The Hidden Gospel: Decoding the Spiritual Message of the Aramaic Jesus

This book changes so much in regard to truly understanding what Jesus is actually teaching (Though his names was actually pronounced Yeshua which means "the unnamable saves and restores). In the early pages of this carefully researched book Neil D-K provides the most lucid overview of the effect of translation, and how different languages frame up different realities, that I have ever come across - and this has been an area of interest of mine for decades. It is clear from this book that the vast majority of the edifice of Western Christian Theology (and so Western Evangelism) is based on fundamental mis-translations which are filtered through a world view that western language supports AND that actually interferes with what Jesus teaches. For Example the difference between the standard translation(from Aramaic to Greek to German to English) of Jesus words as "He who is not with us is against us" vs one based in Aramaic that translates as "If he is not against us he is one of us" changes so much. This quote has been used by Christians and especially Catholics to insist that people must make a choice to oppose Jesus or submit to there interpretations. Yikes. The usual version doesn't really sound like Jesus if you think about it and has been the cause of a lot of mischief! But so much deeper than that this book unveils the Unity Jesus knew and taught and how to live it. This is a book to be savored and read and re-read and re-read again. And for all you fear-guilt-shame based Catholics out there - Pope Pius XII actually stresses the importance of diligent study of these original languages so as to arrive at a deeper and fuller knowledge of the meaning of the sacred texts, in his encyclical entitled "Divine Afflante Spiritu" in 1943, so be at Peace!!

These interpretations of the sayings of Jesus are God-breathed, pointing to the desire for all people to understand themselves as one with each other and creation. It possesses the potential for helping Christians, Jews, Muslims, and all other wisdom traditions that seek peace, harmony, and fulfillment to recognize their roots and their final goals are the same. A book that helps me to become more loving, compassionate, kind-hearted, and seeking harmony with my neighbors is a breath of fresh air in the religious realm today. It reflects the image of both Jesus and ultimately, God, rather than pointing to differences of opinion about the Unknown. It's too bad that the connotation "New Age" is a four letter word to those people who strive to hold onto old traditions and thought as if the past is more concrete and solid than the present. This book seeks to participate in bringing the kingdom of heaven closer to reality today. Douglas-Klotz points to the wisdom and message of Jesus as equally, if not more, important than the worldly elements of birth, death, and resurrection...material things that Christians feel more inclined to defend and argue.

This adds so much depth and insight into what Jesus(Yeshua) was actiully teaching. It will not be for closed minded Christians though. One of the things I noticed is that there is not going against anything , just a deep desire to really understand what the man actually said in the cultural climate he said it in.

To take the words of Jesus written in the gospels in Greek and to try to determine what these words may have been when spoken in Aramaic ... and then interpreting these words in a 2000 year old Middle Eastern culture ... is speculative to say the least ... but very refreshing. The author clearly has an agenda but his interpretations of Jesus' words are so different from the classical understanding that his attempt is worth review. This text takes modern biblical criticism one step further than it is normally taken. Churches should be as innovative and truly interested in the words of the scripture rather then teaching the same old tired, and usually mistranslated, English text. The author's views are often extreme but interesting.

Neil Douglas-Klotz is not trying to stand with King James, Tyndale, JB Philips, etc. He is giving us linguistic and cultural context for the words of Jesus in a way that is unique from (but not in conflict with) the Interpretation Series or Barclay. His sense of ancient language and the cultural tendency to hold paradox gives me another lens through which to read the scripture that I feel is solidly accurate of the time and much needed in our divisive, individualistic contexts within which we exist. Many of the criticisms written about his books on Amazon are people who are bound to our American need for "one right way" This limits God and our understanding to something we can control and define when in reality, any God worth believing in will be way more complex than our understanding. JB Philips would be the first to confirm this statement were he alive still.

His expansive dissection of the Aramaic expression that are key biblical verses attributed to Christ provide critical insights that change common perceptions. His body prayers demonstrate the emotion and spiritual wisdom equally in the heart and mind. It’s a book to live with

Neil Douglas – Klotz has been writing a number of books about the sayings of Jesus and the hidden Gospels according to the Aramaic, which was the language he actually spoke in the vernacular of the day. Although it certain he knew Hebrew as well, it was in Aramaic that he cried out and it was in Aramaic that he performed his miracles and it was in Aramaic that he spoke to his disciples and there is a vast difference between Aramaic in English because Aramaic is one of the archaic languages that is multivalent, meaning that a single word can have many meanings all at the same time. Mister Douglas – Klotz should be applauded for continuing this wonderful tradition of approaching Jesus through the language he actually spoke. You might be able to tell the value of this book to me by the fact that I no longer say the Lord's prayer in English but only in Aramaic and there are some strange hydraulic mistakes in the English version that don't exist in the Aramaic

Personal experienc A shining light and open pathway.e and guidance Truly a light in the darkness.

Leider gibt es kaum deutsche Bücher von Neil Douglas-Klotz. Ich las vorher DER PROPHET AUS DER WÜSTE und wollte mehr hören. So kaufte ich mir dieses Buch. Dort sind weitere Botschaften, allerdings auf Englisch, und auch interessante Erklärungen enthalten. Wer dem ursprünglichen Jesus nahe kommen will, ist damit gut bedient.

Semitic mind set Semitic world view Semitic awareness of one’s very being - all conspire to open mind and above all heart! See what Jesus was all about

I highly recommend this book to Christians, Jews, and Muslims who would like to better understand the original meaning of the Aramaic teachings of Jesus. Insights from the nature of the Aramaic language and world view bring new and exciting meaning to spirituality at a time when the divine power Jesus tapped into is badly needed. Jesus explains how to do this. If you are serious about Jesus' faith, this book will open vast, new exciting horizons for what is possible.

A different slant on a message that was never explained from later English and Greek translations. You're let with an insight into a Middle Eastern mystical religion and philosophy; made more sense to me.

This book is insightful and thought provoking. Neil Douglas-Klotz is as much a poet as a scholar, and his intuitive style brings the depth of the Aramaic back into the every-day. Lovely!