An accessible translation of this important lost gospel of the Bible, with an account if its reconstruction and analysis of its far-reaching implications.This is the first full account of the lost gospel of Jesus' original followers, revealing him to be a Jewish Socrates who was mythologized into the New Testament Christ. Compiled by his followers during his lifetime, the Book of Q (from Quelle, German for source) became the prime foundation for the New Testament gospels. Once lost, it has now been reconstructed through a century of scholarship. Instead of telling a dramatic story about Jesus' life as the Christian gospels do, the Book of Q contained only his sayings. The first followers of Jesus focused not upon his life and destiny, but on the social experiment called for by his teachings. Their book collected his proverbs, aphorisms, and parables to offer instruction in living authentically in the midst of a most confusing time.In presenting his own translation, Burton Mack explains how the text of Q was determined and explores the implications of the discovery that Jesus was transformed into the dying and rising messianic savior of Christianity by the New Testament gospels.

The first book to give the full account of the lost gospel of Jesus' original followers, revealing him to be a Jewish Socrates who was mythologized into the New Testament Christ.

How does this rediscovered text?the Book of Q?radically reshape our understanding of Christian origins?

• The Lost Gospel: Explore the discovery and reconstruction of Q, a collection of Jesus's teachings used by Matthew and Luke but lost to history for nearly two millennia.
• A Jewish Socrates: Uncover a portrait of Jesus not as a divine savior, but as a Cynic-like teacher of wisdom who challenged the social conventions of first-century Galilee.
• The First Followers: Meet the "Jesus people" of Q?a movement that followed a teacher's social program and did not worship a Christ, regard his death as a saving event, or believe in the resurrection.
• Christian Mythmaking: See how the narrative gospels mythologized a wisdom teacher into the New Testament Christ, and what this process reveals about the true origins of Christianity.