DOCSLIB.ORG

Jesus the Man Free

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

FREE JESUS THE MAN PDF Barbara Thiering | 451 pages | 21 Nov 2006 | SIMON & SCHUSTER | 9781416541387 | English | New York, United States Jesus Christ: The Man - Verses that show him as a human | Most theological historians, Christian and non-Christian alike, believe that Jesus really did walk the Earth. They draw that conclusion from textual evidence in the Biblehowever, rather than from the odd assortment of relics parading as physical evidence in churches all over Europe. That's because, from fragments of text written on bits of parchment to overly abundant chips of wood allegedly salvaged from his crucifix, none of the physical evidence of Jesus' life and death hold up to scientific scrutiny. In a documentary called "The Nails of the Cross," set to air April 20 on the History Jesus the Man, filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici tells the story of two nails allegedly discovered in a 2,year-old tomb in Jerusalem. He presents circumstantial evidence that seems to suggest the rusty relics once nailed Jesus to the cross. The tomb in which the nails were found is believed by some Jesus the Man be that of the Jewish high priest Caiaphas, who presides over the trial of Jesus in the New Testament. In their coverage of the new film, Reuters reported that most experts and scholars they contacted dismissed the filmmaker's case as far-fetched and called it a publicity stunt. It turns out publicity stunts abound when it comes to holy hardware. InEnglish liturgical scholar Herbert Thurston counted all the nails that were at that time believed to have been used to crucify Jesus. Though only three or four nails the exact number is up for debate were supposed to have pinned Christ to the cross circa A. In an entry in the Catholic Encyclopedia, Thurston, a Jesuit himself, offered this Jesus the Man for the surplus in hardware: "Probably the majority began by professing to be facsimiles which had touched or contained filings from some other nail whose claim was more ancient. Without conscious fraud on the part of anyone, it is very easy for Jesus the Man in this way to come in a very brief space of time to be reputed originals. Along similar lines, enough wood chips from the "True Cross" — the cross on which Jesus was crucified — are scattered across Europe to fill a ship, according to this famous remark by the sixteenth-century theologian John Calvin: "There is no abbey so poor as not to have a specimen. In some places, there are large fragments, as at the Holy Chapel in Paris, at Poitiers, and at Rome, where a good-sized crucifix is said to have been made of it. In brief, if all the pieces that could be found were collected together, they would make a big Jesus the Man. Yet the Gospel testifies that a single man was able to carry it. Perhaps the most famous religious relic in the Jesus the Man, the Shroud of Turin, is believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus. The byfoot linen blanket, which bears the ghostly image Jesus the Man a man's body, has been worshipped by millions of pilgrims in a cathedral in Turin, Italy. But scientifically speaking, the Shroud of Turin is a fake. Radiocarbon dating of the shroud has revealed that Jesus the Man does not date to the time of Christ but instead to the 14th century; coincidentally, that's when it first appeared in the historical record. In a document written inBishop Pierre d'Arcis of France claimed Jesus the Man image of Jesus on the cloth was "cunningly painted," a fact "attested by the artist who painted it. Today, the Catholic Church does not officially endorse the Shroud of Turin as authentic, though many of the faithful, Jesus the Man Pope Benedicthave indicated that they personally believe in its holiness. A similar relic is the Sudarium of Oviedo, a blood-stained cloth that was supposedly wrapped around Christ's head when he died and which, since A. Seventy metal books allegedly discovered in a cave in Jordan were hailed in recent weeks as the earliest Christian documents. Dating them to mere decades after Jesus' death, scholars called the "lead codices" they're written in code and cast in lead the most important discovery in archaeological history. Even BBC News stated: "Never has there been a discovery of relics on this scale from the Jesus the Man Christian movement, in its homeland and so early in its history. Christians took the books to be proof of the real-life existence of Jesus, because one page displayed an image of him. Nearby, a fragment of text reading "I shall walk uprightly" was interpreted by many Jesus the Man a reference to Jesus' resurrection — strong