Historical Jesus

- What can we know about the historical Jesus? Jesus lived in history, what can we truly say?

- We will begin from below: the historical reality of Jesus. See in the Synoptic of Jewish history leading to the birth of Jesus (pg 3)

- To understand “who is Jesus? Where did he come from?” We can’t understand Jesus of the 1^st century of the Jew without appreciating the 2000 yrs of Jewish history…

- We begin with the call of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob… 600 yrs. They were in a sojourn of Egypt, they entered a covenant relationship with Yahweh- the Promise Land. To believe that God had made a promise 700 yrs earlier. Yahweh is the faithful God.

- Judges and Kings: Saul, David, Solomon… 922 divided kingdom into North- 722 (Syria) and South- 587 (Babylon)… mixed blood: Samaritan…

Ex: - Good Samaritan

- The ten lepers

- The Samaritan woman in Jn 4

- The simple thing of recognizing and understanding the historical background is to make the gospels and the picture of Jesus come more alive: Jesus makes the Samaritan a model of virtue for the Jew.

- So we need to know the background of the Jewish tradition to understand more the person of Jesus.

- God sent a pagan to carry out his plan in the history: Cyrus of Persia took over Babylon in 538 the Israel return home…/ the Greek (Alexander the great… )/ Maccabean and Hasmonean rule…

- All these details effect the Jewish Jesus and under the rule of the Roman: Jesus was born.

- The influence of the Roman- Herod the Great…

- Christianity is a historical religion. We accept God speaks to us in and through history… in order to entering our understanding of FAITH.

HISTORICAL EVENT + FAITH INTERPRETATION = REVELATION

Ex: Exodus event

- How did we come to revelation? Scripture or the person of Jesus is the actual event that was understood in faith by which we come to understand the Word of God.

- Christianity became a historical religion: “born in the womb of the virgin Mary, suffer under Pontus Pilate, died and was buried…” are the historical event of Jesus.

See some images of Jesus in the hand out (1&2): how did Jesus look? Can we truly know the historical Jesus? What can we say about the historical Jesus? Which one is correct?

WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT THE HISTORICAL JESUS?

- Historical Jesus refers to Jesus of Nazareth, his early life, how he constructed his life…

- The gospels are written for PROCLAMATION and from FAITH to FAITH. How can we know about the earthly Jesus in the Gospel? So the quest for the historical Jesus began…

- QUEST: the search, a quest, investigation, searching the historical Jesus… is more popular today. Who is the real Jesus? What can we say about him?

- Contemporary humanity are man search for answer the question in regarding to the historical Jesus.

- This is particularly true after the Enlightenment and the Scientific revolution. We think differently today that the people would have thought 2000 yrs ago. The critical method to get the historical elements from the Gospel- but the Gospels are not historical biography in the modern sense.

A DISTINGTION OF THE TWO GERMAN WORDS:

HISTORISCH

GESCHICHTLICH

Ex: Sept 21^st 1972 : Marshall Law (historisch)

May 17^th 1972: Ordination day of Fr. Kroerger (geschchtlich)

Historisch: refer to a historical data, a historical fact or a simple fact of history…

Geschichtlich: refer to interpreted history or what is the significant of a historical fact for a particular group of people only. Or a certain event in history has a particular meaning to a particular group.

In terms of searching for historical Jesus, at the heart of the Gospel there is historical facts/ data: Mary, Joseph flight to Egypt…

What is his significant/ important for us are Christian and followers of Jesus?

- There is a interrelationship between the two words. They interpreted data is not a voice/ way of historical fact but historical fact has some special important interpreted history- they are interpreted in the light of Faith and resurrection of Jesus

- The Gospel we have is a interpreted history, in faith and in the light of resurrection for a cmty of faith, that is why they were written.

What can we know about the historical Jesus? What kind of frame work used for interpreting the Gospel and what has happen as we try to answer the question arise today?

- It is “faith seeking understanding”

- Using some of the insight of French philosopher: PAUL RICOER (Hermeneutics: to interpret, science of interpretation-Glossary pg 205)

+ Born in France in 1913- an important philosopher of the 20^th century.

+ He focused on the methodology of centualism and the philosophy of language: the Hermeneutics. It is very helpful particular for answering the questions of historical Jesus.

