The historical Jesus is Jesus of Nazareth as reconstructed by historians using historical methods. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Nazareth (ˈnæzərəθ (נָצְרַת Hebrew Natz'rat or Natzeret, الناصرة an-Nāṣira or an-Naseriyye) is the capital and largest The historical method comprises the techniques and guidelines by which Historians use Primary sources and other evidence to research and then to write history These historical methods use critical analysis of gospel texts as the primary source for the biography of Jesus, along with non-biblical sources to reconstruct the historical context of first-century Judea. This article is about the academic treatment of the bible as a historical document Scholars examine the cultural and historical background of Jesus in order to better understand Jesus his ministry and the origins of Christianity These methods do not include theological or religious axioms, such as biblical infallibility. Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos In traditional Logic, an axiom or postulate is a proposition that is not proved or demonstrated but considered to be either self-evident, or subject Biblical infallibility is the theological term to describe the belief that the Bible is free from errors on issues of faith and practice while minor possible contradictions in history Though the reconstructions vary, they generally agree on these basic points: Jesus was a Jewish teacher^[1] who attracted a small following of Galileans and, after a period of ministry, was crucified by the Romans in the Iudaea Province during the governorship of Pontius Pilate. Kingdom of Judea redirects here For the 10th-6th century BCE kingdom see Kingdom of Judah Iudaea ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard The quest for the historical Jesus began with the work of Hermann Samuel Reimarus. This article is about the history of academic Jesus research For the book "The Quest of the Historical Jesus A Critical Study of Its Progress from Reimarus to Wrede" Hermann Samuel Reimarus ( December 22, 1694, Hamburg - March 1, 1768, Hamburg was a German Philosopher and ^[2]

A series of articles on
Jesus Christ and Christianity Chronology • Virgin Birth Ministry • Miracles • Parables Death • Resurrection Second Coming • Christology Names and titles • Relics • Active obedience
Cultural and historical background Aramaic • Race Genealogy of Jesus
Perspectives on Jesus Biblical Jesus • Religious Christian • Jewish Islamic • Ahmadi • Scientology Historicity • In myth Research: historical • mythic
Jesus in culture Depiction • Sexuality This box: view • talk • edit

Scholarly methods

Historians have developed a number of methods to critically analyze historical sources:

• Criterion of dissimilarity

More narrowly, the criterion of embarrassment, statements contrary or dissimilar to the author's agenda are likely to be more reliable. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Introduction The chronology of Jesus is linked to a number of Jewish festivals The virgin birth of Jesus is a religious Tenet of Christianity and Islam which holds that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while According to the canonical Gospels Jesus worked many Miracles in the course of his ministry, which may be categorized into cures Exorcisms The parables of Jesus, found in the Synoptic gospels, embody much of Jesus ' teaching. The crucifixion of Jesus is an event recorded in all four Gospels (;;) which takes place after his arrest and trial and includes his scourging Within the body of Christian beliefs the resurrection of Jesus is a core event on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic Christology (from Christ and Greek grc -λογία -logia) is a field of study within Christian theology which is concerned with A large variety of names and titles are used in the New Testament to describe Jesus. There are many relics attributed to Jesus that people believe or believed to be authentic Relics of the Gospel accounts The active obedience of Jesus Christ (sometimes called his preceptive obedience comprises the totality of his actions which Christians believe Scholars examine the cultural and historical background of Jesus in order to better understand Jesus his ministry and the origins of Christianity Most scholars believe that historical '''Jesus''' primarily spoke Aramaic, with some Hebrew and Greek, although there The race of Jesus has been a subject of debate since at least the 19th century The genealogy of Jesus through Joseph is given by two passages from the Gospels, Matthew and Luke. The four canonical Gospels of the New Testament are the main sources of information for the doctrinal Christian narrative of Jesus ' life Religious perspectives on Jesus is the specific significance some Religions place on Jesus. Christian views of Jesus consist of the teachings and beliefs held by Christian groups about Jesus including his divinity humanity and earthly life While Judaism has no special or particular view of Jesus, and very few texts in Judaism directly refer to or take note of Jesus, Judaism takes a strong Etymology The Anglicized name of Jesus is derived from the Latin Iēsus, which in turn comes from the Greek (Iēsoûs Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard described Scientology as "the Western Anglicized continuance of many earlier forms of wisdom" and cites the teachings The historicity of Jesus concerns the historical authenticity of Jesus of Nazareth. The study of Jesus from a mythographical perspective is the examination of the narrative of Jesus, the Christ ("the Anointed " of the This article is about the history of academic Jesus research For the book "The Quest of the Historical Jesus A Critical Study of Its Progress from Reimarus to Wrede" "Jesus myth" links here For a comparison between Jesus Christ and pagan mythology see Jesus Christ and comparative mythology. Jesus has inspired artistic and cultural works for nearly two millennia The depiction of Jesus in art took several centuries to reach a conventional standardized form for his physical appearance which has subsequently remained largely stable since that The canonical New Testament does not explicitly indicate that Jesus had any sexual relationships or desire and Christians have traditionally believed that he remained The Criterion of embarrassment is a tool used by some Biblical scholars to help determine whether certain actions or sayings by Jesus in the New Testament For example, a Christian source would be unlikely to claim that Jesus was from Nazareth (rather than from Bethlehem), unless his family was actually from Nazareth, as this was a cause of embarrassment.

• Criterion of multiple attestation

When two or more independent sources present similar or consistent accounts, it is at least certain that the tradition predates the sources. The criterion of multiple attestation or independent attestation is a tool used by some Biblical scholars to help determine whether certain actions or sayings by See the Historicity of Jesus for a list of sources pertaining to this question. The historicity of Jesus concerns the historical authenticity of Jesus of Nazareth.

• Contextual and linguistic criteria

A source is more credible when the tradition makes sense in the context of what historians know about the cultural background. There are some interesting conclusions that can be drawn from linguistic analysis of the gospels. For example, if a dialogue only works in Greek (the language of its written source), it is quite likely the author is reporting something at least slightly different from the original.

• Author's Agenda

This criterion is the flip side of the criterion of dissimilarity. When material serves the perceived purposes of the author or redactor, it is suspect. ^[3] For example, various sections of the gospels, such as the Massacre of the Innocents, portray Jesus' life as fulfilling prophecy, and in the view of many scholars, reflect the agenda of the gospel authors rather than historical events. For the painting by Peter Paul Rubens see " Massacre of the Innocents (Rubens "

Jesus' Jewish background

See also: Cultural and historical background of Jesus

According to the Gospels and other early sources,^[4] Jesus was active in Galilee and Judea (modern day Israel, Palestine, and Jordan) during the first half of the first century. Scholars examine the cultural and historical background of Jesus in order to better understand Jesus his ministry and the origins of Christianity This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) "Galil" redirects here For the weapon see IMI Galil. Galilee (הגליל ha-Galil, lit the province, Judea or Judæa ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh, "praised For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Name There are differences of opinion as to what the Palestinian territories should be called Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern The 1st century was the Century that lasted from 1 to 100 according the Julian calendar. Following the fall of earlier Jewish kingdoms, the partially-Hellenized territory was under Roman imperial rule, but there were ongoing hopes of a revival of sovereignty. The history of Ancient Israel and Judah is known to us from classical sources including Judaism 's Tanakh or Hebrew Bible (known Hellenization (or Hellenisation) is a term used to describe the spread of Greek culture. The Roman Prefect’s first duty to Rome was to maintain order, but although the land was mostly peaceful, there was a continued risk of rebellion, riots, banditry, and violent resistance (see also Zealotry). Four decades after Jesus’ death, the tensions caused by Jewish hopes for a restoration of the kingdom of David culminated in the first Jewish-Roman War and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Kingdom of David was a part of the Empire Series of history documentaries for the PBS television network produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting in joint The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD It was a decisive event in the First Jewish-Roman War, followed by the fall of Masada in 73