evidence that it actually happened, coming so soon after the fact. Fake Christian relics such as the codices are relatively common, said Kimberly Bowes, a Roman and Greek archaeologist at the University of Pennsylvania. One of the most important archaeological finds that actually dates to the time of Jesus may or may not provide evidence of his existence, depending on who you Jesus the Man. The Dead Sea Scrollsa vast trove of parchment and papyrus documents found in a cave in Israel in the s, were written sometime between B. Others argue that he could be anyone. Before Jesus was crucified, the Gospels say, Roman soldiers placed a crown of thorns on his head in a painful mockery of his sovereignty. Many Christians believe Jesus the Man thorny instrument of Jesus the Man still exists today, albeit in pieces scattered across Europe. One near- complete crown is housed in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The documented history of Notre Dame's Crown of Thorns goes back at least 16 centuries — an impressive provenance — but it doesn't quite trace back to A. Furthermore, as Nickell points out, Notre Dame's crown is a circlet of brush, and is completely devoid of thorns. The best argument in favor of Jesus the Man as a once-living person is, of course, the Holy Bible itself. The Synoptic Gospels of Jesus the Man, Mark, Luke and John are thought by scholars to have been written by four of Christ's disciples in the decades after his crucifixion. There are still other Gospels, never canonized but written by near-contemporaries of Jesus all the same. Many details differ between the various accounts of his life and death, but there's also a great deal Jesus the Man overlap, and through centuries of Jesus the Man analysis biblical scholars have arrived at a general profile of Jesus, the man. The following description, surmised from the Gospels, would be affirmed by most history scholars, Borg told LiveScience:. Jesus was born sometime just before 4 B. Jesus' father was a carpenter and he became one, too, meaning that they had likely lost their agricultural land at some point. Jesus was raised Jewish and he remained deeply Jewish all of his life; he never intended to create a new religion. Rather, he saw himself as acting within Judaism. He left Nazareth as an adult Jesus the Man met the prophet John, who Jesus the Man him. During his baptism, Jesus likely experienced some sort of divine vision. Shortly Jesus the Man, he began his public preaching with the message that the world could be transformed into a "Kingdom of God. He was executed by Roman imperial authority, and his followers experienced him after his death. It is clear, Borg said, that they had visions of Jesus as they had known him during his historical life. Only after his death did they declare Jesus to be "lord" or "the son of God. This article was provided Jesus the Man Life's Little Mysteries. Follow Natalie Wolchover on Twitter nattyover. Contributing reporting by Heather Whipps. Live Science. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order Jesus the Man see our subscription offer. Was Jesus a Real Person? | Live Science Jump to navigation. One of the lesser-known biblical doctrines concerns Jesus as a man right now. Many do not know that right now in heaven Jesus is a man though in a glorified body. Some object to this and cite various reasons answered at the end of this paper for denying His present humanity. They are in error. Following is a biblical demonstration that Jesus is still both divine and human in nature:. It is biblically correct to say that Jesus is a man right now in heaven--though a glorified man. But, it would be wrong to say He was only a man. He is both divine and human in nature at the same time Col. Furthermore, Jesus' humanity now is important for two reasons. First, this is what the Bible teaches. Second, as a man, Jesus is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Jesus the Man a priest, He forever intercedes for us. In order to be a priest, Jesus has to be a man. A spirit cannot be a priest after the order of Melchizedek; and Jesus the Man Jesus is not a man now, He could not hold His priesthood, and He could not be forever interceding for us. Therefore, to deny Jesus' present humanity is to deny His priesthood and His intercession on our behalf. Without His intercession, we are lost. Jesus is a man by Matt Slick One of the lesser-known biblical doctrines concerns Jesus as a man right now. Following is a biblical demonstration that Jesus is still both divine and human in nature: It is biblically correct to say that Jesus is a man right now in heaven--though a glorified man.
Recommended publications
  • Jesus the Son of Man

