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A young man walks along a road leading to the Sea of Galilee.

Messiahs were plentiful in the first century. In Judaism, the idea of Messiah referred to "a king appointed by the Almighty." After the Hasmonean kingdom in the first century and the Roman-Jewish wars in the first two centuries, the idea of a Messiah expanded. The Messiah was considered to be "the individual who would deliver the Jewish people from the Roman Empire," thus ushering in the golden age of Messiah. Now here comes another. A leader of a Jewish sect was crucified, and there were those who claimed he rose from the grave. It does sound a little preposterous.

Messiahs could fill volumes with their plans and heroics, but the obvious questions are, Where are they now? Where are their followers?

A man who gathers twelve apparent misfits of society and leads them while he teaches, heals, delivers evil spirits, and raises some from the dead is certainly unique. Is he one of the many self-proclaimed Messiahs, or is he different?

The faith that this man founded today represents nearly one-third of the world's population.

The Beginning details how this movement started. From a small group called The Way to the conversion of a vitriolic Pharisee to meetings with well-known political activists the story begins.