Given the historical context in which the Gospels took their final form and during which Christianity first emerged, historians have struggled to understand Jesus' ministry in terms of what is known about first-century Judaism. According to scholars such as Geza Vermes and E.P. Sanders, Jesus does not seem to have belonged to any particular party or movement; Jesus was eclectic (and perhaps unique) in combining elements of many of these different—and for most Jews, opposing—positions. Géza Vermes ThD D Litt (ˈɡeːz̻ɒ ˈvɛr̪mɛʃ born 22 June 1924) is a Hungarian scholar and writer on religious history particularly Ed Parish Sanders (born 18 April 1937) is a New Testament Scholar, and is one of the principal proponents of the New Perspective on Paul Most critical scholars see Jesus as healing people and performing miracles in the prophetic tradition of the Galilee, while preaching God's desire for justice and righteousness in the prophetic tradition of Judea. Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure is the practice of evicting Demons or other evil According to the canonical Gospels Jesus worked many Miracles in the course of his ministry, which may be categorized into cures Exorcisms "Galil" redirects here For the weapon see IMI Galil. Galilee (הגליל ha-Galil, lit the province, The Expounding of the Law ( KJV: sometimes called the ''Antithesis of the Law'', is a highly structured ("Ye have heard. Judea or Judæa ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh, "praised According to Geza Vermes, the fact that Jesus' followers addressed him as "lord" indicates that they likened him to notable miracle workers and scribes.

Nevertheless, Jesus reflects the cultural milieu of his time. Many of his teachings echo the beliefs of the Qumran community (which was probably a branch of the Essenes) and of some of the Pharisees. In Jesus' day, the two main schools of thought among the Pharisees were the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai; the accusations of hypocrisy which Jesus is reported as levelling at Pharisees in general may have been directed against the stricter members of the House of Shammai, although he also agreed with their teachings on divorce (Mark 10:1-12). Hillel (הלל (born Babylon traditionally c110BCE-10CE in Jerusalem) was a famous Jewish religious leader one of the most important figures in Jewish The House of Shammai (or Beit Shammai, beit is Hebrew for house was the school of thought of Judaism founded by Shammai, a Jewish scholar of The Expounding of the Law ( KJV: sometimes called the ''Antithesis of the Law'', is a highly structured ("Ye have heard. In general, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is stricter than the teachings of the House of Hillel. In the Gospel of St Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount is a compilation of Jesus' sayings epitomizing his moral teaching. ^[5]

Finally, Jesus' repeated declarations that the kingdom of God was at hand echoed popular apocalyptic views and the political views of the Zealots. Following the failure of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire almost two centuries previously, most Jews of Jesus' time believed that the restoration of the kingdom would be accomplished by God, not by any Jewish movement. The Maccabees ( Hebrew: מכבים or מקבים, Makabim or Maqabim; Greek Μακκαβαῖοι, /makav'εï/ were The Maccabean Revolt was a Jewish revolt against Seleucidic and Syrian rulers taking place in the second century before Christ The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i However, he did believe that this restoration was imminent. Jesus was enigmatic at best about his claim to actually be the presumptive monarch. The Davidic line, known in Hebrew as Malkhut Beit David (מלכות בית דויד( "Monarchy of the House of David") refers to the That he speaks of twelve disciples is probably symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel, and thus a metaphor for "all Israel". The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e See also History of ancient Israel and Judah According to the Bible, the Israelites were the dominant group living in the Land of Israel. The Seventy Disciples, found only in the Gospel of Luke, may be related to the 70 nations of all humanity found in Genesis 11. The Seventy Disciples or Seventy-two Disciples were early followers of Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Luke (Gk Κατά Λουκάν Ευαγγέλιον) is a synoptic Gospel, and is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the ^[6] According to Geza Vermes and others, the use of the terms "messiah" and "son of God" by Jesus' followers indicate that they believed he would assume the monarchy upon the restoration of the kingdom (see Names and titles of Jesus). Son of God is a phrase found in the Hebrew Bible, various other Jewish texts and the New Testament. A large variety of names and titles are used in the New Testament to describe Jesus.

Biographical details of Jesus

According to Professor Paula Fredriksen, Boston University, two events in the Gospels probably happened: John's baptism, and Pilate's crucifixion of Jesus. Paula Fredriksen is a historian and a scholar of Religious studies. For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. In the Synoptic gospels, Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist. These events are mentioned in all four gospels. John the Baptist's prominence in both the gospels and Josephus suggests that he may have been more popular than Jesus in his lifetime; also, Jesus's mission does not begin until after his baptism by John. Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. Fredriksen suggests that it was only after Jesus's death that Jesus emerged as more influential than John. Accordingly, the gospels project Jesus's posthumous importance back to his lifetime. One way Fredriksen believes this was accomplished was by minimizing John's importance by having John resist baptizing Jesus (Matthew), by referring to the baptism in passing (Luke), or by asserting Jesus's superiority (John).

Many scholars posit that Jesus may have been a direct follower in John the Baptist's movement. Prominent Historical Jesus scholar John Dominic Crossan suggests that John the Baptist may have been killed for political reasons, not necessarily the personal grudge given in Mark's gospel. John Dominic Crossan (b Nenagh Co Tipperary, Ireland, 1934 is an Irish-American religious scholar known for co-founding the controversial Jesus Seminar ^[7] Going into the desert and baptising in the Jordan suggests that John and his followers were purifying themselves for what they believed was God's imminent deliverance. This was reminiscent of such a crossing of the Jordan after the Exodus (see Book of Joshua), leading into the promised land of their deliverance from oppression. The Book of Joshua ( Hebrew: Sefer Y'hoshua ספר יהושע is the sixth book in both the Hebrew Tanakh and the Old Testament of the Christian Jesus' teachings would later diverge from John's apocalyptic vision (it depends which scholar view is adopted. According to Ehrman or Sanders apocaliptic vision was the core of Jesus' teaching) which warned of "the wrath to come," as "the axe is laid to the root of the trees" and those who do not bear "good fruit" are "cut down and thrown into the fire. " (Luke 3:7-9) Though John's teachings remained visible in those of Jesus, Jesus would emphasize the Kingdom of God not as imminent, but as already present and manifest through the movement's communal commitment to a relationship of equality among all members, and living by the laws of divine justice.

All four gospels agree that Jesus was crucified by Pontius Pilate, and this fact is consistent with Jewish accounts of Roman cruelty in general and Pilate's cruelty in particular. Crucifixion was the penalty for political insurrection, used as a symbol of Rome's absolute authority; those who stood against Rome were utterly annihilated. Jesus Seminar scholar John Dominic Crossan points to the use of the word "kingdom" in his central teachings of the "Kingdom of God," which alone would have put Jesus on the radar of Roman authority. The Jesus Seminar is a group of about 150 individuals including scholars with advanced degrees in Biblical studies, Religious studies or related fields as well as Rome dealt with Jesus as it commonly did with essentially non-violent dissension: the killing of its leader. It was usually violent uprisings such as those during the Roman-Jewish Wars that warranted the slaughter of leader and followers.

As the balance shifted in the early Church from the Jewish community to Gentile converts, it may have sought to distance itself from rebellious Jews (those who rose up against the Roman occupation). Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c There was also a schism developing within the Jewish community as these believers in Jesus were pushed out of the synagogues after the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD, see Council of Jamnia. Even before the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai relocated to the city of Yavne / Jamnia and received permission The divergent accounts of Jewish involvement in the trial of Jesus suggest some of the unfavorable sentiments between such Jews that resulted. The Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus is an event reported by all the Canonical Gospels of the Bible.

