Author Description

Jesus of Nazareth left behind a legacy that soon developed into the world religion that became known as Christianity. Had that been his intention? What kind of man was he? This book sets out to record what can be known or inferred about the historical Jesus. Its main object is to explain in a clear and forthright manner what can realistically be said about this important figure. It covers the major aspects of Jesus's existence: his society, his deeds, his teaching, his relations with his contemporaries, his death, and his mysterious resurrection, as well as explaining at every stage the difficulties posed by the sources. The emphasis throughout is on what is credible, what is not credible, and what is simply undecidable. A substantial conclusion rounds up what can reasonably be upheld as historical in Jesus's case. Although the approach is a scholarly one, the aim has been to present an account that is readable and accessible, yet reasonably complete and historically reliable.