    Jesus the Son of Man

    JESUS THE SON OF MAN By: Kahlil Gibran www.zelalemkibret.wordpress.com 1 CONTENTS JAMES THE SON OF ZEBEDEE On the Kingdoms of the World ANNA THE MOTHER OF MARY On the Birth of Jesus ASSAPH CALLED THE ORATOR OF TYRE On the Speech of Jesus MARY MAGDALEN On Meeting Jesus for the First Time PHILEMON A GREEK APOTHECARY On Jesus the Master Physician SIMON WHO WAS CALLED PETER When He and His Brother were Called CAIAPHAS The High Priest JOANNA THE WIFE OF HEROD'S STEWARD On Children RAFCA The Bride of Cana A PERSIAN PHILOSOPHER IN DAMASCUS Of Ancient Gods and New 2 DAVID ONE OF HIS FOLLOWERS Jesus the Practical LUKE On Hypocrites MATTHEW The Sermon on the Mount JOHN THE SON OF ZEBEDEE On the Various Appellations of Jesus A YOUNG PRIEST OF CAPERNAUM Of Jesus the Magician A RICH LEVI IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF NAZARETH Jesus the Good Carpenter A SHEPHERD IN SOUTH LEBANON A Parable JOHN THE BAPTIST He Speaks in Prison to His Disciples JOSEPH OF ARIMATHAEA On the Primal Jims of Jesus NATHANIEL Jesus was not Meek SABA OF ANTIOCH On Saul of Tarsus 3 SALOME TO A WOMAN FRIEND A Desire Unfulfilled RACHAEL A WOMAN DISCIPLE On Jesus the Vision and the Man CLEOPAS OF BETHROUNE On the Law and the Prophets NAAMAN OF THE GADARENES On the Death of Stephen THOMAS On the Forefathers of His Doubts ELMADAM THE LOGICIAN Jesus the Outcast ONE OF THE MARYS On His Sadness and His Smile RUMANOUS A GREEK POET Jesus the Poet LEVI A DISCIPLE On Those who would Confound Jesus A WIDOW IN GALILEE Jesus the Cruel JUDAS THE COUSIN OF JESUS On the Death of John the Baptist 4 THE
  • The Jesus Seminar Revealed �1 of 32

    The Jesus Seminar Revealed 1 of 32

    The Jesus Seminar Revealed !1 of !32 By Mark McGee The Jesus Seminar Revealed !2 of !32 The Jesus Seminar Revealed !3 of !32 Part One The Jesus Seminar was a group of “scholars and specialists” interested in renewing “the quest of the historical Jesus.” The name Jesus Seminar would imply that this group had good credentials and would reveal something important about the real life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. That didn’t happen. According to The Jesus Seminar – “Among the findings is that, in the judgment of the Jesus Seminar Fellows, about 18 percent of the sayings and 16 percent of the deeds attributed to Jesus in the gospels are authentic.” Another way of understanding that statement is that 82 percent of the sayings and 84 percent of the deeds attributed to Jesus in the Gospels are NOT authentic. Let that sink in for a minute …. The Jesus Seminar Revealed !4 of !32 The Jesus Seminar would have us believe that the vast majority of what’s written about the sayings and deeds of Jesus Christ in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) are NOT authentic – not true – never said – never done. Was The Jesus Seminar right? If you’ve read other articles on the FaithandSelfDefense and GraceLife blogs, you know I think The Jesus Seminar was wrong – very wrong. To understand how so-called scholars and specialists reached their conclusions about Jesus and the four Gospels, we need to know a little about how The Jesus Seminar started. It began in Berkeley, California in 1985 as the brain child of Robert W.
  • Remembering the Historic Jesus— a New Research Program?

    Remembering the Historic Jesus— a New Research Program?

    Theological Studies 68 (2007) REMEMBERING THE HISTORIC JESUS— A NEW RESEARCH PROGRAM? TERRENCE W. TILLEY The article argues that a new research program is emerging, one that shifts the focus from the quests for the “historical Jesus,” a person in the past, to recovering the “historic Jesus,” the person remembered by his followers. It finds that Jesus’ historic significance is and should be the center of Jesus research. It argues that the works of Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, James D. G. Dunn, and Larry Hurtado are key contributions that indicate the shape of this re- search program. 1 HE THIRD QUEST for the “Historical-Jesus” has matured as a research T program. Moreover, major counterresponses to the contemporary quests for the Historical-Jesus have emerged in the last decade. Like the responses that unmasked the pretensions of the first quest in the 19th century,2 the contemporary responses directed against the second (1953– TERRENCE W. TILLEY, with a Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California, is professor and chair of the Theology Department at Fordham University, New York. Specializing in the philosophy of religion and narrative and historical theology, his recent publications include Religious Diversity and the American Experience: A Theological Approach (Continuum, 2007); History, Theology, and Faith: Dissolving the Modern Problematic (Orbis, 2004); “Christian Orthodoxy and Religious Pluralism,” Modern Theology (2006); and “Toward a Practice-Based Theory of Tradition,” in Traditions and Tradition Theories, ed. Torsten Larbig and Siegfried Wiedenhofer (LIT, 2006). In process is a monograph tentatively titled The Disciples’ Jesus: Christology as Reconciling Practice (Orbis). 1 I adopt this term coined by Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza to signal that the “historical Jesuses” “discovered” by scholarship are actually constructs of scholars.
  • Mary Magdalene: Her Image and Relationship to Jesus

