The Authentic Jesus of Nazareth in A Land Called Milk and Honey

By Dean R. Eyerly

Most people know only a few stories written about the life of Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified in AD 30—seven told by Apostle Paul between AD 50 and 59, and those written by Mark, Matthew, Luke and John between AD 74 and 110. As has become widely known, even outside the world of biblical scholarship, as many as thirty other inspired sto

• Language: English
• Publisher: ReadersMagnet LLC
• Release date: Jul 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9781948864329

Book preview

The Authentic Jesus of Nazareth in a Land Called Milk and Honey

Copyright © 2018 by Dean R. Eyerly

Published in the United States of America

ISBN Paperback: 978-1-948864-31-2

ISBN eBook: 978-1-948864-32-9

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

Scriptures are taken from niv kiv nkiv (New Spirit Filled Life Bible); Amplified; LB. King James Version (kjv): King James Version, public domain.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of ReadersMagnet, LLC.

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Contents

Preface

Introduction

Josephus On The Essenes

Land Of Milk And Honey

4004

BC:

Creation

3874

BC:

After the Fall of Adam

2948

BC:

Noah is 10th born

2366

BC:

Noah prepares the Ark

2349

BC:

Flood waters recede

1800

BC:

Abram, from the city of Ur

1700

BC:

Isaac, son of Sarah

1650

BC:

Joseph, son of Jacob

1571

BC:

Moses is born

1491

BC:

Moses at Mount Horeb

1471

BC:

Exodus

1390

BC:

Israel Emerged in History

1210

BC:

Zoroaster: Persian Religious Reformer

1200

BC:

The Promised Land

1190

BC:

Philistines Eye Judah

1117

BC:

Samson and Delilah

1100

BC:

Sacrificial Center Established at Shiloh

1050

BC:

Leadership culminated in Samuel;

Saul anointed 1st King

1002

BC:

David Anointed 2nd King of Israel

970

BC:

King Solomon Develops Trade and Commerce

955

BC:

Ark of the Covenant Moved from Shiloh

870

BC:

Prophets Elijah and Elisha give their Testimony

770

BC:

Kingdom of Israel Restored

765

BC

Minor Prophets

750

BC:

City of Rome Founded

740

BC:

Prophet Isaiah in Jerusalem

734

BC:

Northern tribes of Ruben, Gad,

and Manasseh taken into Exile 

724

BC:

Hezekiah, King of Judah 

722

BC:

Remaining Seven Northern Tribes

Taken into Exile 

687

BC:

Ark of the Covenant removed from the

Jerusalem Temple 

650

BC:

Jeremiah Writes Deuteronomy 

640

BC:

Josiah Institutes Major Reforms

624

BC:

Assyria falls to the Egyptians;

Egypt falls to the Babylonians

622

BC:

Jeremiah Revised Deuteronomy

598

BC:

End of the First Temple Period

597

BC:

Ezekiel Exiled to Babylon

586

BC:

Major Stumbling Block Between Samaritans

and Judeans

538

BC:

Persians Conquer Babylonia, Egypt,

and Everything in Between

536

BC:

Construction Begins on the 2nd Temple 

521

BC:

Darius Succeeds Cyrus as King of Persia

520

BC:

Prophet Zechariah Gave His Testimony to God

509

BC:

Roman Republic System Formed

458

BC:

Jewish Exiles Return from Babylon

440

BC:

Nehemiah and Ezra Rebuild Jerusalem

427

BC:

Beginning of Western Philosophy

378

BC:

Ezra Rewrites the Books of Moses

355

bc:

Aristotle, the founder of the Lyceum

336

BC:

Alexander the Great Conquers Egypt

301

BC:

Palestine Ruled by the Ptolemies of Egypt

300

BC:

Mishnah is Written

284

BC:

Torah Translated into Greek

167

BC:

Hasmonean Dynasty

106

BC:

Marcus Tullius Cicero

102

BC:

Julius Caesar

70

BC:

Jacob-Heli, father of Joseph

69

BC:

Cleopatra, Third Child of Ptolemy Auleyes

63

BC:

Pompey Enters Palestine

44

BC:

Octavius: 1st Emperor of Rome, Joseph born

Crown Prince Under Jacob-Heli, Hellenized

Jews of Diaspora

37

BC:

Herod Installed as Vassal King of Palestine

24

BC:

Mary, Mother of Jesus, Born

21

BC:

Herod Plans to Rebuild Solomon‘s Temple

19

BC:

2nd Temple Construction Begins

11

BC:

Mary Pledged in Marriage to Joseph

9

BC:

Saul is Born at Gischala

4

BC:

John the Baptist is Born at Ein Kerem,

Jesus is Born at Bethlehem of Galilee

3

BC:

James, Brother of Jesus, is Born

2

BC:

Miriam, sister of Jesus, is Born

AD

1: Joseph, Brother of Jesus, is Born

AD

2: Simon, Brother of Jesus, is Born

AD

3: Martha, Sister of Jesus, is Born

AD

5: Judas, Brother of Jesus, is Born

AD

6: Judah annexed Into the Rome Empire

AD

7: Amos, Brother of Jesus, is Born

AD

8: Mary Magdalene, is Born

AD

9: Jesus visits the British Isles, Rose,

Sister of Jesus, is Born 

AD

10: The Missing Years of Jesus Christ 

AD

12: Amos, Brother of Jesus, Passes 

AD

14: Tiberius: 2nd Emperor of Rome 

AD

15: Philo of Alexandria

AD

17: Jacob-Heli, Grandfather of Jesus, Passes

AD

18: Caiaphas Installed as High Priest in Jerusalem 

AD

21: Joseph passes in Sepphoris;

Family moves to Tiberius

AD

24: John the Baptist Begins His Ministry

AD

25: Peter Marries Priscilla

AD

26: Jesus receives Spirit of God, Temptation of Jesus, Pilate Installed as 5th Governor of Judaea

AD

27: Jesus Begins His Ministry; Meets Samarian

Woman at the Well

AD

28: Jesus‘Role as Social Worker Begins to Change,

John the Baptist Imprisoned at Machaerus 

AD

29: John the Baptist Martyred,

Wedding Feast at Cana 

AD

30: Jesus is Crucified, Joseph of Arimathea,

Removal of the Vendors from the Temple, Pilate‘s Report to Tiberius about Jesus, Caiaphas‘Defends the Death Sentence of Jesus, Antipas Defends His Approval for the Crucifixion, Passover Plot, Mary Magdalene Gives birth to Daughter Sarah, Gospel Sayings of Quelle is written

AD

31: James, Brother of Jesus, Leader of the

Jerusalem-Church 

AD

33: Peter, 1st Bishop of Antioch 

AD

35: Apostle Paul Receives Both a Revelation

and Commission

AD

36: Pilate Recalled by Tiberius,

Flavius Josephus is Born 

AD

37: Jesus Visits the British Isles,

Mary Magdalene Gives Birth to First son Judah, Caligula: 3rd Emperor of Rome

AD

38: Mary Magdalene and Family Leave the

Temple of Onias

AD

39: Son Judah Begins His Education in Caesarea

AD

40: A Whole New Image of Jesus Begins to Surface

AD

41: Claudius: 4th Emperor of Rome,

Roman congregation established,

James, son of Zebedee, martyred

AD

42: Mary Magdalene and Family Set Sail for Gaul,

Mary Magdalene Leader of Apostolic Network, Matthew Ananus High Priest of the Jerusalem Temple

AD

43: Apostle Paul Set Out on 1st mission,

Jesus and Peter Visit Mary Magdalene in Joppa,

Secret Gospel of Mark is written

AD

44: Mary Magdalene Gives Birth to Second Son,

Joseph, Galatian Congregation Established,

Veneration of Mary Magdalene Begins

AD

45: The term ‘Christian’ First Used in Antioch,

Gospel of Thomas is written, Mary,

Mother of Jesus, Passes

AD

46: Apostle Paul Set Out on 2nd Mission

to the Gentiles

AD

48: Epistle of James is written by James

AD

49: Jerusalem-Church Council Meeting,

Thessalonian Congregation Established,

Jesus is in Rome

AD

50: First Epistle to Thessalonians is written by

Apostle Paul 

AD

51: Corinthian and Philippian Congregations Established

AD

52: Apostle Paul Set Out on 3rd and Final Mission

AD

53: Gospel According to Hebrews is written,

Judah Proclaimed Crown prince at Corinth

AD

54: First Epistle to the Corinthians is written by

Apostle Paul, Nero: 5th Emperor of Rome,

Jesus is in Tibet, Philip is martyred

AD

55: Epistle to Philippians is written by Apostle Paul

AD

56: Epistle to Philemon is written by Apostle Paul

AD

57: Second Epistle to Corinthians is written by

Apostle Paul

AD

58: Epistle to Galatians is written by Apostle Paul

AD

59: Epistle to Romans is written by Apostle Paul,

Jerusalem-church Council Meeting

AD

60: Peter, Paul, and Jesus Travel to Malta,

Matthew Ananus Martyred

AD

61: Lazarus is Martyred, Peter Visits Rome for the

First Time

AD

62: John Mark Martyred, James, brother of Jesus, Martyred, Simon, Brother of James, Installed

as Leader of the Jerusalem-Church

AD

63: Jerusalem Temple Construction Completed

AD

64: Peter, Paul, Luke, and Jesus Arrive in Rome,

Apostle Paul Martyred, Joseph, Brother of Jesus, Martyred, Fire Destroys city of Rome

