Historical Jesus Research

There is ample evidence that anti-Christian polemicists asserted that Jesus' true father was neither God nor Joseph, but a Roman soldier named Pantera. This was long dismissed as ahistorical, but for the past century, some interlocutors have argued that there may be credibility to the polemic, with some going so far as to identify Pantera with a certain Tiberius Julius Abdes Pantera, a Roman archer. The present article addresses various misconceptions of Tiberius Julius Abdes Pantera by those both asserting his parentage of Jesus and those arguing against it. The article concludes that the possibility that the soldier under question was Jesus' father is remote.

O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar brevemente os documentários televisivos cujo tema central seja a questão do Jesus Histórico. Para isso, foi escolhido previamente um filme dentre os muitos existentes ("A Vida Desconhecida de Jesus", produzido pelo canal Discovery Channel), a fim de se fazer um estudo de caso. Nos dias de hoje, tais películas são transmitidas em diversas mídias, o que tem facilitado cada vez mais o acesso da população ao tal gênero cinematográfico. Dessa forma, essa análise será realizada com foco sobretudo no discurso proposto pelo filme e como a produção se utiliza de diversas ferramentas-tanto audiovisuais quanto acadêmicas-visando o convencimento do espectador acerca de determinado ponto de vista. Tal estudo faz parte da pesquisa de Mestrado da autora.

Das jüdische Interesse an Jesus von Nazaret
Rabbiner Walter Homolka beschreibt in seinem Buch die wichtigsten jüdischen Perspektiven auf Jesus. Trotz der christlichen Unterdrückung, die Juden im Namen Jesu jahrhundertelang erfuhren, setzten sie sich seit jeher mit Jesus auseinander. Homolka diskutiert das wachsende jüdische Interesse am Nazarener seit der Aufklärung und wie Juden Jesus heute sehen, im religiösen sowie kulturellen Kontext. Das Buch zeigt: Im Zentrum der Beschäftigung mit dem Juden Jesus steht das Ringen des Judentums um Authentizität und Augenhöhe. Jesu Verankerung im Judentum bietet eine Herausforderung für Christen heute und die Chance auf fruchtbaren jüdisch-christlichen Dialog.

Jesus the Magician by Morton Smith is his attempt to produce a portrait of Jesus based on the traditions among Jesus’ detractors who opposed or did not follow him. He asserts “Jesus the Son of God” is pictured in the gospels; the works that pictured “Jesus the magician” were destroyed in antiquity after Christians got control of the Roman Empire” (Smith 1978, ix). For Smith these two pictures are initially contradictory1 and both “legends”.  This is an outline and summary of his important work.

This article argues that the concept of “memory”, perceived as a hermeneutical category for the interpretation of the past from the perspective of the present, is a useful tool for the interpretation of the early Jesus tradition. In discussion with other approaches to  “memory”, as e.g. those of Birger Gerhardsson and Richard Bauckham, it is argued that “remembering Jesus” should be understood not as going beyond the texts to “what really happened”, but instead as a representation of the figure of Jesus in the present. This is demonstrated by of example at the tops of purity in early Christian texts.

To the chagrin of conservative Christians, Jesus has been characterised in many ways ranging from hippie and communist to rebel. While I would agree to a certain extent with such characterizations, I believe the most accurate way of describing him would be as a huntergatherer. This idea may seem utterly ridiculous but bear with me. Jesus' ideas certainly didn't come out of nowhere, they were a product of his culture and a rebellion against his culture. Judaism, like modern religions, wasn't monolithic. Some Jews, like the Pharisees, could be characterised as conservative, fundamentalist and nationalist. The Diaspora Jews, on the other hand, were more cosmopolitan, open-minded and universalist. We see opposing mentalities here that are reminiscent of today's conservatives vs liberals. Jesus was certainly influenced by the latter and prophets before him, who were most certainly hunter-gatherer types like him. I have used Salmon Schwarz's circle of (partially opposing) values and assigned it different temperaments, personality types (MBTI and HEXACO) and their likely evolutionary origin in different subsistence environments.

