu'a is an ordinary man, but very unique. Yeshu'a likes to be alone and pray, while other children are playing or helping their parents. Nathan said the miracles performed by Yeshu'a are not really miracles and how he has his share in them, like when water is turned to wine, feeding 5000 people, and the walking on water. Unless I miss something, Nathan doesn't explain how Yeshu'a gets his extra-ordinary knowledge about the Bible and his wonderful wisdom; and as for his healing power, it's because of love from both sides: the healer and the sick person. "He smiled, and the world reeled, drunk with joy. He touched you, and your flesh quivered. He told you you weren't blind anymore, and, for as long as he was there, you saw, though the torturers had put the irons to your eyes the day before. He told you you could lift your withered arm, and lift it you did despite all the laws of probability. He forgave you your sins, and they were gone. [..] And upon that act of love, all your faith is built."

The book itself is enjoyable, with notes from Yerby here and there. According to Nathan, Yeshu'a is guilty. He stirs all the people up against their rulers, both Jewish and Roman, from Galilee to Jerusalem. Mostly the Pharisees hate him because he profanes the Shabbat, which culminates in cleasing the Temple. Different from recent popular story about Jesus's descendants, here Yeshu'a dies because of the crucifixion and that he maintains his celibacy until death. To experience a miracle, one has to believe in it. It's our choice: whether we look at good things happen to us as a miracle or a coincidence; or worse: with ignorance. In the ending, while the disciples witness the rise, Nathan "could not join them." "I realized I was in the presence of a miracle. [..] The world without him was too empty, too desolate. So they - who loved him more than life - brought him back." As for the title of this book, here is what Nathan says to Yehudah ish Kriyoth (Judas) in his despair after Yeshu'a's death, after he failed to save him, failed to make Pontius Pilatus free him, "All the damned are brothers, Yehudah. You, because you betrayed him; I, because I failed him."