Benyamin Reimagines Christ as a Revolutionary in ‘The Second Book of Prophets’
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June 6, 2025 | Kochi — Award-winning author Benyamin, best known for Jasmine Days and Aadujeevitham (Goat Days), is back in the spotlight with a bold and thought-provoking new novel — The Second Book of Prophets. Translated into English by Ministhy S, the book was originally published in Malayalam in 2007 as Pravachakanmarude Randaam Pusthakam.
Now available through Simon & Schuster at ₹599, the book dives into themes of spiritual rebellion, exile, displacement, and offers a fresh perspective on one of history's most powerful figures — Jesus Christ.
The Bible as a Living Text
“All religious scriptures have something to say,” says Benyamin, who was inspired to write the novel after reading about the Dead Sea Scrolls and Nag Hammadi Library — two monumental discoveries from the 1940s that shed light on early Jewish and Christian teachings.
Coming from a conservative Christian household in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta, Benyamin (real name Benny Daniel) read the Bible regularly. But it wasn’t until he began reading it as literature that its characters and layers truly came alive for him.
“When you read the Bible academically, you start noticing the people behind the stories,” he explains. “This reinterpretation aims to help readers find new meaning in scriptures they thought they already knew.”
From Temptation to Revolution
While Nikos Kazantzakis humanized Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ, Benyamin goes a step further. He portrays Jesus not just as a spiritual guide, but as a revolutionary figure — someone who stood firm against autocracy, questioned social hierarchies, and challenged the status quo of his time.
The book explores deep emotional and moral struggles within Christ and his disciples — including Judas’ betrayal, Lazarus’ reported treachery, and inner conflict during temptation. It asks difficult questions about loyalty, purpose, and what it means to lead a rebellion from both within and outside the system.
Migration: The Heart of Every Journey
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One of Benyamin’s recurring themes is migration — not just physical, but emotional and spiritual too. “Displacement isn’t new,” he says. “Human history is full of it — wars, slavery, famine, riots. Even in the Old Testament, Jews prayed for deliverance from exile.”
As a former NRI who lived and worked in Bahrain for over 20 years, Benyamin has felt displacement firsthand. “I’ve experienced the loneliness, the numbness, the disconnection. That’s why I can write about it truthfully.”
Migration, in his eyes, is not just about geography — it’s about identity, belonging, and transformation. Whether it’s characters in Goat Days navigating survival in the desert or the inner exile of a revolutionary prophet, the journey is always central.
A Unique Writing Style
Benyamin’s storytelling is marked by non-linear structure and free-flowing narratives. “I don’t follow formulas. I begin with what I know — maybe a character, maybe a scene — and build from there,” he explains.
He compares it to highway construction: “Like starting work on a highway between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram — it doesn’t matter if you begin from Alappuzha or Thiruvananthapuram, as long as the vision is clear.”
Literary Influences and Upcoming Work
Benyamin draws inspiration from Malayalam legends like O.V. Vijayan, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, and M. Mukundan, as well as global voices like Orhan Pamuk, Georgi Gospodinov, Kafka, and Kazantzakis.
And there's more on the way. The author has just completed a novel based on the life of Shelvy Raj, the editor-poet who played a crucial role in Malayalam publishing. That book is expected to be released in July 2025.
A Legacy That Grows Stronger
From winning the JCB Prize for Literature for Jasmine Days in 2018 to seeing Aadujeevitham turned into the hit film The Goat Life in 2024, Benyamin’s work continues to cross borders and connect with readers across languages, faiths, and generations.
With The Second Book of Prophets, he invites readers to challenge, question, and reimagine — not just religious texts, but their own understanding of belief, history, and the power of rebellion.
Book Info:
- Title: The Second Book of Prophets
- Author: Benyamin
- Translator: Ministhy S
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster India
- Price: ₹599
- Available on: Amazon, Flipkart, and major bookstores
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