Although Paul’s writings have been intensively studied by Christian theologians, they have been dismissed by Jewish scholars as the meditations of an antagonistic apostate who broke completely with his Jewish past. In this revisionist account of Paul’s work, Alan Segal argues that Paul’s life can be better understood by taking his Jewishness seriously, and that Jewish history can be illuminated greatly by examining Paul’s writings. By reading Paul from the viewpoint of the religion he left behind, Segal sheds new light on the man who played a critical role in both Judaism and Christianity.  'Segal’s new book challenges Jewish and Christian scholars alike to take a fresh look at this well-educated man.'—The Washington Post Book World 'Segal has written a blockbuster of a book about Paul that blazes a new trail. It not only gives new insights into Paul and his thought, but it establishes the writings of Paul as significant primary source material for the study of first-century