Front page: Jesus, a historical reconstruction
You may email the author, and learn more about him here
Some sites providing primary evidence:
- For translations of the Bible (NIV, NASB, KJV, NKJV, YLT & Darby), with awesome search devices:
Bible Gateway
- For the KJV (and LXX) and the underlaying Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek, with outstanding tools (including many other English translations):
Blue Letter Bible
- For another handy tool to check these English
translations: The Greek Online Bible
- For an excellent modern translation, with
notes:
The NET Bible
- For writings by Christians or about them, up to the early 3rd century:
Early Christian Writings
- For the writings of notable ancient Christians, including Eusebius:
Fathers of the Church
- For the works of the late 1st century great
Jewish historian:
Josephus Flavius
- For the writings of the early 1st century
influential Jewish philosopher/theologian:
Philo of Alexandria
There are many more resource sites, such as Perseus Classics collection (in English and original language) and Early Church Fathers - Additional Texts.
If you are looking for others, here is the best search engine to get at them:
Google
Peter Kirby created many excellent websites. Those ones will get you almost everywhere:
A) The best entry point for early Christian writings, 1st/2nd century historians and on-line Bibles:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/
See also pertinent ancient texts concerning Christianity:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/fathers/
B) For access to many interesting links:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/links.html
C) For essays and commentaries on early Christian writings:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/onsite.html
D) Whole on-line books on Christianity, including
Albert Schweitzer's The Quest of the Historical
Jesus:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/onlinebooks.html
E) Reviews of scholarly "tenors", their books and theories:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/theories.html
F) Essays about the Christian faith origins:
http://www.christianorigins.com/
http://virtualreligion.net/vri/xnity.html
About Christianity including the early one and Jesus
http://virtualreligion.net/vri/bible.html
Includes Christian writings and various entry points.
These sites are hosted by dear
professor and scholar Malhon H.Smith, a member of the Jesus Seminar.
For details on the Jesus Seminar work:
http://virtualreligion.net/forum/
Malhon's site about "Perspective on the world of Jesus":
http://virtualreligion.net/iho/
Then, I'll take the opportunity here to express my humble opinion on the Seminar: I admire their courage, and I agree on some of their "findings". For example, I realized recently that J. D. Crossan came out (before me) in saying that Jesus was likely illiterate, which is one of my key observations. Other points of full agreement include:
a) Most sayings attributed to Jesus are not from him.
b) There is a clear distinction between the real Jesus and the canonical Jesus.
However, on other points, I cannot agree. Certainly, I do no see, according to my study, Jesus as a wandering Cynic/social revolutionary/Jewish sage speaking in parables. And I do not think that "Q" and the "fifth gospel" were put together as early as they propose. But my main criticism would be that the making of the N.T. and other Christian early texts should be studied before looking at the "historical Jesus", not the other way around.
http://www-user.uni-bremen.de/~wie/bibel.html
This is an extensive excellent site by Wieland Willker
with a lot of scholarly resources & commentaries, plus a complete catalogue of ancient Christian manuscripts.
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/james_still/jesus_search.html
James Still's historical Jesus site is scholarly but easy going and with interesting essays & links. I wish he did not mention a Pharisaic education for Jesus!
http://www.historian.net/newindex.html
Jack Kilmon, a true renaissance man, has a very scholarly site which is full of resources. Thank you for the word of presentation:
The Historical Jesus, by Bernard D. Muller.
You MUST visit this site!
http://pages.ca.inter.net/~oblio/home.htm
An interesting site by "there was no historical Jesus" Earl Doherty. Actually Earl is mostly arguing against the existence of a (superlative sage or teacher) great historic figure (as proposed by many "Jesus" scholars nowadays) who would have started a significant movement, if not Christianity itself.
I am not a fan of the agenda-driven approach
of Doherty, but I noticed that most of the
bits and pieces about my historical Jesus
are not on his 'hit & destroy' list.
In other words, and strangely enough, Earl's
site does not oppose much my overall picture
of the real Jesus.
Note: see here for my major objections to Earl's theories:
Critique of Doherty's Jesus puzzle
His reviews of recent scholarly renditions of the historical Jesus are very interesting and highly recommended. I also noted that Earl and the other "reviewed" scholars have the greatest difficulty explaining how Christianity started from "nobody" or the great sage/teacher.
One of the reward of having a web page is getting e-mail messages. I decided to share some of these messages with you. Respecting the confidentiality, I removed the name of my dear e-mailers.
I also included comments posted on other
sites and one paper sent to me.
1
Your pages on Jesus are excellent. I have recommended them at: ... and have quoted them on: ...