The first volume in the series Documenta Q is concerned with the reconstruction of the Q text behind Luke 11:1-4 par. Matt 6:7-13 (The Lord's Prayer). The database and evaluations are expanded and revised versions of those presented and discussed at the meeting of the International Q Project in Anaheim, CA 1989. The International Q Project’s presentation of the critical text of Q 11:2b-4, together with the exhaustive history of research on which it is based, will enhance considerably research in the Sayings Gospel Q, the historical Jesus, and New Testament theology.

British art historian Thomas de Wesselow, trained at Courtauld, claims that it was the image on the Turin Shroud that prompted Jesus' disciples to believe in the Resurrection. While appreciating the author's study of the relic, the review points out why exactly his point of view is wrong.

The contribution maps the possibility to acquire intellectual skills int the first century CE in the area of Galilee and Judea, where Jesus of Nazareth supposedly spent his forming years. The aim is not to introduce the educational process of acquiring professional skills, but to point out the possibilities of education from the tools available to the broader circle of people. The key is not the institutions such as schools, but synagogue as a place of discovering the tradition of one's own people and possible education, as well as a certain level of literacy, which in the first century is not represented by a unified complex of skills, but exists in different levels, while not being at all crucial for establishing a person's status. All these factors are crucial for establishing what we call Jesus's intellectual minimum.

The synoptic gospels agree in telling how Jesus, after being baptized at the Jordan River, driven (or guided) by the Spirit, goes to the desert and remains there forty days, during which or at the end of which, he is tempted by the devil. Mark says nothing about the fasting of Jesus or about the nature of his temptations. Matthew and Luke on the contrary add these two elements. Those who follow the theory of the two sources, think that Matthew and Luke have independently combined Mark and Q in order to compose their own narrative. At a careful reading, however, we realize that only in Luke there is a perceptible tension caused by the combination of two pre-existent texts. For this and other reasons, it is highly probable that Matthew composed the missing parts in Mark, creating several intratextual links between the account of the baptism and that of the temptations. Subsequently, Luke combined Mark and Matthew. It does not seem necessary to suppose the existence of a further lost source, therefore the Farrer hypothesis in this case explains much better the differences among the three gospels narratives.

" The Gospel According to Luke " was meant to be read aloud to 1 st century Christians (1:1-4). This oral medium creates a dramatic dimension that is often lost on modern readers. Even a brief analysis of the literary conventions in Luke shows a perfect dramatic structure and masterful use of dramatic devices.

È grazie alla modernità se possiamo oggi riscoprire la natura storica di Gesù e del cristianesimo originario. Il cristianesimo non nasce con Gesù e, quando prende forma definita, appare come una religione avversa all’ebraismo. Gesù, però, era ebreo e non voleva fondare un’altra religione.
Il libro mostra dapprima l’azione critica esercitata dalle scienze storiche moderne sulla visione del modo antiebraica creata dal cristianesimo antico. Si riscopre ad esempio la natura ebraica della Bibbia che il cristianesimo antico aveva negato cristianizzandola.
I capitoli centrali mettono in luce l’impatto della scienza moderna sul sistema teologico cristiano. Sono le concezioni politiche moderne che denunciano la deformazione politica del cristianesimo. Le dichiarazioni dei diritti dell’uomo (emerse grazie all’illuminismo) hanno avuto un impatto trasformatore positivo non solo sulle diverse forme di cristianesimo, ma anche sull’ebraismo e sull’Islam. La sterminata ricerca storica moderna su Gesù, però, non è frutto di un atteggiamento anti-cristiano, ma delle molteplici e diversificate correnti cristiane che assumono volta a volta i diversi fattori culturali della modernità.
In sostanza, ebraicità di Gesù, nascita del cristianesimo antiebraico e impatto critico della modernità sono tre aspetti inscindibili che stanno al cuore dell’interrogazione contemporanea.

