From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Judas, My Brother: The Story of the Thirteenth Disciple is a 1968 historical novel by Frank Yerby, a narrative attempting a demythologized account of the events surrounding the life of Jesus and the origin of Christianity.

Written from the viewpoint of Nathaniel ('the Thirteenth Disciple'), the heavily footnoted book presents an adventure and romance storyline against the backdrop of the 1st century Roman Empire. Nathaniel's travels lead him to Rome to fight as a retiarius, and on his return to Palestine to become involved with the Apostles, the Zealots and the Essenes. He loves Shelomith (the disciple Salome, depicted in the novel as a prostitute), who does not return his affections due to her unrequited love for Yeshua (Jesus).

This story is simultaneously used as a vehicle for Yerby's examination of the historical personalities and Christian beliefs through the ideas of critical theological writings. The book is written from a strongly skeptical viewpoint: miracles are given physical explanations, such as mistaken identity, of varying plausibility. On the frontispiece, Yerby warns "those emotionally dependent upon the Christian Religion" to read no further. The sleeve notes continue:

This novel touches on only two issues which, in a certain sense, might be called controversial: whether any man truly has the right to believe fanciful and childish nonsense; and whether any organization has the right to impose, by almost imperial fiat, belief in things that simply are not so. To me, irrationality is dangerous; perhaps the most dangerous force stalking through the world today. This novel, then, is one man's plea for an ecumenicism broad enough to include reasonable men; and his effort to defend his modest intellect from intolerable insult.

This article about a historical novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.