+ He survived during the WW II after great suffering (like Karl Rahner).

+ He died May 28^th 2005

+ His struggles were: how to reconcile faith and the reality of the world we are living today.

+ Last yr he got a prize by the Congress for Achievement Human Science.

How do we interpret Philosophy and theology? How do we do that. Paul Rieocur gave us 4 stages:

a. In life and in our faith we begin with first Naivete:

- Naivete : a childlike, accepted, a simple believe, in uncritical accepting faith

- Having a believe system that bases on a fundamental story or narrative, myth and put further into the world around us (Creation story)

- All people have narrative of their own origin and that narrative explains everything.

- For the Christian, the Bible is fulfilled this function- interpreting of our origin in the world, of evil, sin and conflict… where do we turn to the answer: The Bible has all the answer- literally.

- This is what we are talking about: simple childlike- naivete- this is the way the creation comes about. We move beyond the metaphysical interpretation, math and sciences, cause and effect in the modern world

- Two characteristic of this new ways of looking at things:

1. Imperial natural sciences

2. Historical consciousness

ð the simple Naivete way of understanding our world we don’t accept any more. So what happen when we think that the Gospel answers everything?

b. Hermeneutic of suspicion:

We begin to doubt about the Bible, Religion and Science are in conflict and we are very suspicious about the answer.

c. We have to move to Hermeneutic Recovery:

- This is a process of integrating our faith: with insight: from the imperial nature sciences, social sciences, with our growing historical consciousness.

- The scientific view and our faith struggles for integration. Ex: the Galilee question, Scientifically the Church was wrong. In 1992 JP II ask for pardon for all the mistake of the church in Galilee issue…

d. A second Naivete: (reintegration of Faith)

- A second view in which faith and science base on historical data can be integrated.

- We have faith, 2^nd level of believing, but now it has grown mature- integration faith: people of faith and people of good scientific knowledge are not in conflict.

- We need Christian who are knowledgeable about science to be able to take your faith and explain it in such a way that it’s going to meet the need of other humanity.

- It is very helpful for us personally to realize that all of us has to go through it again and again in a # way.

- As we grow as human being, choice, religious cmty… we are constantly going through this framework.

- Help us to appreciate what do we search for the historical Jesus, how to realize our reintegration will guide us the question we have… this QUEST all about.

THE 1^ST QUEST

- 1800 yrs ago Xtn took for granted the picture of Jesus until the 18^th century with the Enlightenment. The 1^st quest is said to begin with Reimarus (1694-1768)

- This Jesus is a Jewish revolutionary, unsuccessful Messiah, a teacher, to establish a new religion is not Jesus’ intention but the disciples set up the religion.

- His writing has not great impact.

- The 1/3 1800 : Supernaturalist

Rationalist

a. Supernaturalist: the traditional self understanding of Xtn faith from the Scripture is correct. Any thing that contradict is false. No error in the Bible.

b. Nationalist: Tempting to ask some other questions: they often deny the possibility of supernatural event, they even explain away miracle… however, not much progress in this but the debate continue…

c. Some important figures…

1. Chritian Weisse: 1800, the 1^st one to promote Markan hypothesis. Mk was the 1^st one who wrote the gospel and Mt and Lk built upon this … and it was widely accepted.

2. Bruno Bauer: the figure of Jesus and Paul never existed. Jesus was instructed of the Jewish apocalyptic literature and Paul was instructed by the Hellenistic mythical or mystery of religion.

3. Harnak: we should not be worried about all the historical question b/c the essence of Xtnity does not like a document or moral worship.. The essence of Xtnity is Jesus and His message. The key element of Jesus’ message is “the coming of the KDG, so you don’t need a historical Jesus, his message is more important

4. William Wrede: Mk is product of Theology: Jesus is Divine but Markan is not a reliable source for the historical Jesus.

Ex: In Synoptic, we have the idea of the Messianic Secret Mk 8,30; Mt 9,13; Lk 8,56, the Transfiguration. They are simple elements that through and through “Messianic Secret” until the people have a full understand of what does it mean to be a Messiah: suffer and die- the clear picture of Jesus.

End of the 1^st quest: (Old Quest)

- Indeed, Jesus was a noble figure but who this historical Jesus is, they are projecting their own personal image of Jesus. They don’t have any historical data to go on.