    Mary Magdalene: Her Image and Relationship to Jesus

    Mary Magdalene: Her Image and Relationship to Jesus by Linda Elaine Vogt Turner B.G.S., Simon Fraser University, 2001 PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Liberal Studies Program Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences © Linda Elaine Vogt Turner 2011 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Fall 2011 All rights reserved. However, in accordance with the Copyright Act of Canada, this work may be reproduced, without authorization, under the conditions for "Fair Dealing." Therefore, limited reproduction of this work for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review and news reporting is likely to be in accordance with the law, particularly if cited appropriately. APPROVAL Name: Linda Elaine Vogt Turner Degree: Master of Arts (Liberal Studies) Title of Project: Mary Magdalene: Her Image and Relationship to Jesus Examining Committee: Chair: Dr. June Sturrock, Professor Emeritus, English ______________________________________ Dr. Michael Kenny Senior Supervisor Professor of Anthropology ______________________________________ Dr. Eleanor Stebner Supervisor Associate Professor of Humanities, Graduate Chair, Graduate Liberal Studies ______________________________________ Rev. Dr. Donald Grayston External Examiner Director, Institute for the Humanities, Retired Date Defended/Approved: December 14, 2011 _______________________ ii Declaration of Partial Copyright Licence The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users.
  • Can the 'Real' Jesus Be Identified with the Historical Jesus? Roland Deines2

    Can the 'Real' Jesus Be Identified with the Historical Jesus? Roland Deines2

    Pag Didaskalia-1º Fasc_2009.:Pag Didaskalia-1º Fasc 6/24/09 5:13 PM Page 11 Can the ‘Real’ Jesus be Identified with the Historical Jesus? A Review of the Pope’s Challenge to Biblical Scholarship and the Various Reactions it Provoked1 Roland Deines2 University of Nottingham Introduction: Geza Vermes on Ratzinger’s Jesus In the initial programme for this conference, the present time slot was allocated to Professor Geza Vermes and I deeply regret that he is unable to be with us. His critical reading of the Pope’s book surely would have en- riched our discussion. Knowing Professor Vermes’ work makes it safe to as- sume that his arguments would have focused on the underrated Jewishness 1 In the following paper I focus only on the discussion within German-speaking countries. For a first sum- mary of the discussion in France see F. Nault, ‘Der Jesus der Geschichte: Hat er eine theologische Relevanz?’, in H. Häring (ed.), „Jesus von Nazareth“ in der wissenschaftlichen Diskussion, Berlin: Lit, 2008, pp. 103-21. See now also R. Riesner, ‘Der Papst und die Jesus-Forscher: Notwendige Fragen zwischen Exegese, Dogmatik und Gemeinde’, Theologische Beiträge 39 (2008), pp. 329-345. 2 Parts of this paper have been delivered at the conference ‘The Pope and Jesus of Nazareth’ on 19th and 20th June 2008 at the University of Nottingham. This conference, supported by the British Academy, was the first extended theological discussion on Pope Benedict XVI’s book in the United Kingdom. A shorter version of this version will be published within the conference proceedings: Adrian Pabst and Angus Paddison (eds), The Pope and Jesus of Nazareth, Veritas, London: SCM, 2009.
  • Dead Sea Scrolls on the High Street: Popular Perspectives on Ancient Texts"

    Dead Sea Scrolls on the High Street: Popular Perspectives on Ancient Texts"

    "Discovering the Dead Sea Scrolls on the High Street: Popular Perspectives on Ancient Texts" by Rev Dr Alistair I. Wilson, Highland Theological College, Dingwall Introduction 1997 marked (almost certainly) the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of the first Dead Sea Scrolls, and so, once again, the significance of these ancient documents is a matter of great public interest. Already, volumes are being published to mark this jubilee in which highly competent scholars discuss questions of a technical nature.1 A recent (May 1998) international conference held at New College, Edinburgh, indicates that academic interest is as strong in Scotland as in the rest of the world. However, it is not only specialists who are interested in the Dead Sea Scrolls (hereafter, DSS). There is widespread public interest in the subject also, and this, in certain respects, is something to be warmly welcomed. This is true simply because of the value of the DSS to archaeology; they have been described as 'the greatest MS [manuscript] discovery of modern times',2 and it is always valuable to be aware of developments in our knowledge of the ancient world. However, the fact that during the 1990s the Dead Sea Scrolls have been at the centre of some of the most startling, dramatic, and controversial events imaginable, leading to massive publicity in both the academic and popular press, has surely added to the public interest in these documents. 1 One of the first of these is the important volume The Scrolls and the Scriptures, edited by S. E. Porter and C. A. Evans (Sheffield: SAP, 1997).
  • The Ministry of the Whole People of God in a Mainline Congregation: a Critical Exploration

