Brant Pitre takes up Albert Schweitzer's hypothesis that the origin of the doctrine of the atonement can be traced back to Jesus' teaching that he must die in the messianic tribulation. This work demonstrates that the tribulation was an important part of the eschatology of early Judaism and of Jesus himself. The author argues that Jesus' mission was indeed to bring about "the End of the Exile" - but not the Babylonian Exile. Rather, Jesus sought to inaugurate the ingathering of all twelve tribes of Israel. In order to accomplish this, he aimed to set in motion the Great Tribulation that the prophets had said would precede the ingathering of the exiles and the conversion of the Gentiles.