Aside from the fact that the gospels provide different accounts of the Jewish role in Jesus's death (for example, Mark and Matthew report two separate trials, Luke one, and John none), Fredriksen, like other scholars (see Catchpole 1971) argues that many elements of the gospel accounts could not possibly have happened: according to Jewish law, the court could not meet at night; it could not meet on a major holiday; Jesus's statements to the Sanhedrin or the High Priest (e. The responsibility for the death of Jesus has in Christianity, both Historical and Theological aspects g. that he was the messiah) did not constitute blasphemy; the charges that the gospels purport the Jews to have made against Jesus were not capital crimes against Jewish law; even if Jesus had been accused and found guilty of a capital offense by the Sanhedrin, the punishment would have been death by stoning (the fates of Saint Stephen and James the Just for example) and not crucifixion. According to the Torah (or Mosaic Law) these are the offenses which may merit the Death penalty in a Jewish major court of 23 judges Saint James the Just ( Hebrew: יעקב or Jacob ( Greek Iάκωβος (died 62AD also known as James of Jerusalem, James Adelphotheos This necessarily assumes that the Jewish leaders were scrupulously obedient to Roman law, and never broke their own laws, customs or traditions even for their own advantage. In response it has been argued that the legal circumstances surrounding the trial have not been well understood ^[8], and that Jewish leaders were not always strictly obedient, either to Roman law or or to their own. ^[9]

Furthermore, talk of a restoration of the Jewish monarchy was seditious under Roman occupation. Further, Jesus would have entered Jerusalem at an especially risky time, during Passover, when popular emotions were running high. Although most Jews did not have the means to travel to Jerusalem for every holiday, virtually all tried to comply with these laws as best they could. And during these festivals, such as the Passover, the population of Jerusalem would swell, and outbreaks of violence were common. Scholars suggest that the High Priest feared Jesus' talk of an imminent restoration of an independent Jewish state might spark a riot. Maintaining the peace was one of the primary jobs of the Roman-appointed High Priest, who was personally responsible to them for any major outbreak. Scholars therefore argue that he would have arrested Jesus for promoting sedition and rebellion, and turned him over to the Romans for punishment.

Both the gospel accounts and [the] Pauline interpolation [found at 1 Thes 2:14-16] were composed in the period immediately following the terrible war of 66-73. The Church had every reason to assure prospective Gentile audiences that the Christian movement neither threatened nor challenged imperial sovereignty, despite the fact that their founder had himself been crucified, that is, executed as a rebel. ^[10]

However, Paul's preaching of the Gospel and its radical social practices were by their very definition a direct affront on the social hierarchy of Greco-Roman society itself, and thus these new teachings undermined the Empire, ultimately leading to full scale Roman persecution of Christians aimed at stamping out the new faith.

Birth

Some historians conclude that Jesus was born around 7-2 BC,^[11] and probably in Nazareth. Nazareth (ˈnæzərəθ (נָצְרַת Hebrew Natz'rat or Natzeret, الناصرة an-Nāṣira or an-Naseriyye) is the capital and largest ^[12][13][14] Other modern scholars believe the two Gospel accounts of Jesus's birth present two different and conflicting narratives, and view both stories as "pious fictions". ^[15] E. P. Sanders describes them as "the clearest cases of invention in the Gospels". Ed Parish Sanders (born 18 April 1937) is a New Testament Scholar, and is one of the principal proponents of the New Perspective on Paul ^[16]

Year and date

See also: Census of Quirinius

The scholarly consensus, based on Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews is that Herod died at the end of March, or early April of 4 BC. The Census of Quirinius refers to a historical enrollment of the Roman Provinces of Syria and Iudaea for the purpose of taxation taken during the reign of Antiquities of the Jews ( Antiquitates Judaicae in Latin) was a work published by the important Jewish historian Flavius Josephus about the Year 4 BC was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. For instance, he states that Herod Philip I's death took place, after a thirty-seven year reign, in the twentieth year of Tiberius, which would imply that he took over on Herod's death in 4 BC. Herod Philip I (ca 27 BC - 33 AD was the son of Herod the Great and Mariamne II, the daughter of Simon Boethus the High Priest (Mark 617 ^[17] This would imply a date for the birth of Jesus earlier than 4 BC, based on the account in the Matthew Gospel. However, the Census of Quirinius, referred to in the Luke account, took place in 6 AD, which would imply a birth date ten years later than the Matthew version; scholars generally discount this and place the birth before the death of Herod. Year 6 ( VI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar.

Location

See also: Nazarene

The Holy Face of San Silvestro from the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Vatican Palace. Exhibited in the eighteenth century as the legendary Mandylion, the earliest known portrait of Jesus.

The gospels repeatedly refer to Jesus as from Nazareth and from Galilee. The reference to his being born in Bethlehem, in Judea, is part of the suspect nativity narratives in Matthew and Luke. Still, historians don't rule out that he might actually have been born in Bethlehem. This issue is relevant to those attacking or defending Biblical inerrancy and those who believe the Messiah must be born in Bethlehem or Judea.

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke seem not to know of each other's account of Jesus's birth, because while agreeing on the place of his birth as well as Mary and Joseph's residency afterwards, they differ on their residency prior to it. In Luke, Mary and Joseph travel south from their residence in Galilee for the census (of which there is no historical record). Luke makes no mention of the slaughter of the innocents. In Matthew, Mary and Joseph are residents of Bethlehem prior to Jesus's birth, and flee to Egypt after because of Herod's decree to slaughter all male children under two years of age. It is only upon Herod's death that Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus return to Israel. However, instead of returning to their original (cf. Matthew) residence in Bethlehem, they relocate to Nazareth precisely because they are not known there. Hence, Matthew and Luke relate contradictory stories of Mary and Joseph's original residency with two historical anchors — that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and that he began his ministry some years later as a known resident of Nazareth.

Matthew 2 and Luke 2 are the only places in the New Testament that clearly make the claim that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. For depictions in painting and sculpture see Nativity of Jesus in art. Elsewhere, Jesus is simply Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the Nazarene, or Jesus the Nazorean. Not to be confused with Nasoraeans The Nazarene sect ( Ναζωραίων from Hebrew נזרים) were an early The latter terms, "Nazarene" and "Nazorean", could have a variety of meanings: the name of a place (Nazara, later Nazareth), the term for a spiritual or community leader in Gnostic communities (Nostri and Nazara are both terms associated with Gnosticism), or a term denoting righteousness (Nazur or Nazarite). Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems A nazirite or nazarite, (in Hebrew: נזיר nazir) refers to a Jew who took the Ascetic vow described in.

Linguistic proficiency

The Gospels seem to indicate that Jesus spoke Aramaic, as he often uses metaphors unknown in Hebrew or Greek but common in Aramaic. Most scholars believe that historical '''Jesus''' primarily spoke Aramaic, with some Hebrew and Greek, although there Metaphor (from the Greek: μεταφορά - metaphora, meaning "transfer" is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects If he was literate—and most peasants were not—he might have known Hebrew, but Targums also existed in Aramaic. Biblical Hebrew, also called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of the Hebrew language in which the Hebrew Bible and various Israelite inscriptions A targum ( Hebrew: תרגום plural targumim, lit "translation interpretation" is an Aramaic Translation of the Hebrew ^[18] Some scholars speculate that because the lingua franca under Roman occupation was Greek, Jesus might have known at least some Koine Greek. A lingua franca (from Italian, literally meaning Frankish language, see etymology under Sabir and Italian below is any Language widely Koine Greek (Κοινὴ Ἑλληνική, "common Greek" or, ciˈni ðiˈale̞kto̞s "the common dialect" is the popular form of Greek which emerged in ^[19]

Literacy

The only two examples of evidence that Jesus may have been literate is a passage in the gospel of Luke (Luke 4:16-30), where he stands up in his hometown synagogue to read from the Isaiah scroll during services, and another in John 8:1-11, where it is noted that Jesus bent down and started to write upon the ground with his finger during the Pericope Adulteræ, which is not found in the earliest biblical manuscripts. The Pericope Adulterae (pəˈrɪkəpi əˈdʌltəri in anglicised Latin)is a traditional name for a famous passage ( Pericope) about an adulterous woman— Many scholars of the historical Jesus who regard the gospels as fallible do not find this evidence convincing. Most people of Jesus' time, place, and social standing were illiterate. However, Jesus is referred to as Rabbi, or "Teacher", multiple times in the gospels, which may suggest that he was literate, at least in Hebrew or Aramaic. Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master The issue of Jesus' literacy is debated amongst those attacking or defending biblical inerrancy.