T he historical authenticity of Jesus' prayer to God to forgive his enemies (Luke 23:34a: Πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς) is still debated by New Testament scholars. The disputed textual tradition underlying the verse and the ambiguous status of the internal arguments in favour of the logion have meant that a definitive answer to its authenticity remains elusive. 1 Where Luke 23:34 is accepted as an authentic Jesus logion, 2 scholarly discussion largely revolves around the identity of those whom Jesus forgives (Jews, Romans, or both?) and the 'ignorance' motif (Luke 23:34; cf. Acts 2:36; 3:17; 13:17; 17:30). Significant investigations of ἀφίημι and ἄφεσις have been undertaken, 3 but this discussion has not been brought into dialogue with the variegated understanding of forgiveness in antiquity and its dominant terminology (συγγνώμη; συγγιγνώσκω). The time is long overdue for a reappraisal of the authenticity and the import, socially and theologically, of the logion.

The Name “Jesus” has been used for many centuries in the English language. In other languages, like Afrikaans and Dutch, the spelling is exactly the same, although it is pronounced slightly differently. The question asked in this paper is simply: Is “Jesus” the correct Name to use for the Saviour from Nazareth? Today, Biblical research provides us with resources to adequately answer this question by comparing the commonly used Greek name “Yêsous” (Ἰησοῦς)of the New Testament to occurences of this name in the Septuagint (LXX), as well as the Aramaic versions of the New Testament.Through this process, the proper pronounciation of the Name of Jesus is determined, and the implications are discussed briefly.

Paper demonstrating the origin of Popes (or Bishops of Rome) from the Calpurnius Piso family, giving the actual identities of the first 10 Popes. 18 pages.

This paper also makes the case for the mention of Christ in the works of Flavius Josephus as being original to that work and points out the need for change in the study of ancient history.

Corroborating contemporary biographers report that Jesus of Nazareth was born of a virgin, changed water to wine, made the blind see, healed the lame, raised the dead, walked on water, calmed a violent storm, fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes, lived again after his execution, and ascended into the clouds. According to witnesses and contemporary biographers, this Jesus also made the listed claims.

In this study, the relationship between Jesus and his biological family is examined. The Gospel of Mark bears witness to a complete break between Jesus and the rest of his family (Mark 3:20-35; 6:1-6). Researchers have traditionally explained this phenomenon as a historical conflict between Jesus and his family. However, not all researchers agree on the intensity of this conflict. For some it led to a break that was a historical event. Only after Jesus’ crucifixion did his family join the Jesus movement. Other researchers argue that the problem is unsolvable. A third group argue that some of the traditions behind the conflict (Mark 3:20-22) goes back to an actual family clash, while others (Mark 3:31-35; 6:1-6) are clearly legendary and reflects the situations of congregations for whom these stories were written.

The problem is investigated using a historical-critical approach. The following passages were identified as relevant, 1 Corinthians 9:5; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Galatians 1:15-2:14; Mark 3:20-35; Mark 6:1-6; Mark 10:17-31; Q 9:57-60; Q 12:51, 53; Q 14:26; Matthew 23:8-12; Luke 2:41-52; Luke 11:27-28; Acts 1:14; John 2:12; John 7:1-9; John 19:25-27; Josephus’ Antiquitates iudaicae book 20:199-203; Eusebius’ Historia ecclesiastica I, 7:13-14; II, 23:4-18; III, 20:1-6; III, 32:6; IV, 22:4-6.

These texts are critically investigated and evaluated in accordance with the following criteria of authenticity: discontinuity, multiple attestation, tendency of tradition development, coherence, embarrassment, continuity with the Mediterranean family system; and agreement within the writer’s narrative perspective.

This study concludes that there was no actual historical break between Jesus and his family. His family was active in the early Christian faith communities. The stories about Jesus’ family being in conflict were created to address and give meaning to the realities faith communities experienced in the decade before and immediately after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem (70 C.E.). Jesus’ family was also used by various authors from the first and second century to legitimise their communal way of life and agendas within the broader early church.

