Welcome to Mysteries of the Messiah website where you will gain a deeper understanding of the Jewish, cultural, and political issues that shaped the ministry environment of Jesus. This website is the culmination of thousands of hours of research and writing, stateside and in Israel. The manuscript upon which this site is built consists of more than 2,700 single-spaced pages of text. It is all about Jesus in His context, all about understanding the gospels, and all about helping you achieve a better understanding and relationship with the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

In this eBook, you will find the following:

  • More than 30 video mini-lectures by leading scholars who discuss important details
  • More than 900 words and phrases explained
  • Hebraic style of poetry restored in appropriate passages
  • An internal search engine in the full manuscript
  • More than 100 “biblical difficulties” and hard sayings carefully explained
  • More than 150 questions are answered concerning issues of the culture, Judaism, and the political environment, including some that students may have overlooked.
  • ALL Biblical passages appear in bold red font
  • More than 500 ancient extra-biblical quotations appear in bold blue font that provide insight to the religious, cultural and political environment of Jesus.
  • More than 250 photographs, many of which were taken by the author
  • Nearly 100 maps and illustrations
  • More than 30 appendices.
  • More than 6,200 footnotes, many with multiple references
  • More than 750,000 words in the entire manuscript
  • More than 500 listings in “Works Cited”
  • More than 1,500 hyperlinked listings in 7 Tables of Content
  • More than 24 “A Lesson in First Century Hermeneutics” explanations.

This eBook was written for a broad audience, including foreign pastors and students who have a limited English vocabulary. My goal is to help as many as possible receive an excellent western seminary-level education on the life and times of Jesus. Furthermore, this site is continually updated as additional information is obtained. However, as somebody once said, “It is good to be highly educated; it is better to be educated from on high; but it is best to be both.” It is my hope that as you study, your faith will likewise grow in the King of kings and Lord of lords.  – Rev. Dr. Bill Heinrich