Socioeconomic status

Jesus is identified in Mark as a tekton, or carpenter, (Mark 6:3) and in Matthew as the son of a carpenter (Matthew 13:55). A carpenter (builder is a skilled craftsman who performs carpentry - a wide range of Woodworking that includes constructing buildings,

John Dominic Crossan puts tekton into a historical context more resembling an itinerant Irish "tinker" than a Union-card holding artisan, emphasizing his marginality in a population in which a peasant, seised with land, could become quite prosperous. John Dominic Crossan (b Nenagh Co Tipperary, Ireland, 1934 is an Irish-American religious scholar known for co-founding the controversial Jesus Seminar

Family background and childhood

See also: Names of Jesus and his family and Nativity of Jesus#Paternity

Yosef

Jesus' father might have been named Yosef. See also Names and titles of Jesus, Desposyni Most Western Latin derived sources agree that this man's name was Jesus (iesus For depictions in painting and sculpture see Nativity of Jesus in art. Jesus' reputed descent from King David would be consistent with an attempt by the authors of Matthew and Luke to bolster his identity as the Messiah and King of the Jews. David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions However, the names of Joseph (Yosef) and Jesus (Yeshua) or Joshua, were extremely common among Jews in the first century, as is the name Mary (Miriam).

Miryam

The majority of information on Jesus' mother Mary comes from her mention in the Synoptic Gospels and the Book of Acts. The synoptic gospels are the first three Gospels of the New Testament in the Christian Bible. The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. The Gospel of John does not mention her by name but refers to "the mother of Jesus" or "[Jesus'] mother. The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon " Beyond the accounts given in the Gospels and a few other early Christian sources,^[20] there is no independent or verifiable information about any aspect of Mary's life.

Jesus's siblings

Main article: Desposyni

Both Mark and Matthew describe Jesus as having "brothers", who are named as James (Jacob), Joses (or Joseph), Jude (Judas), and Simon. The Desposyni (plural from Greek ( desposynos) "of or belonging to the master or lord" as in Gr Saint James the Just ( Hebrew: יעקב or Jacob ( Greek Iάκωβος (died 62AD also known as James of Jerusalem, James Adelphotheos Jude (alternatively Judas or Judah) is the third of the brothers of Jesus appearing in the New Testament. In the Hebrew Bible, the word "brother" (אח) is often used to mean "kinsman" or "cousin". ^[21] However, some historians maintain that these biblical passages suggest Jesus had actual brothers. Mark also mentions his sisters (Mark 6:3), but here the term "sisters" might refer to other female relatives. ^[22] Many of the gnostic gospels, including the Protevangelium of James, claim these were children of Joseph from an earlier marriage, making them the step-brothers and step-sisters (or half-brothers and half-sisters) of Jesus. The term gnostic gospels refers to Gnostic collections of writings about the teachings of Jesus, written around the 2nd century AD. The Gospel of James, also sometimes known as the Infancy Gospel of James or the Protoevangelium of James, is an apocryphal Gospel probably written about Joseph "of the House of David " ( Hebrew יוֹסֵף also known as Saint Joseph, Joseph the Betrothed, Joseph of Nazareth ^[23]

Ministry of Jesus

Works and miracles

Early Christian image of Christ as the Good Shepherd. Fourth century.

Jesus, like many holy men throughout history, is said to have performed various miracles in the course of his ministry. According to the canonical Gospels Jesus worked many Miracles in the course of his ministry, which may be categorized into cures Exorcisms These mostly consist of cures and exorcisms, but some show a dominion over nature. Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure is the practice of evicting Demons or other evil Scholars in both Christian and secular traditions debate whether these miracles should be construed as claims of supernatural power, or explained without recourse to supernatural occurrences. Naturalistic historians generally choose either to see the texts as allegory or to attribute the healings and exorcisms to the placebo effect. An allegory (from αλλος allos "other" and el αγορευειν agoreuein "to speak in public" is a figurative mode of representation Placebo is a substance or procedure a patient accepts as medicine or therapy but which has no specific therapeutic activity

Jesus and John the Baptist

According to the Mark and Matthew accounts of the gospels, Jesus began his ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing soon after he was baptized by John the Baptist, an apocalyptic ascetic preacher who called on Jews to repent. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. This event is considered by scholars to have high historical credibility.

Luke's gospel records that Jesus' mother, Mary, was related to John's mother, Elizabeth (Luke 1:36), although many scholars doubt this. ^[24] Matthew portrays John humbly attempting to decline to baptise Jesus. The other gospels do not. This would tend to indicate a difference in the writers' theological and historical perspectives. Disciples of John are contrasted with the followers of Jesus, even as late as in the Book of Acts. The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament.

Ministry and teachings

Main article: Ministry of Jesus

The synoptic Gospels agree that Jesus grew up in Nazareth, went to the River Jordan to meet and be baptised by the prophet John (Yohannan) the Baptist, and shortly after began healing and preaching to villagers and fishermen around the Sea of Galilee (which is actually a freshwater lake). This article is about the Jordan River and its valley in western Asia The Sea of Galilee, also Sea of Genneseret, Lake Kinneret or Lake Tiberias (Hebrew ים כנרת) (Arabic بحيرة طبريا) Although there were many Phoenician, Macedonian, and Roman cities nearby (e. Phoenicia ( Phoenician: Phoenician nunsvg|12px|נ]]Phoenician nun Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC g. Gesara and Gadara; Sidon and Tyre; Sepphoris and Tiberias), there is only one account of Jesus healing someone in the region of the Gadarenes found in the three synoptic Gospels (the demon called Legion), and another when he healed a Syro-Phoenician girl in the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon (Mark 7:24-30). Umm Qais ( أم قيس) is a town in Jordan located on the site of the ruined Hellenistic - Roman city of Gadara ( גדרה Sidon,or Saïda, ( Arabic ar صيدا; Phoenician phoenician yodh Tzippori (ציפורי also known by the Greek Sepphoris, in Latin Dioceserea, and the Arabic Saffuriya (صفورية or Suffurriye Tiberias ( British English: /taɪˈbɪəriæs -əs/ American English: /taɪˈbɪriəs/ טְבֶרְיָה Tverya; طبرية Ṭabariyyah See Legion (disambiguation for other concepts with this name Legion, also known as the Gerasene demon, or translated as Lots Otherwise, there is no record of Jesus having spent any significant amount of time in Gentile towns. The center of his work was Capernaum, a small town (about 500 by 350 meters, with a population of 1,500-2,000) where, according to the Gospels, he appeared at the town's synagogue (a non-sacred meeting house where Jews would often gather on the Sabbath to study the Torah), healed a paralytic, and continued seeking disciples. A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to Paralysed redirects here For other uses see xx Paralysed (disambiguation Paralysis is the complete loss of Muscle function

Once Jesus established a following (although there are debates over the number of followers), he moved towards the Davidic capital of Judea, Jerusalem, and began preaching in the wildernesses of the Negev and Jordan, including occasional forays into Samaria. The Davidic line, known in Hebrew as Malkhut Beit David (מלכות בית דויד( "Monarchy of the House of David") refers to the Judea or Judæa ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh, "praised Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the The Negev (נֶגֶב Tiberian vocalization: Néḡeḇ) is the Desert region of southern Israel. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern Samaria, or the Shomron ( שֹׁמְרוֹן, Standard Šoməron Tiberian Šōmərôn He ended his ministry in Jerusalem (the synoptic Gospels suggest that his ministry lasted around one year and was spent mostly in the Galilee; John suggests that his ministry lasted more than two years and was spent mostly in Judea).

Length of ministry

Historians do not know how long Jesus preached. The Gospel of John mentions three separate Passovers during Jesus' ministry, so Jesus' ministry is traditionally said to have been three years long. Passover ( Hebrew, Yiddish: פֶּסַח Pesach, Tiberian: pɛsaħ Israeli: Pesah, Pesakh, Yiddish However, even using this method of time calculation, just under four years is the maximum time, and two years is the minimum. Historians, however, regard John as the least reliable of the four canonical gospels,^[25] and its chronology differs from that of the synoptic gospels, which mention only one Passover.

