"Kosher Jesus" by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

After being recommended to read this book, I gave it a go.  My oh my did I learn a lot and get stretched in my thinking!  Before I start, I must say that the author does not intend to convert Christians to Judaism, prove Christians wrong, or in any way try to change Christians' theological beliefs.  Rather, Boteach aims to show readers of all beliefs how Jesus was indeed Jewish and to erase any ideas that Jesus was anti-Semitic.  Boteach goes into history of the first century Jerusalem and asks some very basic questions.  If Roman occupation of Jerusalem was so brutal--on par with modern day genocides--why would the New Testament not make any protest of this?  Would not a messianic ruler in first century Jerusalem speak out against Caesar in the same way that a messianic ruler in 1940s Germany would speak out against Hitler?  Herein starts Boteach's idea that parts of the New Testament may have been edited by those who wanted Rome to not look so bad...due to a political agenda.  Boteach also pinpoints some contradictions within the New Testament itself.  The notion that Paul invented Christianity and changed Jesus into someone Jesus never intended to be is also fascinating.  Then there is the idea that Paul was either not who he claimed to be or that others penned letters in Paul's name.  This concept is bolstered by the fact that someone who claims to be a Pharisee studying under Gamiel (the equivalent of being a Harvard student in Judaism) would likely not make such simple errors in his letters when quoting the Hebrew Bible.  Boteach also touches upon why Jews do not believe in Jesus.  He explains how Jesus only fulfilled some of the messianic prophecies.  While Christians claim Jesus will fulfill the rest of the messianic prophecies when he comes back, Jews say they will acknowledge Jesus as the messiah only when he finishes what he started.  Jesus was not the first Jew in his era to claim to be the messiah and die for it.  Boteach even explains how failing to live up to complete messianic prophecies was seen as noble and in no way blasphemous or deserving of death.  Then there is the segway into how it wasn't the Jews who sought to kill Jesus but rather the Romans who saw Jesus as a zealot looking to overthrow Roman rule.  This is why the title "King of the Jews" was written over Jesus' cross--those executed in Roman times had a parchment written on their cross proclaiming their reason for execution to warn others what happens when someone commits said crime...in this case treason.  Adding to this idea is the ridiculous notion of how Pilate--a man in history so violent that he was removed from his position for excessive cruelty--would even care to ask his conquered Jews why they wanted Jesus crucified.  This would be equivalent to Hitler asking Jews why they wanted one of their teachers killed in the Holocaust.  Hitler wouldn't care or even need to ask permissions of execution--he would just kill the Jew because that's how he is.  Boteach goes even so far as to say the New Testament editors whitewashed Roman involvement in Jesus' crucifixion to blame it on the Jews.  Some scholars don't even think Judas existed but was rather a Jewish scapegoat to prove the Jews were responsible for Jesus' death.  If the Pharisees wanted Jesus dead so badly, why would they tell him to flee from King Herod who sought to kill him?  Many stories in the New Testament don't align with the history of the time it was written in, and this creams foul play.  Finally, Boteach explains Judaism's views on the afterlife, sacrifice, forgiveness, and more, noting how one can have a satisfying relationship with God without the need for a god-man intermediary.