- Rausch (pg 13) with Schweitzer the old quest came to an end. It produced some insight and principle: Mk: the Messianic Secret, Quelle source,… it end with little progressive.

- We never get to a satifactory: Naivete

The decline of historical Jesus rearch (1906- 1953)

- Common view expresses by Karl Barth, indeed the way we should understand is the whole the relationship of Jesus and the Gospel portrait of Jesus can not be expressed in terms of biography so he express in this way: the historical Jesus and the Christ of faith are separated in the gospel. They are two #. So we just accept the Christ of faith. Karl express a great skepticism that some how we get the historical Jesus from the NT- the 2^nd Naivete was not achieved.

THE 2^ND QUEST: (New quest) (pg 13 Rausch and pg 2 Historical Jesus)

The quest for Jesus has a new turn in 1953 with Ernest Kasemann. He was a former student of Bultmann. There is a reason to launch a new quest to the historical Jesus, why? He said that there are three key words:

1. Legitimate: searching for who Jesus is and historical aspect is important.

2. Necessary: if we don’t search we don’t have the answer for those who say that XTn is only a myth.

3. Possible: there are new form of historical reasons are available.

Kasemann said: “a new quest is now possible, a necessary to keep Xtn faith firmly tied to the life of the history of Jesus”. So the 2^nd quest begins.

- They are not much more than the Fundamentalist viewpoint

- A quest is possible, new methods are available that particularly was refer to Scripture study (Form Criticism/ Literary Criticism/ Redaction Criticism/ Source Criticism)

- The 2^nd quest had a positive goal: It was promote a mature faith of Xtn. Some of the result are:

1. A recognition of the Gospel for what they are. They are proclamation, good news

2. Accepting that historical figure why we need the Gospel presentation.

3. They gave us a picture if Jesus by focus on his religious significance

4. They help us appreciate that the evangelists are “Pastoral Theologians”. They saved the passage/ picture of Xt to the Jewish audience.

5. The Bible remains a “church book”: meaning the interpretation of the Bible must be done within the ecclesial context- the context of the Church. (Pg 15-16 Rausch)

THE 3^RD QUEST: began in 1980 with the JESUS SEMINAR.

- They base on social science more than other method such as form criticism, redaction and tradition.

- Research into 2^nd Temple Judaism to have a better understanding of Jesus in his own historical context and culture. (source: Josephus, Q, the apocalyptic writing…)

- They investigate the structure of Galilean life, family and social relationship…

- Emphasize the historical and also move beyond the close rationalist system of secular modernity.

- Some figures of this quest: John Meier, N.T Wright, Sanders, Harvey… Meier and the Jesus Seminar has a special notice.

John Meier’s background:

- One of the most ambitious modern reconstruction of the historical Jesus.

- A diocesan priest from NY.

- The 1^st class of Biblical scholar. He is the one truly explore the historical Jesus and continue to search for it (with 4 vol) . He explain why he was so interesting in it b/c he want to answer the contemporary question so that people will be able to know Jesus.

- A professor for many yrs in Washington DC

- He wrote hundreds of pages about what was the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist/ Jesus and Pharisee, saducee and Roman authors…

JESUS SEMINAR: (very critical in the Catholic Church)

- Was founded in 1985 by Robert Funk, a professor at the University of Montana

- What authentic in the historical Jesus, particularly on what he said.

- The method is try and isolate the earliest stand of Jesus tradition. They discuss and vote to see what sayings of Jesus are authentic.

- There are some critical comments in this approach. This Jesus Seminar is promoting the idea about determining what part of the NT is authentic and what is not.

- Can we go determine of what Jesus said and did not say. Here are some critics of Raymon Brown- an excellent Scripture Scholar:

1. Jesus Seminar, they evaluate the NT very skeptically (some thing that Jesus did not say 50% and what Jesus said 30%… )

2. This group is not credible b/c they come to Jesus research with a lot of black, grey, white… they are entire supernatural. Ex: they would say the bodily resurrection of Jesus did not happen. While on Sunday we profess “we believe in the resurrection….” The Catholic would not agree with them. They are very strong in adapting the dogmatic affirmation of the Catholic Church. Somehow they are much more than the Fundamentalism.