Este no es un argumento sustantivo acerca de la responsabilidad sobre la muerte de Jesús, sino un comentario a la forma casi natural y orgánica en la que se tomó como elección cultural la designación, con ira, de la responsabilidad sobre su muerte. ¿Es posible, entonces, que la fuente de esta ira no sea tanto el juicio sino la firme negativa de muchos judíos de aceptar a Jesús, desde entonces y hasta nuestros días? En los últimos cuatro años, he estado llevando a cabo, en la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Nueva York, un seminario sobre el juicio a Jesús. El Wall Street Journal arremetió contra éste como una nulidad educativa: Si no exactamente como causante de corrupción de la juventud, al menos como algo que les llevaba al camino equivocado y que era causa del despilfarro de sus dólares en la matrícula. Felizmente, el seminario ha sostenido un excedente de inscripciones desde su inicio. Los cristianos y los judíos se inscriben a la escuela de derecho en proporción aproximada a la de su población, pero en el seminario se dividen más o menos equitativamente aquellos con compromiso religioso y aquellos sin compromiso religioso, o sin un compromiso en general. Para los estudiantes judíos, con pocas excepciones, el seminario marca la primera vez en que realmente leen los evangelios (el nuevo testamento); su conocimiento de la narrativa del juicio se deriva de lo que les llega de oídas y de Hollywood. Se sorprenden al descubrir cuánto de nuestro idioma cultural general, deriva del Nuevo Testamento, y son sorprendidos, también "y un tanto enfrentados al problema, de manera compleja" de su encuentro no mediado con la altamente simpática narrativa de Jesús, de igual forma son impactados por la furia anti-judía de Juan. La novedad de ese encuentro hace que sea difícil para ellos comprender la ecuanimidad con la que los otros en el seminario se relacionan con ella. Se sienten incómodos por el sentimiento cultural de "lo que hicieron". Para los estudiantes católicos, el seminario a menudo marca la primera vez en que leen los evangelios de manera sistemática. En su mayoría están poco interesados en las cuestiones normativas sobre quién fue responsable de la muerte judicial de Jesús, y quedan genuinamente sorprendidos por la forma en que domina la rica literatura judicial. Nostra Aetate (lat. Nuestro Tiempo) se queda corta. Los protestantes suelen llegar con el dominio real del texto, pero, a su vez, son sorprendidos por la tradición crítica tan penetrante en el análisis académico del juicio. Se ven así mismos como la imagen en el espejo de sus compañeros judíos, tienden a tener una visión clara de la responsabilidad judía por la muerte de Jesús, aunque se sienten culpables por compartir ese punto de vista. Históricamente, no fueron manos judías las que clavaron físicamente a Jesús en la cruz, lo que en el juicio se vuelve el acto responsabilizador y, por lo tanto, la fuente de la acusación de Deicidio. Un cargo más grave, una culpa más pesada, difícil de imaginar. No es sorprendente que, cuando el Vati cano trató de dar vuelta al asunto, se hizo famoso que imputara el cargo al centro de aquellos aspectos tratados en Nostra Aetate, la Declaración del Concilio Vaticano II sobre la relación de la Iglesia con las religiones no cristianas, incluye las relaciones entre judíos y cristianos. [Constituye uno de los documentos destacados del Concilio Vaticano II, cuyo contenido trata sobre las relaciones de la Iglesia con las religiones no cristianas. Fue aprobada por 2221 votos contra 88, el 28 de octubre de 1965.] Y sin embargo, este punto aparentemente obvio está, de hecho, más matizado de lo que parece, especialmente a la luz de la bien establecida diferencia entre lo que cuentan los evangelios sinópticos y el de Juan. En los sinópticos, en su mayor parte, los enemigos de Jesús se señalan con especificidad considerable: los sumos sacerdotes, los sacerdotes, los levitas, los ancianos, algunos saduceos, algunos fariseos, y escribas. En contraste en Juan, los enemigos son en su mayor parte "los judíos." Imagine por un momento un universo en el que hubiéramos tenido sólo los sinópticos y no el de Juan. En ese universo, si uno preguntara: "¿Quién mató a Jesús?" La respuesta natural podría no ser "los judíos." Podría ser, apegados a los sinópticos, "esos terribles sacerdotes judíos" o "un liderazgo corrupto de judíos." En un mundo sin el evangelio de Juan, "los judíos" hubieran estado fuera de los acontecimientos que rodearon el juicio. Muchos de ellos eran ruidosos y apasionados partidarios de Jesús, y no es sorprendente pues despreciaba el estado, promovía la igualdad espiritual, era carismático, autoritario, fue un hombre que se puso del lado de aquellos cuyas vidas eran difíciles, que demostró un fascinante poder a través de sus señales y prodigios.

