Includes bibliographical references (pages 237-240) and index.

"In Why the Jews Rejected Jesus, David Klinghoffer reveals that the Jews since ancient times accepted not only the historical existence of Jesus but the role of certain Jews in bringing about his crucifixion and death. But he also argues that they had every reason to be skeptical of claims for his divinity." "Jews have long been blamed for Jesus's death and stigmatized for rejecting him. But Jesus lived and died a relatively obscure figure at the margins of Jewish society. Indeed, it is difficult to argue that "the Jews" of his day rejected Jesus at all, since most Jews had never heard of him. The figure they really rejected, often violently, was Paul, who convinced the Jerusalem church led by Jesus's brother to jettison the observance of Jewish law. Paul thus founded a new religion. If not for him, Christianity would likely have remained a Jewish movement, and the course of history itself would have been changed. Had the Jews accepted Jesus, Klinghoffer speculates, Christianity would not have conquered Europe and there would be no Western civilization as we know it." "Why the Jews Rejected Jesus tells the story of this long, acrimonious, and occasionally deadly debate between Christians and Jews. Though written from a Jewish point of view, it is also profoundly respectful of Christian sensibilities. Coming at a time when Christians and Jews are in some ways moving closer than ever before, this book represents a genuine effort to heal the ancient rift between these two great faith traditions."--Jacket.