AD

65: Rabbi Aqiba Proclaims Jesus and

Mary Magdalene Companions

AD

66: First Jewish Roman War (

AD

66-73), Jerusalem-Church Flees to Joppa, Apostle Paul Becomes Spokesman for the ‘Jesus Movement’

AD

67: Peter Martyred

AD

69: Nero: 5th Emperor of Rome; Suicide, Galba:

6th Emperor of Rome; Assassination, Ortho:

7th Emperor of Rome; Suicide, Vitellius:

8th Emperor of Rome; Assassination,

Vespasian: 9th Emperor of Rome,

AD

69: John Mark Martyred, Gospel of the Holy Twelve is

written, Bartholomew Martyred, Andrew,

Brother of Peter, Martyred

AD

70: Jerusalem Temple Burned to the Ground

AD

72: Judas, Brother of Jesus, Martyred

AD

74: Gospel of Mark is written

AD

79: Titus: 10th Emperor of Rome

AD

80: Epistle to Colossians is written

AD

81: Domitianus: 11th Emperor of Rome

AD

82: Jesus passes in Gaul

AD

83: Joseph, Son of Mary Magdalene,

Seed of the Fisher Kings

AD

85: Gospel of Judas Iscariot is written

AD

87: Gospel of Matthew is written, Philip Martyred 

AD

90: Gospel of Luke is written

AD

91: Epistle of the Hebrews is written

AD

92: Gospel of the Ebonites is written

AD

93: Luke Martyred

AD

95: Gospel of Mary Magdalene is written

AD

96: Revelation of Jesus Christ is written

AD

97: Epistle to Ephesians is written,

Timothy Martyred, Hillel Codex

AD

100: Second Epistle to Thessalonians is written

AD

101: Mary Magdalene Passes

AD

102: Epistle of Jude is written

AD

106: Simon, Brother of Jesus, Martyred

AD

110: Gospel of John is written

AD

112: Paul‘s Letters Edited by Onesimus

AD

115: Gospel of Peter is written

AD

120: Didache is written

AD

130: Acts of the Apostles is written

AD

131: Epistle to Timothy is written,

Epistle to Titus is written

AD

132: Second Jewish Roman War (

AD

132-135),

Judaism and Christianity Split Apart

AD

133: Resurrection Stories Begin to Circulate

AD

135: Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke,

and John Viewed as ‘Memoirs’ 

AD

136: Epistle of James is Written 

AD

138: First Apology defends ‘divinity’ claim

About Jesus 

AD

147: Pauline Churches in Diaspora Promote

Apostle Paul‘s Theology 

AD

150: Gospel of Philip is written,

Secret Book of John is written

AD

152: Revelation of the Magi is written

AD

155: Secret Book of James is written

AD

162: Gospel of Truth is written 

AD

163: First Christian Bible Assembled 

AD

170: Antioch School stresses Jesus Manhood 

AD

171: Irenaeus Declares Peter Founder of the

Church of Rome 

AD

179: Jesus’ Virgin Birth Explained 

AD

180: Doctrine of Apostolic Succession Formulated 

AD

182: Old Roman Creed, Forerunner to Apostles Creed 

AD

183: Peter, First Pope of Rome Married 

AD

193: Alexandrian School Stresses Jesus’ Divinity 

AD

198: Authorship Assigned to the Canonical Gospels 

AD

199: Three Levels to the Meaning of the Bible 

AD

200: Trinity First Coined by Tertullian 

AD

205: Gospel of Peter to Philip is written,

Gospel of Nicodemus is written 

AD

211: Recognitions and Homilies is written 

AD

220: Origen Equates Mary Magdalene as

Bride of Jesus 

AD

222: Pristis Sophia is written 

AD

225: Apocalypse of James is written 

AD

241: First Modern Large Room Church Built 

AD

312: Ruler of the Roman Empire 

AD

313: Persecution of Christians Ends 

AD

316: Ecclesiastical History of the Church is written 

AD

321: Sunday: A Public Holiday for Worship 

AD

325: Council of Nicaea, Nicene Creed;