The Ante Nicene Father's of Schaff include a fascinating document throught to be the work of the third century Church Father Hippolytus. He gives a list of what are considered the 70 evangelists who Jesus sent forth in his second round of evangelism. The list does not just contain seventy names but for most of them their addresses and some fascinating comments regarding their relationships to various early Church personalities well known to us. This short document contains the seventy, plus the testimony of the twelve apostles plus the apostolic succession of the Holy and Apostolic Church of the East said to be established by the Apostle Thomas. The succession runs from Thomas through the 113 bishops who follow until the years 2000 or so in Jerusalem. Again many many interesting facts.

Many people seem to think it’s crazy to doubt Jesus existed, but it’s actually the belief he did that’s unreasonable. The claim, made by Ehrman in his book “Did Jesus Exist?”, that he was “a purely human being” who died around 30 CE (e.g. pp. 37, 46 (epub)) simply isn’t borne out by an open-minded weighing of the evidence.

NB! ERRATUM: The reference to 1 Cor 15 on page 10 should read "1 Cor 15:37, 45."

This is the first thirteen lessons in the Walking With Jesus Bible Study Series. Walking With Jesus is a complete Bible study (160 lessons) on every event in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as taught in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We look at Him as our LORD, Savior and role model so that we may become more like Him.

The Walking With Jesus Bible Study Series was the "doctoral thesis" for a honorary Doctorate of Letters awarded on July 11, 2018.

We welcome your review and evaluation.

Discussion of the historical existence of Jesus has become widespread on the internet, with commentators on the subject ranging from well-respected and highly qualified academics, to uneducated and virtually unknown conspiracy theorists. This article provides a definition of mythicism and a brief guide to the individuals commonly seen or cited online in discussion of the topic.

The First Coming traces the evolution of Christian belief in the first century C.E. under three rubrics:
• How Jesus Lived and Died’
• How Jesus was Raised from the Dead,
• How Jesus Became God.
A key element in that evolution is the gradual suppression of Jesus’ notion of eschatological time (the “present future” – cf. Heidegger). The book concludes by asking what is still viable in the message of Jesus.

In this article, Birger Gerhardsson's view on the transmission of the Jesus traditions is critically discussed. Gerhardsson's basic thesis was that the pre-Gospel oral tradition was formally controlled and handed down in manners reminiscent of rabbinic teaching and mnemonic techniques. This paper argues that his work, which was initially rejected, enabled later scholars to recognize that there were authoritative individuals exercising control over the transmission process, as opposed to the form-critical notions of anonymous community.

God has a master plan for reaching and transforming the lost world. Jesus came with the purpose of reclaiming the world with the Gospel. His plan was simple and profound – take twelve ordinary men, training them for three years through association with Him, observing, and obeying and send them out equipped with the Word, prayer and the Holy Spirit to reproduce disciples. That is the Lord's program, and it is reaching the world.

Jesus, who was made to suffer as a Teacher, Man, and Saviour, gives us the perfect example of how a teacher should be. He is definitely and undoubtedly a real and true picture of the sacrificing Leader. He made Himself a servant, swallowed His pride, and released His Glory for the sake of His perishing creatures.

His Mission was...
 To reveal Himself as God's Son who came to redeem God's people (Isa. 42:7, Mat. 1:21)
 To offer Himself up as an atoning sacrifice (2Cor. 5:20, 1Pet. 2:24)
 To reach all of God's people with this Gospel (Mark 1:38, Luke 4:43)

His Task was further complicated by...
 Self-imposed human limitations (Phil 2:6-8)
 A ministry of only 3 and a half years
 Limitation to 30 AD technology and communications

His Goal...
 To establish the church, the body of Christ.
 To reach all of God's elect in every nation.