2
Subject: Jesus in a historical perspective
Dear Mr. Muller,
Hello! My name is ... and I really appreciate your efforts to your homepage. It's great and informative. I'm doing a research on "Historical Evidence of Jesus' Existence". This research is to find information about Jesus' existence in history from other resources but not using the Bible. Do you know any books or resources that is related to this topic? Thank you or your kind attention.
Truly yours,
3
I am fascinated and impressed. Is there a way I can get the whole work without downloading it from the net? This is a fantastic effort.
4
Subject: Very well done...
You left me a message from my web-site, so I decided to check out your site. You have done a very thorough job researching your material! I wish I had the courage to write my opinions of the Jesus research that I have done, but I just feel I have so much more to learn and ponder. You did a very nice job.
Thanks for directing me to your site. I will add it as a link to my site.
5
You are to be commended on your extensive study of these matters. You have given me much to think about. I see no reference to the work of Earl Doherty -- "The Jesus Puzzle." He has convinced me that the "historic" figure was the product of some creative writers of pious fiction.
6
Bernard,
I have just stumbled across your work, and have spent a few hours reading it. Most impressive!
However, have you ever read anything by Dr. Barbara Thiering? She takes things a few steps further than you do, and you might find her ideas on "pesher" interesting.
7
Hi,
I don't even know if this address is still functional, or if you'll ever read this, but I was researching some information for an English paper (specifically place of birth of Jesus, historically speaking) and sifted through 10 or 20 documents before finding yours. The others were not helpful in the slightest, and your site was clearly and concisely organized and had the information I needed. I thought it would be nice to thank you and let you know that I appreciated the site.
Thanks again.
8
Dear Mr. Muller
I have visited your website on the historical reconstruction of Jesus and I have found it very interesting. You have done an excellent work on it and I appreciate it. By reading the information at your website I have improved my knowledge to a large extent. Your website has helped me understand a great deal of Jesus and life of early Christians and Saints. I have also recommended this website to various friends and relatives and they are also impressed by its excellence. I thank you and also urge you to keep up the good work.
9
Mr. Muller,
Your work is impressive, and valuable to those like myself, who eagerly worship Christ (and other spiritual leaders who teach love, service to others, and forgiveness) but have immense difficulty accepting all the add-ons that have accreted over centuries of orthodoxy.
I noted at one point a reference to Augustine - comments that I had never seen before (people in Africa with no heads and eyes in their breasts?). Can you recall what of Augustine's works were being quoted? I recently read his biography by Peter Brown, and the character painted by Brown seemed a bit more canny and skeptical than this.
Again, thanks for your work, and for sharing it with others who care to explore the truth of religious matters.
10
Dr.Muller,
I find your writings very informative,
May GOD keep you, and Bless You.
11
Hi, Bernard! One of the things I like about your web site is the purely rational approach you take to the scriptures. That Jesus was some ordinary bloke who got in over his head seems the simplest and most welcome solution to the problem. That his biographers/hagiographers created the problem by embellishing his story to ridiculous lengths is obvious; but what isn't always obvious is that the different writers slipped up in so many places that they couldn't catch all their mistakes and internal contradictions. This is where your rational approach is most helpful. You not only sort out the egregious errors, but discover new ones by using historical research and factual information. It really takes a careful eye to spot these things, some of which are buried under layers of "over-familiarity."
This is not a criticism, rather more a compliment, but I do want to say that your site is demanding careful attention. I have been visiting it on an irregular basis, mainly because I've had several other non-Jesus things going on. When I can, I try to concentrate on a few sections at a time. Today I focused on the parables and preaching section, just to clarify for myself why the teacher thing doesn't fly. I'm inclined to agree with you, but I have to think about it for a while, especially in the context of other points you've made about Jesus' limited wanderings, sticking close to Capernaum, etc.
12
Good Work. I have been reading your account of the life of Jesus, and I find it very insightful. I am curious to know where you now stand with your beliefs. Do you believe in Jesus being the Son of God, and do you believe in an afterlife? I have been struggling with my beliefs for about two years and I would appreciate your feedback. Thanks, and once again good work.
13
Just a note to say, Bernard, that not only does your website reveal great knowledge but it is beautiful in your presentation of paintings and background color. ...
14
You are being cited! Thought you might like to see this reference. ...
You have an excellent site. It's obvious you have put a lot of work/thought/effort into its construction.