New Testament; Old Testament 

AD

337: Constantine: First Christian Emperor 

AD

375: First Formal Observation of Christmas 

AD

376: Scripture Destroyed 

AD

377: Augustine: Celibacy the Pedestal of Piety 

AD

379: Christian Belief by Imperial Command 

AD

380: Bishop of Rome Claims to Speak for the

Entire Church 

AD

381: Council of Constantinople, Jesus is Fully Human 

AD

386: Debate Rages Over the Meaning of Trinity 

AD

396: Power to do Good is a Free Gift from God 

AD

451: Primacy of Rome Declared 

AD

452: Council of Chalcedon, Jesus Complete in

Godhood; Complete in Manhood 

AD

476: Fall of the Roman Empire 

AD

597: Mary Magdalene a ‘fallen’ Woman 

AD

610: Islam Founded by Muhammad ibn Abdallah 

AD

638: Palestine falls to Caliph Omar 

1054: Eastern Orthodox and Western Roman

Churches Separate 

1096: Pope Urban II Declares 1st Crusade 

1147: Pope Eugenius III declares 2nd Crusade 

1187: Pope Gregory IX declares 3rd Crusade 

1199: French Barons declare 4th Crusade 

1209: Pope Innocent III declares 5th Crusade 

1228: King Frederick II declares 6th Crusade 

1245: Jesus One Divine Subject With Two Natures 

1350: Dark Ages 

1412: Joan of Ark 

1449: Joan of Ark 

1456: Gutenberg Bible is Published 

1502: Church of Rome Begins to Break-Up 

1510: Martin Luther: By Faith Alone 

1516: Erasmus Bible is Published 

1517: Lutheran Reformation (1517-1648) 

1520: Martin Luther Excommunicated 

1535: Tyndale Bible is Published 

1541: Colloquy of Ratisbon Collapses 

1547: The Reformed Churches 

1550: State Religions: Catholicism;

Lutheranism; Calvinism 

1604: King James Bible is Published 

1626: Construction of St. Peter‘s Basilica Completed 

1700: Christian Theology Becomes a

Global Phenomenon 

1778: Quest for the Historical Jesus Begins 

1789: First in-Depth Study Concerning the

Historical Jesus 

1795: Separation of Church and State 

1827: Mormon Church is Founded 

1866: Church of Christ Scientist is Founded 

1875: Moody Bible Institute is Founded 

1876: Jehovah‘s Witness is Founded 

1881: Vatican Archives Opened to Scholars 

1901: Pentecostal Movement is Founded

1905: Albert Schweizer: Quest for the

Historical Jesus

1907: Social Gospel Movement is Founded 

1915: Fundamentalism Movement is Founded 

1943: Divino Afflante Spiritu Issued by

Pope Pius XII 

1945: Nag Hammadi Codex Discovered 

1946: Dead Sea Scrolls Discovered 

1949: Billy Graham 

1964: Books of Flavius Josephus Translated 

1981: Moral Majority Movement is Founded 

1994: Family Values Movement is founded 

Summary 

Ark Of The Covenant 

Discoveries

Lost Tomb Of Jesus

Who’s Who

Bibliography

Preface

As strange as it may seem, ancient religions did not require the individual to believe one thing or another since religion was all about proper practices. There were many gods and many ways to worship them with no single path to the divine as ancient religions were not interested in the afterlife but more concerned about a person’s actions in the here and now.

Among the main things that made Christianity different from other religions is the fact that Christians insisted that it mattered what one believed, with theologians insisting that they held the truth and that every other belief was in error with this truth, which involved claims about God, about Jesus of Nazareth, about salvation, and about eternal life with the Christian religion becoming rooted in truth claims with these claims eventually embedded in highly ritualized formulations such as the Nicene Creed and the Doctrine of Trinity. As a result, Christians were forced from the third century on to appeal to church authorities as to what they should believe, with the leaders of the churches claiming that they were appointed by the apostles to instruct them, so they could pass along these sacred teachings.

Many modern Christians want to know more about the ‘historical’ man called Jesus of Nazareth and the circumstances surrounding his life, his mission, and his death. They want to know about his relationships, his family members, the disciples who followed him, and the politics of the day with this book attempting to give that information.