Parables and paradoxes

Main article: Parables of Jesus

Jesus taught in parables and aphorisms. The parables of Jesus, found in the Synoptic gospels, embody much of Jesus ' teaching. A parable is a figurative image with a single message (sometimes mistaken for an analogy, in which each element has a metaphoric meaning). An aphorism is a short, memorable turn of phrase. In Jesus' case, aphorisms often involve some paradox or reversal. Authentic parables probably include the Good Samaritan and the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard or the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Parable of the Generous Employer was given by Jesus in the New Testament Authentic aphorisms include "turn the other cheek", "go the second mile", and "love your enemies". Turning the other cheek is to respond to an aggressor without violence (in every sense of the word The Expounding of the Law ( KJV: sometimes called the ''Antithesis of the Law'', is a highly structured ("Ye have heard.

Jesus' use of parables was so characteristic of him that the gospel authors frequently comment on it. For example, consider Matthew 4:10-12 and Matthew 13:34-35. The detailed nature of Jesus' spiritual teaching cannot be fully agreed upon because the Gospel accounts are fragmentary and their objectivity is suspect. Furthermore, he made extensive use of paradox and parable, leaving it unclear how literally he wished to be taken. A paradox is a true statement or group of statements that leads to a Contradiction or a situation which defies intuition; or inversely A parable is a brief succinct story in Prose or verse, that illustrates a Moral or Religious lesson

The gospels, especially John, also record Jesus speaking to the disciples in extended metaphors (not parables) about himself, but these verses are disputed. Metaphor (from the Greek: μεταφορά - metaphora, meaning "transfer" is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects See, for example, the allegory of the Vine. The Vine is an allegory or Parable given by Jesus in the New Testament found only in the Gospel of John (

Eschatology

Jesus also seems to have preached the imminent end of the current era of history. In this sense, he was an apocalyptic preacher. Robert W. Funk and colleagues, on the other hand, wrote that beginning in the 1970s, some scholars have come to reject the view of Jesus as eschatological, pointing out that he rejected the asceticism of John the Baptist and his eschatological message. Robert W Funk ( July 18, 1926 - September 3 2005) an American biblical scholar was co-founder of the controversial Jesus Seminar and Eschatology (from the Greek, Eschatos meaning "last" and -logy meaning "the study of" is a part of Theology Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. In this view, the Kingdom of God is not a future state, but rather a contemporary, mysterious presence.

Religious debates

The Gospels present Jesus as engaging in frequent "question and answer" debates with other religious figures. For example, the Gospels report that Jesus made use of a quote from the Law of Moses to answer a question posed by the Sadducees regarding the resurrection of the dead, in which they did not believe. term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to The Sadducees were members of a Jewish sect founded in the second century BC, possibly as a political party This article concerns itself with the belief in the final Resurrection at the End of time, commonly found in the Abrahamic religions. The Gospels agree that Jesus generally opposed stringent interpretations of Jewish law, and therefore preached a more flexible understanding of it. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law They present an inclination to following a teleological approach, in which the spirit of the law is more important than the letter, and record him as having many disagreements with the Pharisees and Sadducees. Teleology ( Greek: telos: end purpose is the philosophical study of design and Purpose. The letter of the law versus the spirit of the law is an Idiomatic Antithesis. The word Pharisees ( lat. pharisæ|us, - i) comes from the Hebrew פרושים perushim from פרוש parush, meaning "separated" In some places, however, Jesus suggests that the Pharisees were not strict enough in their observance of the law. The Jewish Encyclopedia article on Jesus notes: "Jesus, however, does not appear to have taken into account the fact that the Halakah was at this period just becoming crystallized, and that much variation existed as to its definite form; the disputes of the Bet Hillel and Bet Shammai were occurring about the time of his maturity. The Jewish Encyclopedia was an Encyclopedia originally published between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law Hillel (הלל (born Babylon traditionally c110BCE-10CE in Jerusalem) was a famous Jewish religious leader one of the most important figures in Jewish Shammai (50 BCE&ndash30 CE Hebrew: שמאי was a Jewish scholar of the 1st century and an important figure in Judaism 's core work of Rabbinic literature "

The Jesus Seminar believes the debates about scripture and doctrine are rabbinic in style and not characteristic of Jesus. The Jesus Seminar is a group of about 150 individuals including scholars with advanced degrees in Biblical studies, Religious studies or related fields as well as ^[26] They believe these "conflict stories" represent the conflicts between the early Christian community and those around them: the Pharisees, Sadducees, etc. The group believes these sometimes include genuine sayings or concepts but are largely the product of the early Christian community.

Commission of disciples and apostles

See also: Disciple (Christianity) and Apostles

According to the Gospel of Matthew, the theme of Jesus' preaching (and also that of John the Baptist) was: "Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near" (e. In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e Repentance is a change of thought and action to correct a wrong and gain Forgiveness from the one wronged g. Matthew 3:1-2,4:17). Jesus reportedly trained his disciples to do the same work: "As you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near" (Matthew 10:7). The Jesus Seminar rated these verses as inauthentic, a case of John's apocalyptic message being attributed to Jesus. ^[27]

These disciples were not only told to preach in public places, but were also supposed to contact people at their homes, where they were to eat and drink whatever was offered (Luke 10:1-8). This openness may have violated Jewish tradition such as not eating bread baked by gentiles, if the mission was also to gentile or non-observant homes. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law

Jesus' ministry was based in Jewish communities and he did not preach much in the gentile communities of the same region. Nevertheless, Christians believe his message did extend to Gentiles due partly to his Sermon on the Mount. The term Gentile (from Latin, gentilis, meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe refers to non- Israelite tribes or nations in the Bible. In the Gospel of St Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount is a compilation of Jesus' sayings epitomizing his moral teaching. After Jesus' crucifixion, some of these apostles preached his teachings and performed healings to both Jews and Gentiles, according to Acts of the Apostles. The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. There was not univeral agreement of what Christian teachings consisted of, however, even among the apostles, so meetings such as the Council of Jerusalem were held. Council of Jerusalem (or Apostolic Conference) is a name applied subsequently to a meeting described in Acts of the Apostles chapter and probably referred to First century Christian writers referred to Jesus as a light for or lord of all nations, drawing connections to prophecies in Amos and Isaiah. The Book of Amos is one of the books of the Nevi'im (Hebrew "prophets" and of the Christian Old Testament. The Book of Isaiah ( Hebrew: Sefer Y'sha'yah ספר ישעיה is a book of the Bible traditionally attributed to the Prophet Isaiah, who lived ^[28]

Christians take the Great Commission as showing that Jesus meant his message to be taken to Jews and Gentiles ("all nations"), but skeptical scholars often doubt its authenticity: versions of the Great Commission vary from gospel to gospel, Mark's version (16:15) occurs in the likely unoriginal final section of Chapter 16, and these commissions are attributed to the resurrected Jesus, also the stated source of Paul of Tarsus. The Great Commission, in Christian tradition is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples, that they spread his teachings Mark 16 is the final chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The major Resurrection appearances of Jesus are reported in the New Testament to have occurred after his death and burial and prior to his Ascension Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and The Jesus Seminar rates the passage black, meaning they believe Jesus did not say what was attributed to him, and it comes from later admirers or a different tradition. The Jesus Seminar is a group of about 150 individuals including scholars with advanced degrees in Biblical studies, Religious studies or related fields as well as

According to Matthew 10:5-6 and 15:22-28, Jesus limited his mission to the Jews alone, to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel". The Jesus Seminar rated these verses as inauthentic, portraying Jesus's message instead as crossing ethnic boundaries. These verses, in their estimation, represent the influence of Peter and others (so-called Jewish Christians) who wanted to restrict their mission to fellow Jews. Jewish Christians (sometimes called also "Hebrew Christians" or "Christian Jews") is a term which can have two meanings a historical one and a Matthew quotes Jesus as telling his disciples to avoid Samaritan cities, in contrast to the openness demonstrated in the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

The Gospel of John records an instance of Greeks coming to meet Jesus, which Jesus apparently approved of in John 12:20-32, and records Jesus' conversion of the Samaritans in John 4:1-42. Historians, however, generally regard John as the least credible account of Jesus' actions and sayings. ^[29]

Asceticism

The fellows of the Jesus Seminar mostly held that Jesus was not an ascetic, and that he probably drank wine and didn't fast. Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. ^[30] He did, however, promote a simple life and the renunciation of wealth. Simple living (or voluntary simplicity) is a lifestyle individuals choose to minimize the 'more-is-better' pursuit of Wealth and consumption.

