This short book resolves the mystery of why Jesus chose to call himself Son of Man. Far earlier, the first Son of Man--the prophet Ezekiel--had met death as a Babylonian substitute king. Professor Simo Parpola's expert exposition about Assyrian substitutes prepares readers for the sacrifice first of Ezekiel and then, far later in time, of Jesus. Ezekiel was the Suffering Servant of Isaiah chapter 53, and had perished as a substitute to redeem the lives of his rebellious countrymen. Understanding Ezekiel's fate, Jesus chose the Son of Man title to exemplify his own redemptive mission. The authors of Mark, Luke, and Matthew subsequently framed their passion accounts so as to describe the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus as a latter-day substitute king. Most of this will come as news to students of both testaments of Scripture.

PRESTON KAVANAGH holds degrees from Princeton and Harvard. He retired thirty years ago from an executive position in a large company to seek the identities of those who wrote the Hebrew Bible. His prior books have centered upon the Babylonian Exile of the Jews. The books are available from Pickwick Publications. His email address is [...].

SIMO PARPOLA is an Assyriologist, teacher, historian, and author. In 1971 he received his PhD from the University of Helsinki, and has since served on the faculties of universities in Europe and the United States. He has an impressive list of book and periodical publications, and is internationally recognized as a foremost scholar on ancient Assyria. Recently, the University of Helsinki (from which he is now retired) granted him the title of Professor Extraordinary of Assyriology.