15
Though it's been on the web since 1997, I haven't seen this site before, but now Robotwisdom points it out. Bernard D. Muller provides a beautifully presented picture of the historical Jesus. His methodology is "by inquiring about contextual facts, scrutinizing primary sources, getting free from past indoctrinations and, above all, doing a lot of thinking. Never interested in debatable views, learned opinions, dazzling rhetoric, slick verbose, lofty intellectualism or ill-validated theories, I strived to discover the bottom of things, the facts and the bare truth, as naive as it may sound." It's not naive, and he brings to the table, mostly, a lot of common sense. It's a deep site, with a lot to think about and ponder over. Highly recommended for anyone wondering about this guy Jesus.
http://radio.weblogs.com/0100191/2002/06/16.html
16
I have just finished reading Jesus a historical
reconstruction. Now I am not a member of
the clergy, nor an author; I am your everyday
Christian looking for something real to believe
in. What I found in your online book is something
very believable and full of spirituality.
Thank you very much for your dedication to
these matters.
17
Your history of Jesus is fascinating! Very
thorough and impressive. I was just surfing
through the net and came upon your site,
and I must say, I spent a lot of time going
through everything you wrote.
I just want to share with you something I
read about the genealogy of Jesus, since
the gospels of Matthew and Luke give different
versions. I read this from The Daily Study
Bible, the Gospel of Luke, by William Barclay,
and in it, Barclay writes:
"The problem of this(Luke's) genealogy
is its relationship with Matt 1:1-17. the
facts are these -- only Luke gives us the
section from Adam to Abraham; the section
from Abraham to David is the same in both;
but the section from David to Joseph is almost
completely different. Ever since men studied
the New Testament they have tried to explain
the differences.
(i) It is said that both genealogies are
symbolic and that Matthew gives the ROYAL
descent of Jesus and Luke the PRIESTLY descent.
(ii) One of the earliest suggestions was
that Matthew in fact gives the genealogy
of Joseph, and Luke of Mary.
(iii) The most ingenious explanation is as
follows. In Matthew 1:16 Joseph's father
is Jacob; in Luke 3:23 it is Heli. according
to the Jewish law of levirate marriage (Deut
25:5f) if a man died childless his brother
must, if free to do so, marry the widow and
ensure the continuance of the line. When
that happenend a son of such a marriage could
be called the son of either the first or
the second husband. It is suggested that
Joseph's mother married twice. Joseph was
in actual fact the son of Heli, the second
husband, but he was in the eyes of the law
the son of Jacob, the first husband who had
died. It is then suggested that while Heli
and Jacob had the same mother they had different
fathers and that Jacob's father was descended
from David through Solomon and Heli's father
was descended from David through Nathan.
This ingenious theory would mean that both
genealogies are correct. In fact, all we
can say is that we do not know."
And since Barclay only suggests these theories,
and ends with "we do not know",
his suggestions on the differences of the
genealogies are still open to much debate
and discussion. However, I just wanted to
share with you what I read. Hope you don't
mind. Again, congratulations on your work!
18
A paper by Tim Jebb (the author consented
to be identified)
Preface
The internet of today means that there are
more resources available than ever before
on the historical Jesus. However, this realization
is almost as intimidating as it useful and
an understanding of good and bad websites
is necessary in order to make progress in
the subject. In putting together this list
of online resources, I have attempted to
encompass all perspectives of the topic to
leave the reader with the best overall understanding.
As such, while these websites are exceptional
in their own regard, the reader will find
that they are most useful when viewed and
critiqued together.
In compiling a list that is to be limited
to seven high quality web-sites, critical
decisions had to be made as to what should
be left out. The only way that I was able
to make these decisions was to set forward
a number of criteria that each website should
have. These included consistency in terms
of what has already been written on the topic,
the existence of reputable authors and publishers
at the site, awards that the web-site had
won and the number of links that I found
to the web-site in question. Furthermore,
any “hidden agendas” that were apparent on
the site generally discredited it in my eyes.
Nonetheless, even upon applying these criteria,
there were still a large amount of sources
that dealt with the subject capably. For
this reason, I have included an additional
section at the end of this paper which highlights
other websites that are very reputable but
did not quite make it into the final seven.
This secondary list is compiled entirely
to compliment the main list of sites and
will be of great use to the historian studying
Jesus.
NTgateway.com for example is the most popular
site used according to www.google.com and
is described by www.bbc.co.uk (the winner
of the 5th Annual Webby Awards) as “probably
the best web directory of New Testament Internet
Resources”. However, I found the site to
be no more than a web-directory. While providing
links to some of the best sites available,
the amount of actual information on the website
was limited. Therefore, I have not included
the site in the final list but rather used
it as a means upon which to judge the reliability
of other websites, i.e. if there was a link
from NTgateway.com, I deemed this to be a
good indicator of the quality of the website.
There are also a significant number of audio
resources available online free of charge,
such as several found at www.bbc.co.uk. While
often the actual written content at these
sites is limited, this is due to a large
extent to the fact that the information is
available from the website in spoken form.
Again, these links can be found at the end
of the paper.