Jesus said that some made themselves "eunuchs" for the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 19:12). A eunuch (ˈjuːnək is a Castrated man in particular one castrated early enough to have major hormonal consequences the term usually refers to those castrated in order to This aphorism might have been meant to establish solidarity with eunuchs, who were considered "incomplete" in Jewish society. ^[31] Alternatively, he may have been promoting celibacy. Celibacy refers to the lack of participation in Sexual intercourse.

Jesus reportedly condoned the Genesis description of marriage (Mark 10:6-9). He is also presented as having spoken out against divorce, which would imply at least an approval of marriage. The Expounding of the Law ( KJV: sometimes called the ''Antithesis of the Law'', is a highly structured ("Ye have heard. ^[32]

Some suggest that Jesus himself was not celibate. They suggest that he was married to Mary Magdalene, or that he probably had a special relationship with her,^[33] or that he was married to Mary the sister of Lazarus. Saint Mary Magdalen or Mary Magdalene is described both in the canonical New Testament and in the New Testament apocrypha, as a devoted In the Gospel of John, Mary of Bethany ( Hebrew מרים Miryām, Miryam "Bitter" This is quite controversial, since nowhere in the Gospels does it state that he was married or that he was single. ^[34] Jesus was not a misogynist^[35] as suggested, for instance, in the discussion with a Cananean Woman^[36] or in the episode of the anointing of Bethania. Misogyny (mɪˈsɒdʒɪni is hatred (or contemptof women Misogyny is parallel to Misandry — the hatred of men ^[37]

John the Baptist was an ascetic and perhaps a Nazirite, so he promoted celibacy like the Essenes. Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. A nazirite or nazarite, (in Hebrew: נזיר nazir) refers to a Jew who took the Ascetic vow described in. The Essenes were strictly speaking a Jewish religious group that flourished from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD ^[38]Ascetic elements, such as fasting, appeared in Early Christianity and are mentioned by Matthew during Jesus' discourse on ostentation. Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c The discourse on ostentation,, is a section of the Sermon on the Mount, occurring after the Antithesis of the Law, but before the Discourse on judgementalism Fasting is also seen in the Book of Esther. The Book of Esther is a book of the Tanakh ( Hebrew Bible) and of the Old Testament.

Jesus as Messiah

Many scholars argue that, like most Jews, Jesus probably believed that the restoration of the monarchy would be accomplished by God, not by any movement of Jews. However, he did believe that this restoration was imminent. Jesus was enigmatic at best about his claim to actually be the presumptive monarch. That he speaks of twelve disciples is probably symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel,^[39] and thus a metaphor for "all Israel". The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e According to Geza Vermes and other historians, that his followers referred to Jesus as "messiah" and "son of God" indicate that they believed he would assume the monarchy upon the restoration of the kingdom.

Jesus as Hasidean rabbi

In the synoptic gospels, the being of Jesus as "Son of God" corresponds exactly to the typical Hasid from Galilee, a "pious" holy man that by God's intervention performs miracles and exorcisms. Son of God is a phrase found in the Hebrew Bible, various other Jewish texts and the New Testament. The Hasideans ( Hasidæans or Assideans) were a Jewish religious party which commenced to play an important role in political life only during the time of "Galil" redirects here For the weapon see IMI Galil. Galilee (הגליל ha-Galil, lit the province, A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure is the practice of evicting Demons or other evil ^[40][41] Identification of Jesus with the divine Logos is of a later date. In Christology, the conception that the Christ is the Logos ( λóγος, the Greek for "word" "wisdom" or Scholars have debated the authorship of the Johannine works ( Gospel of John, the first, second, and third epistles of John, and the Book

Raymond E. Brown concluded that the earliest Christians did not call Jesus God. Raymond Edward Brown ( May 22, 1928 - August 8, 1998) was an American Roman Catholic Priest and Biblical ^[42] Similarly, Pinchas Lapide sees Jesus as a rabbi in the Hasid tradition of Hillel the Elder, Yochanan ben Zakai and Hanina Ben Dosa. Pinchas Lapide ( November 28, 1922 &mdash October 23, 1997) was a Jewish Theologian. Hillel (הלל (born Babylon traditionally c110BCE-10CE in Jerusalem) was a famous Jewish religious leader one of the most important figures in Jewish Yochanan ben Zakai (יוחנן בן זכאי c 30 BCE - 90 CE) was one of the Tannaim, an important Jewish sage in the era of the Second Temple Hanina Ben Dosa (1st century CE) was a scholar and miracle-worker and the pupil of Johanan ben Zakkai ( Berakhot, 34b Constantin Brunner, however, sees him as drawing from the prophetic strain of Judaism and standing in opposition to pharisaic/rabbinic Judaism. Constantin Brunner ( 27 August 1862 –1937 was the Pen-name The word Pharisees ( lat. pharisæ|us, - i) comes from the Hebrew פרושים perushim from פרוש parush, meaning "separated" Rabbinic Judaism or Rabbinism ( Hebrew: " Yehadut Rabanit " - יהדות רבנית is the mainstream religious system of post- diaspora ^[43]

The Jesus Seminar, in their Acts of Jesus, claim that Jesus was arrested, tried, and crucified in Jerusalem as a "public nuisance", specifically for overturning tables at Herod's Temple, not for claiming to be the Son of God. The Jesus Seminar is a group of about 150 individuals including scholars with advanced degrees in Biblical studies, Religious studies or related fields as well as The Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus is an event reported by all the Canonical Gospels of the Bible. Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the The narrative of Jesus and the Money Changers occurs in both the Synoptic Gospels and in the Gospel of John, although it occurs close to the end of the Synoptic Gospels Herod's Temple in Jerusalem was a massive expansion of the Temple Mount and construction of a completely new and much larger Jewish Temple by King Son of God is a phrase found in the Hebrew Bible, various other Jewish texts and the New Testament.

Entrance to Jerusalem

Main article: Palm Sunday#In the New Testament

The Gospels report Jesus' entrance to Jerusalem as having occurred shortly before the Passover. Palm Sunday is a Christian Moveable feast which always falls on the Sunday before Easter. See also Religious significance of Jerusalem For Christians, Jerusalem's place in the life of Jesus gives it great importance in addition to its Passover ( Hebrew, Yiddish: פֶּסַח Pesach, Tiberian: pɛsaħ Israeli: Pesah, Pesakh, Yiddish However, some scholars have argued that this actually happened at Sukkoth or Tabernacles, based on the part of the waving of palm fronds and the Hosanna cry during that feast. Sukkot ( also known as Succoth, Sukkos, Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles) is a Biblical Pilgrimage The Tabernacle is known in Hebrew as the Mishkan ( משכן "Residence" or "Dwelling Place" Hosanna is a liturgical word in Judaism and Christianity. In Judaism it is always used in its original Hebrew form Hoshana. The date given in the Gospels is seen as either an accidental error or a deliberate change.

