Arrrgh.
Don’t we have some Jewish folks on the board who can comment on the OP?
The OP mentions Hyam Maccoby. Peter Kirby
quotes Maccoby as follows: "Jesus was a Jewish messiah-figure who had no intention of starting a new religion."
Yes. Pretty much what he said. A lot of people say that. He was merely claiming to be the new king. A descendant of David. He would drive out the Romans, and they’d be free once more. He argued that Jesus thought god would perform a miracle to stop the crucifixion and would defeat the Romans without the need for the Jews to engage in open rebellion. Thus he didn’t organize an armed force. He just marched into Jerusalem and basically expected god to be his backup. His pathetic cry on the cross makes sense then. He realized he had been abandoned by god.
He argues that Barabbas was not a thief, but actually a revolutionary. Israel was full of such men at the time.
He also points out that at Jesus’s anointing, the phrase, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ is actually a statement from the coronation of a new Israeli king. The whole concept of messiahship was simply the restoration of the old kings.
Another interesting point he makes is the palm fronds aren’t a spring thing. He says it’s more likely that Jesus came to Jerusalem in the fall and that he was kept in prison for months before being executed. But others say that they’re available year round.