Defending Jesus’ Crucifixion against Islamic Revision of Christian History
The truth of Jesus’ crucifixion, one of the most verifiable events in history, has been challenged by Muslims since the creation of Islam and the writing of the Qur’an. Muslims believe there was a crucifixion, but the majority deny that it was Jesus who was the one crucified.
Two prominent Muslim polemicists, ‘Abd al-Jabbār from the tenth century and Muhammad ‘Ata ur-Rahim from the twentieth century, have attempted to present a historical interpretation from a.d. 33 to 381 to support their denial of Jesus’ death on the cross. Since the death of Jesus on the cross is central—and essential—to the Bible’s gospel message, it is appropriate to consider the evidence for the crucifixion and how this erroneous view came to be commonly accepted by Muslims.
David Herbert tackles this belief by looking at the historical support for the veracity of the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion, external documentary and archeological evidence and plain historical challenge to the views put forward by al-Jabbār, ur-Rahim and others. In the course of the book, Herbert also debunks the view that the Gospel of Barnabas (frequently used by Muslims to defend their position), was a first-century document. He examines each of three views of what Muslims believe happened to Jesus at the crucifixion and powerfully defends this historical event, central to the Christian faith.
Publisher: Joshua Press
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781989174425
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David Herbert is a retired elementary and secondary history teacher. He received his B.A. from the University of Western Ontario, M.A. from Wheaton College (USA), M.Div. from Heritage Theological Seminary (Canada) and M.Ed. and Ed.D. from the University o
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“The resurrection of Jesus is the very foundation and heart of Christianity. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, Christianity is the greatest hoax in all of history. The biblical Gospel rests on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. One certain fact acknowledged by the vast majority of scholars is the death of Jesus on a Roman cross. Islam has rejected this historical fact based on 40 vague Arabic words in the Qur’an 4:157, written six centuries after the death and resurrection of Jesus. In denying the death of Jesus, Islam has also rejected the resurrection, thus undercutting the Gospel message, and this to the peril of the souls of Muslims all over the world. In this book, David Herbert addresses these important points in canvassing all the evidence regarding the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Through an analysis of the New Testament, the Early Church Fathers, the Creeds of the Church, and the extra-biblical sources from Jewish, and Greco-Roman sources, Herbert presents a formidable case for the historicity of the crucifixion and death of Jesus. I would recommend Dr. Herbert’s book to anyone who has an elementary knowledge of Islam. After reading this book, the reader will quickly learn how foreign and different the Jesus of Islam is from the historic Jesus of the Bible.” Dr. Tony Costa, Professor of Islam and Apologetics, Toronto Baptist Seminary