Priestly and kingly messiahs

The Jewish term Messiah ("anointed") traditionally referred both to the King of Israel, epitomized in David, and to the High Priest, beginning with Aaron. Messiah ( משיח; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, ("anointed " is a term used in the Hebrew Bible The Kingdom of Israel ( ( KJV Israel in Samaria) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy (also often called the 'Kingdom of Israel' David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible Kohen Gadol or Kohen ha-Gadol ( Heb כהן גדול "Great Priest" is the title of High Priest of early Israelite This article is about Aaron the Levite in the Hebrew Bible, the Qu'ran, and other sources The two meanings are made explicit in the Hebrew Bible, where King and High Priest are both anointed, and are also symbolized in the twin pillars of the temple and their bridging arch which unified them. The term Hebrew Bible is a generic reference to those books of the Bible originally written in Biblical Hebrew (and the related Biblical Aramaic

Though Messianic expectations in general centred on the King Messiah, the Essenes expected both a kingly and a priestly figure in their eschatology. The Essenes were strictly speaking a Jewish religious group that flourished from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD Eschatology (from the Greek, Eschatos meaning "last" and -logy meaning "the study of" is a part of Theology Some have speculated that Jesus and his brother James were seen by some as the kingly, and the priestly Messiahs, respectively. This interpretation has not found support in academia, owing to a lack of supporting evidence.

Jesus and "Barabbas"

The Gospels report that Jesus was held at the same time as another, "Barabbas", the latter often considered to be a title or description rather than a name—it is Hebrew for "Son of the Father". In the Christian narrative of the Passion of Jesus, Barabbas, according to some texts Jesus bar-Abbas, ( Aramaic Seeing it as improbable that two individuals both existed, both known as "Jesus" (Hebrew: Yehoshua, or "God will save", colloquially meaning "Savior") and "Son of the Father" or "Son of Man", some have questioned the identity or existence of "Barabbas". ^[44]

According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus sometimes prayed to God as אבא ['aba'], father. Ab means " Father " in most Semitic languages, sometimes extended to Abba or Aba. Furthermore, in the Aramaic language, בר אבא [bar 'aba'] means "son of the Father. Aramaic is a Semitic language with " Some scholars have argued that Jesus was identical to Barabbas, or in some manuscripts, Jesus Barabbas, who the Gospels report was a criminal released by Pontius Pilate instead of Jesus. ^[45]

Crucifixion of Jesus

The gospels attest that Jesus was crucified by Pontius Pilate, who was the Prefect of Iudaea province from 26 AD to 36 AD. Prefect (from the Latin praefectus, perfect participle of praeficere: "make in front" i Kingdom of Judea redirects here For the 10th-6th century BCE kingdom see Kingdom of Judah Iudaea ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard Year 26 was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Year 36 was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Some scholars suggest that Pilate executed Jesus as a public nuisance, perhaps with the cooperation of the Jewish authorities. Historians debate whether Jesus intended to be crucified. [1]

Controversial details

Crucifixion was a Roman method of execution, commonly used for criminals during the time of Jesus. Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from The assertions made in the Bible that Pilate held a trial for an alleged troublemaker and ended up crucifying Jesus because the local population insisted upon it is considered historically dubious. ^[46] E. P. Sanders argued that the cleansing of the Temple was an act that seriously offended his Jewish audience and eventually led to his death,^[47] while Bart D. Ehrman argued that Jesus' actions would have been considered treasonous and thus a capital offense by the Romans. Ed Parish Sanders (born 18 April 1937) is a New Testament Scholar, and is one of the principal proponents of the New Perspective on Paul The narrative of Jesus and the Money Changers occurs in both the Synoptic Gospels and in the Gospel of John, although it occurs close to the end of the Synoptic Gospels Bart D Ehrman is an American New Testament scholar and textual critic of Early Christianity. ^[48]

According to the Gospels, none of the disciples were present when Jesus discourses with God in the Garden (except at a distance) or with Pilate in Jerusalem. This lack of eye witnesses to the Passion and the audience with Pilate leads historians to conclude that the details of these events are later additions. However, scholars are split on the historicity of the underlying events. ^[49] Indeed, no physical evidence of Pilate was known to exist until the discovery of the Pilate Stone in 1961. The Pilate Stone is the name of a block of Limestone with a carved inscription attributed to Pontius Pilate, a prefect of the Roman-controlled province of Iudaea

Scholars are also split on whether or not Jesus was buried, and if so, whether or not the tomb was found empty. After crucifixion, bodies would have normally been exhibited for some time as a warning to the myriad other antagonists in Jerusalem, and eventually left in a shallow mass grave, exposed to wild dogs and other scavengers. Crossan, based on his unique position that the Gospel of Peter contains the oldest primary source about Jesus, argued that the burial accounts become progressively extravagant and thus found it historically unlikely that an enemy would release a corpse, contend that Jesus' followers did not have the means to know what happened to Jesus' body. The Gospel of Peter was a prominent passion narrative in the early History of Christianity, but over time passed out of common usage ^[50] His position on the Gospel of Peter has not found scholarly support,^[51] from Meyer's description of it as "eccentric and implausible",^[52] to Koester critique of it as "seriously flawed". ^[53] Habermas argued against Crossan, stating that the response of Jewish authorities against Christian claims for the resurrection presupposed a burial and empty tomb,^[54] and he observed the discovery of the body of Yohanan Ben Ha'galgol, a man who died by crucifixion in the first century and was discovered at a burial site outside ancient Jerusalem in an ossuary, arguing that this find revealed important facts about crucifixion and burial in first century Palestine. An ossuary is a chest building well or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains ^[55] Other scholars consider the burial by Joseph of Arimathea found in Mark 15 to be for the most part historically probable,^[56] and some have gone on to argue that the tomb was thereafter discovered empty;^[57] Michael Grant wrote:

[I]f we apply the same sort of criteria that we would apply to any other ancient literary sources, then the evidence is firm and plausible enough to necessitate the conclusion that the tomb was indeed found empty. Joseph of Arimathea was according to the Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus after Jesus' Crucifixion Mark 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.

—^[58]

However, Marcus Borg notes:

the first reference to the empty tomb story is rather odd: Mark, writing around 70 CE, tells us that some women found the tomb empty but told no one about it. Marcus J Borg (born 1942 is a fellow of the Jesus Seminar and a religious author Some scholars think this indicates that the story of the empty tomb is a late development and that the way Mark tells it explains why it was not widely (or previously) known

—^[59]

Mark, possibly the earliest of the Gospels, in the two oldest manuscripts (4th century), breaks off at 16:8 stating that the women came and found an empty tomb "and they said nothing to anyone because they were afraid. " (Mk 16:8) The passages stating that he had been seen by Mary Magdelene and the eleven disciples (Mk 16:9-20) was only added later, and the hypothetical original ending was lost. Mark 16 is the final chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Scholars have put forth a number of theories concerning the resurrection appearances of Jesus. The major Resurrection appearances of Jesus are reported in the New Testament to have occurred after his death and burial and prior to his Ascension The Jesus Seminar concluded: "in the view of the Seminar, he did not rise bodily from the dead; the resurrection is based instead on visionary experiences of Peter, Paul, and Mary. The Jesus Seminar is a group of about 150 individuals including scholars with advanced degrees in Biblical studies, Religious studies or related fields as well as This is a sub-article of Crucifixion of Jesus. The vision hypothesis is a term used to cover a range of theories that question the physical Resurrection Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and Saint Mary Magdalen or Mary Magdalene is described both in the canonical New Testament and in the New Testament apocrypha, as a devoted "^[60] E.P. Sanders argues for the difficulty to accuse the early witnesses of any deliberate fraud:

It is difficult to accuse these sources, or the first believers, of deliberate fraud. Ed Parish Sanders (born 18 April 1937) is a New Testament Scholar, and is one of the principal proponents of the New Perspective on Paul A plot to foster belief in the Resurrection would probably have resulted in a more consistent story. Instead, there seems to have been a competition: 'I saw him,' 'so did I,' 'the women saw him first,' 'no, I did; they didn't see him at all,' and so on. Moreover, some of the witnesses of the Resurrection would give their lives for their belief. This also makes fraud unlikely.

—^[61]

Other scholars posit hypothetical scenarios to explain the resurrection appearances through natural means, such as the group of theories known as the swoon hypothesis, with common variants including Jesus being drugged, having fainted, or undergoing a near-death experience, according to which Jesus is revived later. This is a sub-article of Death of Jesus. The swoon hypothesis refers to a number of theories that aim to explain the Resurrection of Jesus, However, most scholars believe supernatural events cannot be reconstructed using empirical methods, and thus consider the resurrection non-historical but instead a philosophical or theological question. ^[62] What is agreed upon is that Jesus' followers at the very least claimed they saw the risen Jesus.

