Born in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, Isbouts studied Attic Greek and Latin, archaeology, art history and musicology at Leiden University in 1980.
Among other theories, Isbouts posits that Jesus was born near Nazareth, not Bethlehem; that he was a construction worker who toiled on new Roman cities rather than a carpenter; that he valued women as equal to men; and, perhaps most critically, that his ministry was as much about political and social activism as it was about religious belief.
[14]In 2016, Isbouts published two additional books, Archaeology of the Bible: The Greatest Discoveries From Genesis to the Roman Era, also with National Geographic; and Ten Prayers that Changed the World.
[16][2] A 2020 Houston Chronicle article noted that "Isbouts has two main passions: the message of the historical Jesus and the artists who shared and represented those sentiments".
[19] Describing his first examination of the Isleworth Mona Lisa, Isbouts related that he was "sceptical but intrigued",[20] stating, "I walked into the vault, it was very cold in there, and I spent about two hours with that painting.