    The Ministry of the Whole People of God in a Mainline Congregation: a Critical Exploration

    T The Ministry of the Whole People of God in a Mainline Congregation: A Critical Exploration Norman Maciver Introduction T The primary purpose of this project was to look critically at the story of one ordinary congregation’s experience of ministry and, in so doing, to discover if there are lessons to be learned that will resource its mission in the immediate and long-term future. This cannot be done without a real understanding of the historical, ecclesiastical, cultural and missiological environment in which we have lived and that forms the context of our current challenges. At the same time, we want to hear and pay attention to the perception that others have of our ministry and weave these perceptions into our analysis to be an effective agent of mission in the twenty-first century. My methodology in approaching the project is a praxis-reflection one. This is in the nature of a case study beginning from our own story and, by reflecting on it, discerning the theological issues involved and setting them in the context of our cultural reality and pastoral ministry. What have we in fact been doing and how does a theological study of both the bible and church history impinge on and develop our ministry as that of the ministry of the whole people of God in our situation? In a real sense, by prioritising human experience and following the methods that are central to the biblical ministry and that have been rediscovered in recent years in the South American model of liberation theology, the rich tapestry that evolves from our practice, informed by a biblical theology will, therefore, help us face the resultant new challenge in our practice.
  • John and Qumran: Discovery and Interpretation Over Sixty Years Paul N

    John and Qumran: Discovery and Interpretation Over Sixty Years Paul N

    Digital Commons @ George Fox University Faculty Publications - College of Christian Studies College of Christian Studies 2008 John and Qumran: Discovery and Interpretation over Sixty Years Paul N. Anderson George Fox University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ccs Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Anderson, Paul N., "John and Qumran: Discovery and Interpretation over Sixty Years" (2008). Faculty Publications - College of Christian Studies. 77. https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ccs/77 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Christian Studies at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications - College of Christian Studies by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. John and Qumran: discovery and Interpretation over Sixty years Paul N. Anderson It would be no exaggeration to say that the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was the most signiicant archaeological ind of the twentieth century. As the Jesus movement must be understood in the light of contemporary Judaism, numer- ous comparisons and contrasts with the Qumran community and its writings illumine our understandings of early Christianity and its writings. As our knowl- edge of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls has grown, so have its implications for Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity. Likewise, as understandings of Johannine Christianity and its writings have grown, the Qumran-Johannine analyses have also evolved. he goal of this essay is to survey the scholarly lit- erature featuring comparative investigations of Qumran and the Fourth Gospel, showing developments across six decades and suggesting new venues of inquiry for the future.
  • SPRING 2015 Robert M

    SPRING 2015 Robert M

    VOLUME 51 NUMB ER 1 C RITERION A Publication of the University of Chicago Divinity School SPRING 2 0 1 5 Dear Alumni and Friends — Opening this issue are tributes to Robert M. Grant (1917-2014) delivered at a private memorial service at Hyde Park’s St. Paul & the Redeemer Church on September 6, 2014. Robert M. Grant was the Carl Darling Buck Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Early Christian Literature at The University of Chicago Divinity School. Here he is remembered by colleagues from Swift Hall. An adaptation of a Wednesday Lunch talk is our second piece. Dean Margaret M. Mitchell, Shailer Mathews Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Literature, explores, through “L’affaire Aslan: Zealot, the Media and the Academic Study of Religion,” the essential commitments of work in the Divinity School – and about what wider publics might reliably be able to expect from the academic study of religion. We close the issue with a sermon offered in Bond Chapel by Reverend Cynthia Lindner. Reverend Lindner, the Director of Ministry Studies, reflects, in “Open Space: How Did I Get Here?” on ending and beginning, new discoveries and old certainties, and the 172 bus. My thanks to Ken Janssen, designer, for his work on this issue. I hope you enjoy this issue, Terren Ilana Wein, Editor C RITERION VOLUME 51 | NUMBER 1 1 Contents & List of Contributors 2 Tributes to Robert M. Grant 4 David Tracy 5 Bernard McGinn 6 Margaret M. Mitchell Margaret M. Mitchell Cynthia Gano is Dean and Shailer 10 L’affaire Aslan: Zealot, the Lindner is Director of Mathews Professor Ministry Studies.
  • The Man Jesus Was-PDF