The following list therefore represents the
best written resources available online to
the historian studying Jesus. The content
at each of these sites is both comprehensive
and accurate and every website is designed
to inform and not persuade. All of the authors
have satisfactory credentials and maintain
their sites fairly regularly.
I hope that you find these websites as useful
as I did.
1 - The Life of Jesus. Barry D Smith. Last
modified February 21st 2003. Faculty of Philosophy
and Religious Studies, Atlantic Baptist University.
February 23, 2003. http://www.abu.nb.ca/Courses/NTIntro/LifeJ/IndexLife.htm
This site provides a detailed breakdown of
all aspects of the life of Jesus life such
as his role as a healer and exorcist, for
example. Drawing heavily on the gospels for
their accounts of his life, the site also
stresses the importance of an understanding
of the time in which Jesus lived and sections
of the website reflect this, e.g. Healing
in the Ancient World. The site is linked
from NTgateway.com under the course materials
section headed “the Historical Jesus”.
When I first came across this site, I was
a little skeptical as I thought that it would
be nothing more than pure propaganda from
a bible college. An analysis of the authors
credentials, however, showed a distinguished
scholar with PHD from McMaster University
along with an M.A, an M.Div. and two BA’s.
Clearly the purpose of the website is to
inform the reader and the information available
to do this at the website compares very favourably
to other similar websites. Each section has
an extensive bibliography along with pictures
and explanations of important documents and
artifacts of the time. Last modified on February
21, 2003, this website is a valuable tool
to the New Testament historian.
2 - The Gospel According to the Jesus Seminar.
Birger A Pearson. April 1996. University
of California, Santa Barbara. February 23,
2003.
http://id-www.ucsb.edu:16080/fscf/library/pearson/seminar/
In searching the web for information on the
historical Jesus, one common source of information
arose. The Jesus Seminar, which began in
1985, is generally accepted as the leading
attempt to unmask the real Jesus Christ and
links to its official website (http://religion.rutgers.edu/jseminar/)
are found at almost any other website dealing
with the topic. However, this official website
appears more concerned with commercial success
than it does with informing the reader as
to progress made through this Seminar Series.
Numerous links exist merely to sell publications
and furthermore, the link to the Historical
Quest Section of the site is incomplete.
Nonetheless, I felt that the series was too
important to be left off the list and the
website entitled “The Gospel According to
the Jesus Seminar” offers the best summation
as to the content of the Seminars. Birger
Pearson is a professor at the University
of California and he holds a PhD in Philosophy
from Harvard University. He has published
numerous articles on the New Testament during
his teaching career which stretches over
40 years. As such, he is more than qualified
to speak on the topic.
The website itself is both an excellent critique
of the seminar series and a comprehensive
look at Jesus life. Again, the website is
linked to from numerous websites including
NTgateway.com and the information contained
within the web pages is relatively current.
3 - From Jesus to Christ. L Michael White
et. al. 1998. PBS and WGBH/Frontline. February
23, 2003. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/
Designed to support a television series made
in the US, this website is divided into 5
sections. While all of these have relevance
to the topic, the first two are particularly
useful. Section 1 aims to match archaeological
clues found more recently with the tradition
Christian view of Jesus in an effort to determine
their similarities and differences while
the second section provides further details
on the world Jesus grew up in. The remainder
of the website examines the early growth
of Christianity. This has relevance in that
it helps to explain how Christians today
have come view Jesus in the manner that they
do.
I found this site through a simple search
at google.com Clearly, there is no one individual
author to the website, however the organization
that is represented is reputable, the website
is maintained regularly and there are numerous
audio links that further serve to compliment
the vast array of information found within
the site. Furthermore, I discovered links
to the site from any search available on
the Historical Jesus.
4 - Articles and Papers. William R G Loader.
January 13, 1999. Murdoch University, Perth,
Western Australia. February 23, 2003. http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/articlesindex.html
This rather basic looking site actually contains
4 incredibly useful articles on the topic
of the Historical Jesus each of which deal
with a different aspect of his life. One
for example focuses on his life according
to the gospel of Mark while another discusses
his life in the context of traditional Jews
of the time.
The site was actually linked to a document
on the BBC webpage, which in itself should
increase its validity. Furthermore, it is
published by a leading Australian university
in Perth and is updated on a monthly basis.
Its author, William Loader has a PhD in Theology
and appears to be writing without any hidden
agenda. Information contained within the
web-site is accurate and of great interest
to the historian.
In addition, the site contains further information
as to the content of the New Testament. The
validity of the gospels of Matthew and Mark
is discussed along with a discussion of New
Testament life in general. This all adds
to the overall picture that is created as
to the life that Jesus was born into.
