This controversial new book argues that Jesus, like many of his later followers, proclaimed that God was soon to intervene in human affairs and bring all of history to a screeching halt. Through a careful evaluation of the New Testament Gospels and other surviving sources, including the more recently discovered Gospels of Thomas and Peter, Ehrman shows why Jesus should be understood as an apocalyptic prophet who anticipated the destruction of evil, the end of the age, and beginning of a new world - not 2000 years after his lifetime, but in less than 30.

"As an experienced teacher he takes the reader through the complexities of Gospel study with a sure but light touch. The style is racy... and the presentation enlivened with many homely comparisons." - Anthony Harvey, Church Times 30/07/2000