His Method was simple...
 First, to select, disciple, and train 12 ordinary men who will be able to evangelize, disciple and train others in the same task. Then to turn them loose, equipped with the Word and the Holy Spirit to disciple the nations.

This book, “JESUS AS A TEACHER” has been a project on my mind for the past few years. It centres on the following:
 Jesus’ life as a teacher;
 Peculiar characteristics of Jesus as a teacher;
 His teaching methods;
 His use of teaching aids (Instructional materials);
 His mode of evaluation;
 How well He used reinforcement to make learning permanent; etc.

Chapter one of this book is the introduction part. It deals with Jesus’ birth, early life, and the beginning of His public ministry. It also deals with the issue of Jesus being a qualified teacher. Chapter two explains in details all the unique qualities Jesus possessed that make Him the greatest teacher ever. Chapter three is a study of Jesus in the classroom. We study His mode of discipline and class control, the simplicity of His style, and His use of reinforcement in making learning permanent. Chapter four is an elucidation of Jesus’ use of teaching methods and teaching aids. We will also study the teaching methods He used and their effects. We have a good account of the story-telling method (parables). The chapter also explains how effective Jesus used teaching aids. Chapter five deals with the leadership/discipleship program Jesus initiated. The program is His means of ensuring that the continuity of the gospel is certain and secured.

I pray that you will enjoy God’s unlimited blessings and inherit Jesus’ pedagogical skills as you read this text. Amen.

FAWOLE, Victor Olugbenga.
+2348131048604
fawole2asegun@gmail.com

This paper contains a list of 40 instances of corollaries between the works of Flavius Josephus & the New Testament texts; including '666'. Purpose: to demonstrate that the mention of Jesus was indeed original and could not have been a later addition, as that would render Josephus useless as a source.

El autor resalta la incidencia del drama de la cruz, marcado por claras señales de iniquidad, en la visión de mesianismo cristiano que anhela el advenimiento del Reino de Dios, marcado por la perfección y la realización de la Justicia. Con base a las fuentes quiritarias directas, devela la naturaleza del proceso ejecutado contra Jesús de Nazaret concluyendo que constituye un error insertarlo en el ámbito del derecho penal romano y procedimientos ordinarios como la cognitio extra ordinem. En este sentido, demuestra que se conformó una decisión política, fuera de un juicio penal ordinario, la cual no puede ser calificada como sentencia. Pilatos ejecutó un proceso sumario, bajo ley marcial, signado por una rei publicae causa, excepcional y extraordinario, lo que resalta aún más la causa verdadera de la persecución y muerte de Jesús de Nazaret. Igualmente, analiza la reciproca interferencia jurisdiccional entre el Sanedrín y la autoridad del magistrado imperial determinando que, desde la perspectiva judía, fueron violentadas las normas procesales y la legitimidad para juzgar del propio tribunal. Concluye así que, al margen que el mesianismo espiritual de Jesús fuera tergiversado, su prédica y acciones constituyeron un reto insoportable para la autoridad religiosa y política de su tiempo.

This is an extensive introduction to the third volume of the John, Jesus, and History Series (Atlanta: SBL Press, forthcoming in early 2016) written by Jaime Clark-Soles and Paul N. Anderson. A total of twelve volumes of collected essays are projected as the fruit of this international project, now in its 15th year at the national Society of Biblical Literature meetings.

We know Jesus at a time point out by wise men from the east who read the stars. They are called magus in Aramaic and Magoi in Greek. A modern astrologer who claimed she was like the wise men claimed she worked out the birth of William Marrion Branham on April 6th, 1909 at 5 am by reading the stars. She claimed the same conjunction which happened in 7 BC around the time of the birth of Jesus, happened in 1909  at the birth of William Marrion Branham. Jupiter and Saturn were conjoined so closely they look like one star. Kepler noticed the conjunction back in the day and claimed it might be the Bethlehem star. Luz offers a number of suggested explanations of the Bethlehem star. Here we argue Branham is a modern witness of the birth of Jesus!