    The Man Jesus Was-PDF

    The Man Jesus Was Out of the rebellious Galilee came a hero of the spirit who sought not to reform man, but to transform him. By Max Schoen Overview In The Man Jesus Was Max Schoen carries the reader on an exciting quest in search of the man from Galilee who, once he had spoken, could never be forgotten. From this quest Jesus emerges as the man who lived and died a Jew – the shameless blasphemer of ancient prophets, the militant enemy of Israel’s national existence. Here stands the real Jesus, a hero of the sprit, claiming no divinity, seeking no Messiahship, but raised above ridicule and scorn by an epic vision embracing all men. In freeing the personality of Jesus from the encrustations of religious dogma, in rediscovering the compelling forces of intellect, emotion, history and tradition that produced this genius, Dr, Schoen’s book constitutes much more than a courageous and reverent re-evaluation of the man who preached along the dusty roads of Galilee. It is, as well, a brilliant interpretation of the meaning of Jesus for our modern world. About Max Schoen Max Schoen was born in the Carpathian Mountains of Austria on February 11, 1888, and until the age of 14 was educated exclusively in the Jewish orthodox faith. Captivated by the character of Jesus, he abandoned his rabbinical studies and came to America shortly after the turn of the century. Although unable to speak English, he soon became happily adjusted to the public school system of New York City, and in 1911 received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of the City of New York.
  • Was Jesus Married?

    Was Jesus Married?

    Summer Fellows Research 2017 WAS JESUS MARRIED? Elizabeth Fleischer 1 Any attempt to separate the historical Jesus of Nazareth from the mythical Jesus Christ is always met with skepticism. There are a fair number of scholars who believe the task to be nearly impossible because almost every written account of Jesus is found in a Gospel.1 It is generally agreed upon that gospels are “testimonies of faith composed by communities of faith and written many years after the events they describe”.2 Thus each account cannot be taken as unbiased historical records but pieces of faith based puzzles which attempt to portray Jesus in a particular fashion. However, countless scholars have developed countless methods to separate the somewhat factual from the purely fictional. By standing on the shoulders of these countless scholarly giants, it becomes increasingly feasible to formulate possible logical answers to fundamental questions about the life of Jesus of Nazareth. For example, was he married? As Christianity has developed, Jesus’s chastity has become increasingly important. The importance of Jesus’s virginal state has become so important that many find any suggestion to the contrary offensive. But without historical accounts definitely written by a contemporary, nothing about Jesus can be stated with certainty. Thus it cannot be unequivocally stated that Jesus was or was not married. The debate over his marital status can only be contrasting possibilities, based upon those accounts which are deemed most accurate and reliable. Apart from the stories of Jesus’s miraculous conception and birth, most written accounts completely omit any mention of Jesus’s adolescence.
  • Essene Ethnicity Katherine Schaefers, M.A., University of Leiden Staff, Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San Jose, CA, USA

    Essene Ethnicity Katherine Schaefers, M.A., University of Leiden Staff, Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San Jose, CA, USA

    Essene Ethnicity Katherine Schaefers, M.A., University of Leiden Staff, Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San Jose, CA, USA Click here to go directly to the Paper. Abstract: Ethnicity is a sociological construct that has immense value if placed within the field of archaeology. By defining the Essenes as an ethnic group, two purposes are served: to provide further evidence that may link the Essenes to the Qumran community, and to display the usefulness of other, less acknowledged concepts for archaeology. In addition, this paper argues for a fluid definition of the Essenes as a solution to discrepancies between the Essenes found in classical literature and the archaeological remains of the Qumran settlement. The tendency to assign the Essenes by default to the Qumran community and whether there are sufficient grounds for this identification is also examined. L’Ethnicité Essénienne Résumé : L’ethnicité est une conception sociologique qui a une grande valeur lorsque située dans le domaine de l’Archéologie. En définissant les Esséniens en tant que groupe ethnique, on satisfait deux objectifs: apporter une preuve supplémentaire qui pourrait relier les Esséniens à la communauté de Qumrân, et démontrer l’utilité d’autres concepts moins reconnus dans l’Archéologie. De plus, cet article supporte une définition fluide des Esséniens comme la solution aux disparités entre les Esséniens de la littérature classique et les restes archéologiques de la colonie de Qumrân. On y examine également la tendance à assigner les Esséniens à la communauté de Qumran par défaut et s’il y a suffisamment de fondement pour faire cette identification. Etnografía Esenia Resumen: La Etnografía es una idea sociológica que tiene inmenso valor si se coloca dentro del campo de la Arqueología.