The Historical Jesus A Summary
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The picture of Jesus (Yeshua bar Yosef) that I believe emerges from the sources is as follows. To give greater authenticity, I have decided to use the Aramaic and Greek forms of names and places rather than their more familiar Anglicised equivalents - hence, for example, Galil rather than Galilee, and Yohanan the Baptiser rather than John the Baptist.
"Jesus of Nazareth, based on the Turin Shroud"
LIFETIME
o He was born roughly around 5 BC and died in or around 30 AD.
o His ministry began a couple of years before his death, around 28 AD.
FAMILY
o His father was called Yosef and his mother was called Miryam.
o He had several siblings, including brothers called Yakov, Yosef, Shimeon and Yehuda.
PLACE
o He was born and raised in the small village of Nazareth in Galil.
o He spent time during his ministry in Kfar Nahum, a nearby fishing town. He seems not to have pursued his ministry in urban areas.
o He spoke Aramaic, and probably a little Greek (which was an international "lingua franca" at the time).
o The people of Galil were regarded as backward, hotheaded and patchy in their knowledge of the Jewish law. However, they prided themselves on their devotion to Judaism.
RELIGION
o Yeshua was a committed Jew and a strong believer in the enduring authority of the Torah.
o He was familiar with the Torah and the other Jewish scriptures. He probably received an ordinary education in the local synagogue, supplemented by further study in adulthood.
o He greatly admired Yohanan the Baptiser, and was baptised by him.
IDENTITY
o He did not explicitly define what he perceived his identity to be. However, he indirectly described himself as God's son and as a prophet.
o He appears to have seen himself as God's vicegerent and as a messianic figure.
o He was described during his lifetime as the messiah, the 'son of God' and (at the end of his life) 'king of the Jews'.
MINISTRY
o He appointed 12 disciples and told them that they would judge the 12 tribes of Israel.
o He also had women in his entourage, including one Miryam of Magdala.
o He was a preacher who spoke in pithy, memorable sayings.
o He had a reputation as a healer and exorcist.
o On the night before his death, he identified some bread and wine with his body and blood, and invited his disciples to eat and drink them.
o He was executed by crucifixion, a death which he anticipated.
TEACHINGS
o The "Kingdom of Heaven" was central to Yeshua's preaching. This seems to have been the utopian world of the end times.
o He believed that he was living in the end times. He declared that the Kingdom was currently starting to manifest itself in Palestinian society, and believed that it would spread throughout the world.
o The Kingdom would mean lavish rewards for some, including people who occupied a lowly place in the current order of things, while many others would be cast out or punished.
o He affirmed the validity of the Torah, but held his followers to ethical teachings that went beyond the letter of the Law: for example, "love your enemies, do good to those who hate you".
o In other respects, he had a rather liberal view of Jewish practices, particularly in relation to the Sabbath.
o He had a strong belief in the power of faith and prayer.
o He asked for complete commitment to the Kingdom, including the renunciation of worldly goods and family ties.
o He was not interested in taking his mission to Gentiles.