5 - Jesus, a historical reconstruction. Bernard
D. Muller. March 1997. XO Communications.
February 23, 2003. http://www.concentric.net/~Mullerb/
This website is actually the work of an individual
and therefore when I found it, I initially
treated it with a great deal of caution.
However, I discovered the site is updated
regularly and deals with several perspectives
on Jesus. The author clearly writes with
a great deal of knowledge and passion in
what he is saying. Furthermore, Bernard does
not break any academic rules and provides
an unbelievable account of the life of Jesus.
[I asked Tim about the meaning of "unbelievable". This is his answer: "As far as my comment goes with regards
to it being an unbelievable site, I clearly
meant that it was, as you put it, "spectacular".
I really was thoroughly impressed with your
site."]
His work is now linked to by www.historian.net/links
and was described by Mr. Malhon Smith, a
professor at Rutgers University as “the best
documented and most objective piece of Jesus
research that (he had) found on the internet”.
While I accept that it is perhaps dangerous
to rely on an individual's own webpage for
information, I feel strongly that this site
is an exception to the rule. The amount of
valuable resources available at the site
is exceptional and should not be ignored.
To help support my case, I emailed Bernard
Muller and asked him to supply his credentials
to me. He was honest enough to say that held
no degree in history, but instead one in
engineering. He went on to say that his knowledge
was from “a lot of spent time, self-studying
and sweat”. His email shows that he has a
passion for what he is doing and that he
has no hidden agenda. I include it as an
appendix to help support my case that this
website should not be overlooked in any study
on Jesus.
6 - The Search of the Historical Jesus. James
W Reites. October 29, 2002. Religious Studies
Department, Santa Clara University. February
23, 2003.
http://www-relg-studies.scu.edu/netcours/rs011/sess16/
This is actually a study page designed for
a class at Santa Clara University on the
topic which is linked at both http://historicaljesusquest.com
and NTgateway.com. In particular, the section
titled “An Introductory Sketch” is commended
for its coverage which is very neutral and
serves to inform, not to persuade the reader.
The author is well qualified to speak on
the topic (he hold his PhD in Philosophy)
and does so in a well balanced, reasoned
manner.
The site itself contains links to valuable
resources but more importantly contains 10
articles all of which develop the idea of
the historical Jesus. One of these articles
highlights the history of the search while
another discusses current academic views.
The Jesus Seminar Series is critiqued and
the reliability of the gospels is discussed.
While perhaps a little intimidating to read,
the academic purpose for which this site
was made means that it is of exceptional
quality and of great value to the New Testament
historian.
7 - Jesus Institute. August, 2003. Jesus
Institute Corporation. February 23, 2003.
http://www.jesus-institute.org/index.shtml
This site is published by a non-profit organization
whose goal is to help “people of all cultural
and spiritual backgrounds learn about the
person of Jesus”. It is a very user-friendly
site that I reached through a simple search
of google.com. The information contained
is taken from both the gospels, other historians
such as Josephus and Tacitus along with several
more recent attempts to examine the life
of Jesus.
The biggest advantage of this site however
is the learning guide that accompanies it.
A topic as broad as that of the Historical
Jesus is intimidating to grasp but the guide
helps navigate the reader through the website
and aid the learning process.
The site satisfies the criteria established
earlier. It has been updated in the past
2 months and the authors of the site have
no agenda and seek only to inform.
Websites to Avoid
1 - The Sins of Jesus. Richard Muller. February
23, 2003. http://www.richardmuller.com/
The purpose of this site which I found through
a search at google.com is to persuade the
reader to buy his book “The Sins of Jesus”
from Amazon. At first glance the site appears
respectable. Muller is a professor at Berkeley
and has received awards from the University
of California among others.
However, the information contained within
the site is limited at best. There are 3
documents on Jesus contained within the site.
However, all three prove to be no more than
extracts from the beginning of 3 chapters
in his book. Furthermore, the only review
that this site receives regards the book,
“Had I read this book, I might not have become
an Atheist”.
The site is called Historical Jesus but the
reality is that a visit to the site will
serve only as a commercial for a book much
like many others that we read everyday.
2 - Historical Jesus FAQ. John Barger. January,
2002. John Barger. February 23, 2003. http://www.robotwisdom.com/science/jesus.html
The link this URL reaches is actually a page
that appears quite respectable. A reasoned
approach is taken when describing the events
of Jesus’ lifetime. Information contained
within the page appears to be both extensive
and respectable and furthermore the site
itself is well designed and full of links
to help clarify issues.
However, a visit to the home page of the
website reveals the complete picture. The
author is representing a new conservative
left party called Robot Wisdom. The aim of
this party is to “create a model of the human
predicament that can unflinchingly put the
lie to their rationalizations.” The controversial
doctrine behind the party which can be viewed
extensively at http://www.robotwisdom.com/home.html
leads me to the conclusion that this website
should not be viewed seriously.
