Book Review: The Crucified Rabbi by Taylor Marshall

I finished The Crucified Rabbi: Judaism and the Origins of Catholic Christianity by Taylor R. Marshall this morning before Mass.  This is the first in his "Origins of Catholic Christianity" trilogy.

In thirteen chapters, Marshall takes us through shared concepts of Judaism and Catholicism, providing the Jewish origin (or at least precedent) for the Catholic concept, practice, or belief.  Some are more readily apparent than others:  Messiah and Christ mean the same thing, for example.  Others might surprise you:  the ritual Tevilah washing and the sacrament of Baptism, or the Jewish Nazirites and Catholic monastics.  Marshall quotes from Scripture, rabbinic sources, and the historical accounts of Josephus and others, giving a clear and consistent picture of the development of these facets of Catholicism from their Jewish roots.

The book is an easy and quick read.  It's educational and informative without sounding too technical or academic.  It has its share of typos, but nothing too serious.  An appendix contains some 300 Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

If you are looking for a book to help you fill in the gaps between the Old and New Covenants, or if you're looking for an accessible resource to share with a Jewish friend curious about the claims of Christianity, I recommend The Crucified Rabbi.