Book

Nailed: Ten Christian Myths That Show Jesus Never Existed at All

by David Fitzgerald

📖 Overview

Nailed: Ten Christian Myths That Show Jesus Never Existed at All examines historical evidence around the existence of Jesus Christ. Author David Fitzgerald presents research that challenges traditional narratives about Christianity's central figure. The book addresses ten specific claims about Jesus and analyzes them through historical, archaeological, and textual evidence. Fitzgerald investigates contemporary Roman records, early Christian writings, and other historical documents to build his case. Fitzgerald explores why certain beliefs about Jesus became accepted as historical fact and how these narratives evolved over time. He examines the political and social context of early Christianity's development. The work contributes to ongoing scholarly debates about the historical Jesus and raises questions about the intersection of faith, mythology, and documented history. Its analysis prompts readers to consider how religious traditions emerge and become established as truth.

👀 Reviews

Readers see this as an introductory text for Jesus mythicism, noting it covers basic arguments without extensive scholarly depth. Several reviewers mention its accessible writing style and clear organization of evidence. Positive reviews highlight: - Clear explanations of historical contradictions - Effective questioning of traditional assumptions - Well-organized chapters and arguments - Good source citations Common criticisms include: - Over-simplification of complex historical debates - Some arguments rely on absence of evidence - Dismissive tone toward opposing viewpoints - Limited engagement with scholarly sources Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (300+ ratings) Reader quote examples: "Perfect primer for those new to the historical Jesus debate" - Goodreads reviewer "Makes bold claims without sufficient academic rigor" - Amazon reviewer "Useful introduction but not scholarly enough to be definitive" - LibraryThing review

📚 Similar books

Jesus: Mything in Action by David Fitzgerald A three-volume expansion of Nailed that presents additional historical analysis and arguments for the Christ myth theory.

On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt by Richard Carrier This academic work applies Bayes' theorem to examine the probability that Jesus existed as a historical figure.

The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold by Acharya S This book examines parallels between Jesus and other ancient mythological figures while questioning the historical evidence for Jesus's existence.

Christ in Egypt: The Horus-Jesus Connection by D.M. Murdock The book presents research on Egyptian mythology's influence on early Christianity and the Jesus narrative.

God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction by Dan Barker This text analyzes biblical accounts and presents arguments against the historical accuracy of religious texts.

🤔 Interesting facts

🔹 While most Christ myth theorists focus solely on Jesus, Fitzgerald's book also examines wider historical claims about early Christianity, including alleged archaeological evidence and the historical reliability of non-Christian sources. 🔹 The book challenges traditional assumptions about Nazareth, arguing that archaeological evidence suggests the town may not have existed during the time Jesus supposedly lived there. 🔹 David Fitzgerald serves on the board of directors for the San Francisco Atheists and is the founder of the first Atheist Film Festival. 🔹 The book's release in 2010 coincided with a surge in popular interest in the Christ myth theory, alongside works by Richard Carrier and Robert M. Price. 🔹 Despite its controversial thesis, the book received praise from several secular scholars for its accessible writing style and thorough documentation, featuring over 300 references and citations.