Quest for the Historical Jesus

Main article: Quest for the Historical Jesus

The Historical Jesus is the "actual" ancient person, but is only accessible to the extent that later people can reasonably and reliably describe him. This article is about the history of academic Jesus research For the book "The Quest of the Historical Jesus A Critical Study of Its Progress from Reimarus to Wrede" The quest to attempt to use scientific principles to reconstruct a verifiable biography of Jesus has progressed for more than two centuries, and the Quest is often conceived of as having several phases:

• The First Quest applied the historical methodologies of the Enlightenment (e. g. "the historical-critical method") to the ancient sources, in the hopes of distinguishing the history of Jesus from the myths surrounding him.
• During the "no quest" period, scholars denied the possibility and/or relevance of reconstructing a biography of Jesus.
• The Second Quest quest sought to modernize Historical Jesus Research by using comparative textual analysis and historical context to reconstruct more or less plausible accounts.
• The Third (and current) Quest focuses on Jesus' Jewishness and often emphasizes socio-historical context, and has not come to consensus.

Criticism of reconstructing a historical Jesus

Critics variously attack the historical reconstruction of Jesus as either a monumental distortion of Jesus' true identity and ministry or as ascribing historical status to a fictional character.

Christian criticism

In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis had a demon explain: "The Historical Point of View, put briefly, means that when a learned man is presented with any statement in an ancient author, the one question he never asks is whether it is true". Screwtape redirects here For the musical project "Screwtape" see Drew McDowall. Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963 ^[63] Professor C. Stephen Evans^[64] writes that "there is no story of the historical Jesus that can be isolated from faith convictions". ^[65]

Criticism as myth

Main article: Jesus myth hypothesis

Some writers, such as Earl Doherty, G. A. Wells, and Robert M. Price^[66] question whether Jesus ever existed, and whether attempts to use the gospels to reconstruct his life give the gospels too much credit. "Jesus myth" links here For a comparison between Jesus Christ and pagan mythology see Jesus Christ and comparative mythology. Earl Doherty (born 1941 currently living in Canada, is the author of The Jesus Puzzle, a work published in 1999 by Canadian Humanist Publications George Albert Wells (born May 22 1926) usually known as G A Wells, is an Emeritus Professor of German at Birkbeck University of London. For other people named Robert Price see Robert Price (disambiguation Robert McNair Price This position, popularised by popular works such as the 2005 documentary The God Who Wasn't There, is very rare among Bible scholars. The God Who Wasn't There is a 2005 independent documentary written and directed by Brian Flemming ^{[67][68][69][70]} In later years, especially with the arrival of the internet, Bible scholars were put to doubt and accused of intellectual dishonesty by critics. ^[71][72][73]

See also

• The Quest for the Historical Jesus
• Cultural and historical background of Jesus
• Historicity of Jesus
• Jesus Seminar
• New Testament view on Jesus' life
• Religious perspectives on Jesus
• Jesus
• Christ
• Tacitus on Jesus
• Jesus Myth

References

• Brown, Raymond E. (1993). This article is about the history of academic Jesus research For the book "The Quest of the Historical Jesus A Critical Study of Its Progress from Reimarus to Wrede" Scholars examine the cultural and historical background of Jesus in order to better understand Jesus his ministry and the origins of Christianity The historicity of Jesus concerns the historical authenticity of Jesus of Nazareth. The Jesus Seminar is a group of about 150 individuals including scholars with advanced degrees in Biblical studies, Religious studies or related fields as well as The four canonical Gospels of the New Testament are the main sources of information for the doctrinal Christian narrative of Jesus ' life Religious perspectives on Jesus is the specific significance some Religions place on Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " This article is part of the Jesus and history series of articles "Jesus myth" links here For a comparison between Jesus Christ and pagan mythology see Jesus Christ and comparative mythology. Raymond Edward Brown ( May 22, 1928 - August 8, 1998) was an American Roman Catholic Priest and Biblical The Death of the Messiah: from Gethsemane to the Grave. New York: Anchor Bible. ISBN 0-385-49449-1.  
• Craffert, Pieter F. and Botha, Pieter J. J. "Why Jesus Could Walk On The Sea But He Could Not Read And Write". Neotestamenica. 39. 1, 2005.
• Crossan, John Dominic. John Dominic Crossan (b Nenagh Co Tipperary, Ireland, 1934 is an Irish-American religious scholar known for co-founding the controversial Jesus Seminar Jesus : A Revolutionary Biography. Harpercollins: 1994. ISBN 0-06-061661-X.
• Ehrman, Bart D. (1999). Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium. New York: Oxford. ISBN 0-19-512473-1.  
• Grant, Michael. Michael Grant may refer to Michael Grant, character in the 2007 video game Manhunt 2 Michael Grant 12th Baron de Longueuil Jesus: A Historian's Review of the Gospels. Scribner's, 1977. ISBN 0-684-14889-7.
• Funk, Robert W. (1998). Robert W Funk ( July 18, 1926 - September 3 2005) an American biblical scholar was co-founder of the controversial Jesus Seminar and The Acts of Jesus: The Search for the Authentic Deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 0-06-062978-9.  
• Harris, by William V. Ancient Literacy. Harvard University Press: 1989. ISBN 0-674-03380-9.
• Meier, John P. , A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Doubleday,

v. John Paul Meier is a Biblical scholar and Catholic priest. He attended St 1, The Roots of the Problem and the Person, 1991, ISBN 0-385-26425-9

v. 2, Mentor, Message, and Miracles, 1994, ISBN 0-385-46992-6

v. 3, Companions and Competitors, 2001, ISBN 0-385-46993-4

• Sanders, E.P. Jesus and Judaism. Ed Parish Sanders (born 18 April 1937) is a New Testament Scholar, and is one of the principal proponents of the New Perspective on Paul Augsburg Fortress Publishers: 1987.
• Theissen, Gerd and Merz, Annette. Gerd Theissen (1943-) is a German Protestant Theologian and New Testament scholar The Historical Jesus: A Comprehensive Guide. Fortress Press: Minneapolis, 1998. ISBN 0-8006-3122-6.
• Witherington III, Ben. The Jesus Quest. InterVarsity Press: 1997. ISBN 0-8308-1544-9.
• Wright, N.T. Christian Origins and the Question of God, a projected 6 volume series of which 3 have been published under: The New Testament and the People of God (Vol. Nicholas Thomas "Tom" Wright (born 1 December 1948) is the Bishop of Durham in the Church of England and a leading New Testament 1); Jesus and the Victory of God (Vol. 2); The Resurrection of the Son of God (Vol. 3). Fortress Press.
• Wright, N.T. The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering who Jesus was and is. Nicholas Thomas "Tom" Wright (born 1 December 1948) is the Bishop of Durham in the Church of England and a leading New Testament IVP 1996
• Yaghjian, Lucretia. "Ancient Reading", in Richard Rohrbaugh, ed. , The Social Sciences in New Testament Interpretation. Hendrickson Publishers: 2004. ISBN 1-56563-410-1.
• Paula Fredriksen. Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews: A Jewish Life and the Emergence of Christianity. ISBN-13: 978-0679767466

Notes

External links

• Historical Jesus Theories, a survey by Peter Kirby of the views of a number of scholars
• PBS Frontline: From Jesus to Christ
• NT Biblical Studies Articles at Apollos. ws, including links to online articles on the historical Jesus
• The Quest of the Historical Jesus: A Critical Study of its Progress from Reimarus to Wrede by Albert Schweitzer, translated by W. Albert Schweitzer, MD, OM, (January 14 1875 &ndash September 4 1965 was an Alsatian theologian, Musician, Philosopher Montgomery
• Articles about the historical Jesus by William Lane Craig
• Unofficial page of N. T. Wright, including articles on Jesus