3 - Jesus Christ is the only way to God.
Sister Tracy. September 1996. Sister Tracy.
February 23, 2003. http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/historcl.htm
Once again, this site does not immediately
look like one that one should be cautious
about although, the URL does appear a little
controversial. However, effectively, this
page tells the reader to disregard all historical
theories about Jesus and continue on to the
main home page where they will reveal the
true Jesus. Upon visiting this page, the
site deteriorates into a “bible-bashing”
attempt to convert the reader to Christianity.
Now, regardless of whether one accepts Jesus
as their Saviour, there is little doubt in
my mind that controversial websites such
as these (it condemns all forms of the bible
with the exception of the King James version
for example) are of little use to biblical
historian.
The author appears to have little authority
to speak on the subject and in truth is only
speaking on it with an ulterior motive. Effectively,
this site attracts you to it by the title
“The Historical Jesus”. It then offers little
to no information that is of relevance and
proceeds to condemn you. Don’t waste your
time here!
Further Resources
http://historicaljesusquest.com
www.hopeofisrael.com
http://religion.rutgers.edu/jseminar
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/james_still/jesus_search.html
www.kchanson.com
http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/
http://www.ntgateway.com
Useful Audio Links
http://www.united.edu/portrait/borg.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/world_religions/christianity_life.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/highlights/010415_behold.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio (click on listen
to FiveLive, then “The Real Jesus Christ)
19
Hello Bernard,
I recently found your site and I am very
impressed, you did a lot of work! I never
read about the events at Cesarea before and
I can see how they could inspire John the
Baptist and Jesus to do what they did.
While I find your reconstruction very believable,
I still have to wonder what happened to Paul
to convert him from an enemy of the Christian
movement to becoming one of its leaders.
I suppose he may have really had some kind
of spiritual experience but I am still skeptical.
If you have any thoughts on that I'd like
to hear them.
20
Mr. Muller,
Your website on your research about Jesus
is fascinating and thorough.
After all of your study and pursuit of knowledge
on Christ, I have one question for you: Do
you have anything that approaches a personal
relationship with Jesus (or "God",
for that matter)? With all of my Catholic
background and education, I cannot honestly
that say I do. Yet, others claim to have
such a relationship. Would a real Jesus or
God be so arbitrary as to be absent from
some and present to others? (Whoops, a second
question!) Somehow, I think not. We are a
species whose defining characteristic (in
my opinion) is a passion for belief. We need
to believe in something. Finally, at this
stage of my life, the only thing I've come
to believe in is truth (and the openness
to it) and the goodness that my limited mind
can understand. Just wondering what YOU think/believe
about the personal nature of Jesus and God
(all scholarship and research aside).
I feel like the kid about to cry The Emperor
Has No Clothes! Thanks
21
Hi Bernard
Thanks for your efforts at disentangling
the many threads that make up the NT. I am
not sure I agree with all your conclusions,
but the eloquent cases you make for a later
(and real) 'Q', 'Thomas' and the like have
given me pause over taking John Crossan's
opinions as the last word - though I do still
like his "Cross Gospel" idea [major
source of Peter's Gospel.] Your challenge
to Mark Goodacre's central thesis was a welcome
re-examination of 'Q', though I have no doubt
your discussions with Mark will continue.
I have problems with the whole schema though
because all the sources -except Paul - are
so late. Years ago John Robinson's "Redating
the New Testament" tackled a lot of
the post 70 CE dating arguments quite rightly
pointing out the Jewish OT commentary and
apocalyptic that the NT bases its "fall
of Jerusalem" motifs on. Paul's writings
certainly hint strongly at the expectation
of judgement and the Qumran community prophesised
similar events years before. What lines of
evidence aside from the mini-Apocalypses
hint at a post-70 CE dating? And what did
the first writers use as sources about Jesus???
Having said that I really think you are closer
to disentangling the NT mess than most.
sincerely
-----------
PS: Where do you think the Resurrection stories
of JC arose from? I'm inclined to go with
Crossan's ideas that see the Resurrection
growing out of the Jerusalem community's
experiences of persecution in the early 40s
CE.
22
Dear Mr. Muller
I just read your website about "The epistles of Ignatius: are they all
forgeries?". I was absolutely impressed. Zwingende Argumente! Great work!
Will this be published in a "Fachzeitschrift"?
I have linked this site with my www.radikalkritik.de. I hope this is OK.
Freundliche Grüße aus Berlin
Hermann Detering
Dear Mr Muller
Thank for your answer. You asked:
"I'll used your reply below on my front page of the aforementioned web site,
but without any ID of you, direct or indirect (such as indicating your web
site), as I do for very favorable comments sent personally to me. Is it OK?
