Maccoby, Hyam

Hyam Maccoby (1924-2004) was a British Jewish scholar and dramatist who made significant contributions to the study of Christian origins and Jewish-Christian relations. Educated at Oxford University, he served as librarian at Leo Baeck College and later as professor at the University of Leeds. His controversial work "The Mythmaker" (1986) challenged traditional views of Paul's role in founding Christianity, arguing that Paul, not Jesus, was the true founder of Christianity as a distinct religion. Maccoby contended that Jesus remained within Judaism and that Paul created a new mystery religion by combining Jewish messianism with Hellenistic salvation myths. His scholarship emphasized the Jewish context of early Christianity and questioned the historical accuracy of New Testament accounts, particularly regarding Pharisees and Paul's background. His work sparked considerable debate about the relationship between the historical Jesus and the emergence of Christian theology.