The information contained in this book, while existing in Damascus, Istanbul, Paris, and Rome, will not be found in the Bible because its authors were more interested in expressing their own spiritual experiences of the risen Jesus rather than reciting a factual history of events.

With the modern study of history, scholars have come to believe that those who read the gospel account of Jesus’ life are prone to make many wrong assumptions about the meaning of the text because our modern culture differs greatly from that of two thousand years ago—times have changed, literary styles have changed, and the meaning of words and catchphrases have changed.

One of the main elements in the study of an ‘earthly’ man named Jesus of Nazareth is to recognize the fact that there is a significant difference between the pre-Easter and post-Easter Jesus with the former meaning the view people held about him before the crucifixion as compared to what he became after the resurrection. Before his death his followers had known him as being a man of flesh and blood, as being their teacher of wisdom, a Galilean Jew, and the wisdom of God. After his death, they knew him in a different way due to Apostle Paul’s experience while on the Damascus road when Jesus became referred to as being a bright light and a voice from on high.

Greek speaking Jews (Hellenist) who lived in exile (Diaspora), and were exposed to the Greek gods and other pagan deity in Babylonia, were quick to digest the new message given by Apostle Paul about Jesus as compared to the local Hebrew-speaking Jews who had not had that worldly experience.

In

AD

34, Stephen of Antioch, a student of Peter and member of the Annas ben Seth family of priests, was first to preach that the new belief about Jesus was for all people with this view attaching Jewish conservatism which led to conflict within Jewish community. Stephen was seized at the request of the Jerusalem temple high priest, Joseph Caiaphas, son-in-law of Annas ben Seth, accused of blasphemy for disavowing the temple cult and their claim to be the sole authority in religious belief. For this crime, Stephen was condemned to ‘death’ by stoning, becoming the first so-called ‘Christian’ martyr.

Upon studying the many writings of those who were exposed to Jesus in the first century, his uniqueness begs the question—Who was he really? Modern scholars give the following possibilities as viewed through the eyes of his first followers:

Was he a Philosopher?

There were some similarities between Jewish religious leaders and contemporary Greek philosophers in the first century as the cynic philosophers freed themselves of all human needs and wants. They achieved true freedom in a world of tyranny by desiring and possessing nothing that could be taken away from them wandering from place to place with only a staff and sandals.

A cynic was an adherent of an ancient Greek school of philosophers who held the view that virtue is the only good and that its essence lies in self-control and independence.

Was he a Rabbi?

Jewish teachers were interpreters of scripture and repositories of traditional law and lore. They were not rooted in philosophical ideas but in a Jewish worldview which saw the Commandments as the guiding principle of life. In antiquity, a rabbi was a scholar of Jewish legal traditions and master of logical analysis of scripture. For modern scholars, in those instances where Jesus is presented as debating scriptural verses in a rabbinic way, there is good reason for them to believe that these texts are not original to Jesus but were attributed to him by the later church. In Matthew 7:28-29 when Jesus speaks to the crowd—they were amazed! They were amazed because he spoke with authority not by quoting from scripture—he spoke in his own name, using his own words, having gotten authority directly from God.

Was he a Zealot?

Jesus did stand-up for the poor and the outcast, but was not a twentieth century style protester any more than he was a nineteenth century style enlightenment philosopher. He was a teacher about the love of God who established a living example for others to follow. He was a gadfly who infuriated those sinners who were asleep spiritually.

Was he a Prophet?

Formally, a prophet is one who receives a message directly from God and speaks that message to the people with those words becoming scripture. Informally, the word prophet is used to describe one who is wise, one who predicts the future or sets a direction for the future, or who gives a moral imperative to the nation.

Was he the Messiah?

Two decades after the crucifixion, Christians first gave Jesus the title Christos which, in Greek, meant anointed one. At the time of Jesus, after centuries of not having an earthly Jewish king like David, there arose a desire among the Jews for a return to sovereignty under their own legitimate ruler with the primary function of the messiah being to lead the Jews to military victory over the Romans.

Apostle Paul’s messiah differs dramatically from Jewish ‘messianic’ tradition in a number of important ways:

1. Paul’s messiah fulfills his function by dying rather than by winning military victory.

2. Paul’s messiah rules over a spiritual realm while not affecting any social or political change on earth.

3. Paul’s messiah is divine—the Son of God.

4. Paul’s messiah represents salvation from sin whereas in Judaism salvation is achieved through the Torah, repentance and deeds.

5. Paul’s messiah saves mankind from sin instead of earthly oppressors.

Was he the Son of Man?