Can I also identify you as its author?"
Yes, it`s Ok. Different opinions - that doesnt`t matter. I appreciate good
scholarship - as you call it: "highly inquisitive" (there is actually one
decisive point where I differ from others & which has generally been
underestimated: Marcion and his influence). ...
Best regards
Hermann
23
Dearest Bernard,
Thank you, thank you! All my life I've struggled
with skepticism concerning my Christian faith.
I've always felt that something just wasn't
right. And not just with Christianity but
with all religions. I've always suspected
that religion really has nothing to do with
any God. It's a man made thing. And just
another method of controlling the masses.
Being raised in a "Born Again"
Christian atmosphere it was nearly impossible
to discuss my feelings and thoughts with
others close to me. It was a very lonely
existence. To cite an example of the single
minded hypocrisy of those people I am going
to quote something said to me at my father's
funeral just a few months ago. A good friend
of his said "You know your father's
biggest fear was that you might not come
back to the Lord." (I've been considered
a backslider for some time now). How dare
she said something like that to me at my
Dad's funeral??!! What kind of guilt trip
was she trying to lay on me?!
I thank you because now I no longer have
to question my doubts or feel that kind of
guilt. If I'm asked the question; "Are
you saved?" I will be able to say; "From
what? From you? Oh yes my friend I have been
finally saved from the likes of you!".
I am proud to be an Agnostic. I would rather
spend my life not believing in anything than
waste it believing lies.
Don't get me wrong, I am not a hater of Christians
(or Muslims or Jews or anyone else). In fact
what I found most refreshing about your work
is its objectivity and impartiality. I've
been searching for some time for someone
who could help fill in the gaps and mostly
have found Jesus bashers full of the same
sort of hate and prejudice I see in the world
religions. These people are no better than
those they criticize. Thank you for bringing
me closer to the truth without inciting bad
emotions. And thank you for providing such
a gold mine of information. Your site is
at the top of my bookmarks!
By the way have you considered doing any
research into other religious texts such
as the Quran? I think it would be interesting.
Keep up the good work.
24
This very issue is what caused me to rethink my faith. It caused me to have a critical reading of the NT, and to do some research and try to familiarize myself with the facts of the day during those times. The more I looked the more disheartened I became on the whole idea.
Like Jezz, I didn't care about how many people were at the tomb, or who saw Jesus first or any other of those little things that seem to contradict. My problem came with the gospel writers themselves. Matthew tried too hard to tie Jesus with the OT prophesies of the Messiah. The birth story, Jesus' lineage to David, his incredible resurrection account... the silence of Paul on an earthly Jesus and his earthly teachings. Modern Christianity is really based on what Paul told us. He says one thing, and Luke (the author of Acts) says he does something else.
Since the whole faith system hinges on Jesus and his death/resurrection, I wanted to make sure and try and convince myself the story is true. I've had a hard time doing that. When I asked other Christians some of my questions I had about events in the bible, they often told me it was just an allegory with a different meaning altogether. Wrong answer.
So, if they can't agree on how Jesus was actually born and some of these other things, what other stuff isn't correct? Was Isaiah really talking about Jesus when he prophesied about a Messiah? Jesus didn't do what the Jews of the day expected their Messiah to do.
From a human standpoint the following link is a great read regarding the historic life of Jesus. This is from a guy (Bernard Muller) who argued against "the Jesus Puzzle" by Earl Doherty. So he isn't an atheist per say [!!! Why not?], but not a Christian either. He believed Jesus actually lived on earth. Here he does a good job of logically reconstructing the life and ministry of Jesus. It's a fascinating read whether you are a Christian or non-believer. The story is towards the bottom of the page. Also, check out the commentary on Daniel and the book of Revelation at the bottom. Good stuff.
Link:
http://www.oocities.org/b_d_muller/index.html
25
First of all, congratulations for such a great job you have done!
I have made some research by my own about this topic and I am very agreed with you. Earl Doherty has some good points about the mythological side of the Jesus conundrum but his underpinning thesis about a whole mythological Jesus is plain wrong, as you have very well proved. Additionally, I have founded in Galatians letter Paul indirectly shows a very earthly Jesus through James.
I have found very insightful your research methodology, it is closer to natural sciences than human sciences, making the arguments based on empirical evidence more than in speculations, this is a strong point on your side, summed up in honest and realistic statements. Congratulations.
26
Bernard,
I like your ability to make sense out of things. To tell you the truth, I have a difficult time keeping up, though your explanation seems to make sense. When I went over the nativity accounts with my mom (who takes pleasure in studying the Bible), the Gospels seemed to be in line.
Also, thank you for your second comment, I had not seen that they had gone to Jerusalem in lk 2:22.
