The history of early Christianity is still full of intractable mysteries. What kind of Messiah was expected in Judea and did Jesus live up to these expectations? How did Christ's Judaism develop into Paul's Christianity? What was the threat of the coming of the Messiah to the Roman administration in Palestine and what kind of behind-the-scenes political struggle was going on around Jesus? All these questions are answered by a new book by Boston University professor, director of the Boston Center for Biblical Research, and world-famous orientalist Igor Lipovsky.