For scholars, the earliest title the young church used for Jesus was son of Man which literally means—descendent of Adam. In Aramaic, a language spoken by Jesus, the equivalent term bar nash has a broader range of meaning with the term referring to an angelic being mentioned in the book of Daniel (7:9-14). In this passage Daniel sees a heavenly vision with the passage reading in part:

Thrones were set in place, and Ancient of Days took his seat. His garment was white like snow, and the hair of his head was like lamb’s wool…As I looked on in the night vision, one like a human being came with the clouds of heaven. He reached the Ancient of Days and was presented to Him. Dominion, glory and kinship were given to him. All people and every nation must serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away…

Was he a charismatic Preacher and Healer?

Jesus’s ministry has been a stumbling block for scholars because most are scientific rationalists who do not believe in miracles. To answer this question, scholars have suspended their judgment about miracles and instead asked the question: What was the meaning of the miracle stories in the first century? For scholars, the stories recorded about Jesus demonstrate the belief that he had the unique capacity to draw God’s saving grace into the world.

The parallels between Jesus and ‘charismatic’ miracle-worker of Talmudic legend, which came before Jesus ministry, are numerous. The charismatic miracle-worker:

1. Was perfect and sinless;

2. Had an intimate father-son relationship with God;

3. Performed healings, even at a distance;

4. Was looked upon by authority figures with distain as there was a conflict between those whose authority was based upon a power structures and those whose authority was personal and charismatic;

5. Was held in great standing with the common folk which arouses the envy of the traditional leaders and,

6. Was an example of virtue and wisdom.

It would seem to modern scholars that from all this that we have located the ‘person’ of Jesus in his public ministry as being a miraculous worker, exorcist, preacher of virtue and repentance, champion of the poor and the rejected, and intimate of God with Jesus’ audience in the first century taking him to be a charismatic preacher and healer.

Albert Schweizer (1875 to 1965) famous German theologist, in the summation of his quest for the historical Jesus, concluded that Jesus was as mysterious as ever. In his book Quest for the Historical Jesus, Schweizer concludes:

Jesus is a figure designed by rationalism, endowed with life by liberalism, and clothed by modern theology in an historical garb.

Introduction

Most people know only a few stories written about the life of Jesus, seven told by Apostle Paul between

AD

50 and 59, and those published by the followers of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John between

AD

74 and 110. As has become widely known, even outside the world of biblical scholarship, as many as thirty other inspired stories about Jesus were written during that same time-period by Thomas, Philip, and Mary Magdalene to name but just a few, but were either lost or destroyed by Church order in

AD

367.

As has also become widely known during that same period, government officials (Herod Antipater, Pontius Pilate, Publius Lentulus); priests (Hillel, Joseph Caiaphas); theologians (Gamaliel, Hipplytus, Irenaeus, Origen, and Philo), historians (Celsus, Eusebius, Josephus, Hegesipus, Plutarch, Tacitus, and Tertullian), and common folk (Daniel Benezra, Massalian, Naomi, and Suddi Benzahmare) were also writing their opinion about Jesus of Nazareth as seen through their eyes. In other words, while all scripture written by man should be thought of as being ‘inspired,’ these same writings should also be viewed as being personal opinion.

In the study of early Christianity, scholars have discovered that a tremendous amount of credible information about Jesus is stored in a collection of sectarian writings called Pseudepigrapha which are non-canonical texts written for purposes other than the explanation of the religious law or the teaching of scripture. Prior to the nineteenth century, Pseudepigrapha was deemed relatively unimportant until additional information was found in obscure libraries around the world or through archaeological digs. Such discoveries as Dead Sea Scrolls, Nag Hammadi Library, and books written by Flavious Josephus are just a few which created great excitement.

For most Christians, the New Testament is considered to be a charter document that came into being, like the Constitution of the United States, whereby all the authors of the New Testament were present at the beginning of this new religion, writing their gospels and letters for the purpose of founding the church that Jesus came to inaugurate. Unfortunately, this is not the way it happened, as Christianity was not established until almost four hundred years after Jesus’ death. Some of Jesus’s followers accepted him as being the Messiah sent to fulfill God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob while others viewed him as being a prophet, esteemed teacher, and founder of their kingdom of Heaven school of thought and nothing more. In this situation, both Jewish and Roman authorities regarded Jesus with suspicion.

Christianity began as a movement within Judaism first led by Apostle Paul commencing twenty years after the crucifixion. To appreciate Paul, one must understand Jerusalem in the first century as it was home to Jews from