I find that your reasoning is very laid out. Though it might be difficult for certain readers to follow. I might have an idea for your site. Since you said you would be going over your work, maybe during the subsequent rewrites, you could use teaching tools like drawings or tables? So, for example, in the explanation you gave me, it would be nice to have something like a travel route.
Well, thanks for the exchange.
Glad to participate in your website,
27
I am speechless. The closest thing to your site I have seen in my life is as a child 5-6 years old learning about Jesus in Sunday school at church. I loved this, but hated “preaching” right afterward. I hated all the emotions of heaven and hell being forced on me (Southern Baptist, in USA), I still do. Now, after reading most of your site, I can see that my simple view of Jesus was closer to the truth. Thank you for helping me see this. I am still in shock. There is much to catch up on. Many ideas to rethink.
I have been trained in science and I can see that a rational or scientific view is very helpful, but certainly isn’t the last word. Many things must be looked at..
28
Bernard,
Merci mille fois!
Like you, I identify myself as a humanist in my maturity (I'm 61 &
retired) - I call myself a third millennium Spinozan - and have retained
a lifelong interest in the history of the Christian church.
For the last 20 years or so, I've picked up my Lightfoot 'Fathers' only
to reread the Didache, which I consider worth all the other entries put
together. About a week ago, I reread the 'Ignatian' letters & as always
finished reading with more questions than answers. This time I had the
internet to consult. What a frustrating experience it can be!
I discovered your admirable essay only yesterday. Your methodology is
impeccable, your points are apropos & well explicated, your research is
thorough and satisfying, and your speculative reconstruction of the
writing of the epistles is persuasive and imho very likely to be true.
I'm eager to explore & learn from the rest of your site. Thanks again,
Bernard, for the opportunity to think with you on this fascinating
episode!
...
All the best!..
29
Bernard,
I visited your website and found it quite thorough and informative, ... [a misunderstanding which was clarified later] ...
I thought that your comments at your site regarding the beginning of Christianity, proto-Christianity, and the later date for Acts, and its problems of continuity with 'Luke' and 'Luke's' discontinuity with the rest of the Gospels to be accurate observations that have been made by many scholars. Excellent stuff.
I also applaud your remarks concerning Revelation and the book of Daniel, and, your comments concerning the nearness of the final judgment of all mankind and its connection in the minds of Gospel writers with the destruction of Jerusalem. Some excellent points made on all of those topics.
I realize English is not your native tongue, but I do hope someone sometime will re-edit your articles or utilize them in their own work, since they contain some excellent observations.
Best wishes,
30
Dear Bernard, although a little shocked to find a reply from you (most scholars are either too busy or feel it is beneath them to respond), you will never know the joy and happiness I felt when I saw your email this morning. Truly, thank you for being so kind and taking the time to help me find answers to the questions I have never been able to resolve on my own. Your scholasticism simply amazes me. It is so honest and pure. Yes, I am very familiar with the works of other scholars who begin with a "belief" and are "bent" on proving it.
As I was reading about "you", as you suggested, I thought to myself, "Bernard is a Humanist". I wasn't familiar with this philosophy until a few months ago. I did take the time to go on line and read about Humanism and thought "that sounds a whole lot like me".
You ask where I got the information on the sacrifices or deaths of the first believers. Actually, just from Catholic tradition of how the 12 apostles died. Yes, I know... not very factual. Sorry, but so little information is available to me. I go on line to find information, and it is almost like "mission impossible". Now, you see why I am so intrigued by your web site. I am still stunned and amazed by the hours of research you invested in making this knowledge available. Thank you, again. I will begin again this morning reading the rest of your work.
Please, don't laugh, but may I mention to you things in the Bible that have always bothered and worried me?
1. If God made the angels and 1/3 of them rebelled against Him, why bother with creating another life form (especially if as God, you already know how it is going to turn out)?
2. Why put the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden if Adam and Eve weren't to eat of it?
3. Without the knowledge of good and evil, how could Adam and Eve made an intelligent choice? How could their actions be sinful when they had no concept of right and wrong?
4. Why must blood be shed before there can be forgiveness of sin? (All of those constant sacrifices at the Tabernacle and the Temple... the place must have stunk to high heaven). And, requiring the sacrifice of your son to rid Man of his sin? Really, now?????
5. Why must morality rest on religion? Some things are obvious... don't kill, don't lie, don't steal, treat other people the way you want to be treated, etc.
6. People say "God does not interfere with Man's choices". WOAH... seems like He is saying, "Do it MY WAY or I will send you to hell".
This list just goes on and on ...
Goodness, have written too much. Please forgive me. Have a wonderful day.... time for me to get back to your site and uncover more of the truth that I have been searching for.