JOHN MEIER: (pg 16 Rausch)

He is a diocesan Priest from NY Diocese. One of the first class of Biblical scholar- the one truly explore the historical Jesus and he continue to search for it (with 4 vol: well done and phenomenon work) He explain why he was so interesting in this? b/c he wants to answer the temporary question about Jesus so that people will be able to understand and know Jesus. He is a professor for many yrs in Washington DC. He wrote hundreds of pages about the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist, Pharisee, Saducee, Roman authority… he go to the Scripture evidence: extra biblical , xtn writing and Jewish writing..

EVALUATIVE OBSERVATION ON HISTORICAL JESUS:

Why search for the historical Jesus?

Meier said:

- “ The Jesus of history is not and can’t be the object of xtn faith. A moment’s reflection will make clear why that must be so. For more than a millennium and a half, Xtn believe firmly in JC w/o having any clear idea of or access to the historical Jesus as we understood today, yet no one will deny the validity and strength of their faith…” (pg 13 Rausch)

- “ The question is “the Church could still not make the historical Jesus the object of its preaching and faith. The reason is obvious: whose historical Jesus would not be the object of faith?” (pg 31)

- For believer, the object of Xtn faith is a living person, JC, who fully entered into a true human existence on earth in the 1^st century AD, but who now lives, risen and glorified forer in the Father’s present. Primarily, Xtn faith affirms and adheres to this person, indeed, incarnate, crucified and risen- the only secondary to ideas and affirmation about Him. In the realm of faith and theology, the “real Jesus” the only Jesus existing and living now, is true risen Lord, to whom access is given only through faith. “Fides Quaeren Intellectum” we can’t know the person of Jesus w/o beginning in faith” (pg 31)

- What then - ask the objections- is the usefulness of the historical Jesus to the people of faith? (pg 32)

+ It can be very useful if one asking about “Faith seeking understanding”. Our faith has to be well interrelated with the kinds of questions people are asking today. With the world and its experiences of revolution the way the world look scientifically.

+ Why then it is so important? (Senior answer the never ending question for Jesus

a. Factors of renewed interest:

- 1^st quest: Biblical archaeology, anthropology and for more histories discovery.

- Biblical and non- Biblical text in a more careful reading…

- we realize that if we look at the temporally sociology, economic, cultural anthropology is also enlightening the context…

- So, these factors according to Senoir are contributing to the renewal interests a new look at what we can know about the historical Jesus.

b. A basic consensus:

What do Scripture scholars agree about the historical Jesus?

- He was a Palestine Jew who live in the 1^st third century. He lived most of his adult life in Galilee, originating in the small farming hamlet of Nazareth and during his ministry, in the religion of the Sea of Galilee with Capernaum as his base. He and his father appear to have been craftsmen, working on the construction of the large developing city…

- Jesus was a devout Jew, an itinerant preacher of some popularity, use parables and stories effectively, was a charismatic healer. His message was the coming of the KDG.

- Jesus had adapted from the preaching of John Baptist

- Jesus’ mission was virtually confined to Jew and Jewish territory , he loved sinners and the maginalize…

- Jesus loved to go to feast (wedding at Canna) being with people is his opportunity for his ministry.

- Liberal interpretation of the law and open with sinners

- Jesus and his message came to the attention of the Roman authority…(public action in the temple…)

- All modern biblical scholars would agree on these minimal historical description of Jesus- begin to fill this with more details- the consensus begin to break down. Ex: which picture of Jesus is really true? we have nothing to describe the physical appearance of Jesus.

- (pg 21 Rausch) “Jesus was a humanperson and a Jew (Hebrew, NCW: non christian writing), of the tribe of Judah, descendant of David, mission to the Jew, a teacher… “

- that is the basis idea that we know about the historical Jesus

c. Division of the house (Seniors) the different image of the historical Jesus. (tu doc)

d. The coming of history and the gospel:

We come to realize that there is continuity and discontinuity:

- The basis historical is true.

- Beyond that, to understand it is a faith summary- the Gospel is a faith summary.

WHY THEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS QUESTION?

It is helpful to look at the reason that are given by Meir: (4 reasons) The historical Jesus, while not the object or essence of the faith, must be an integral part of the modern theology today. This question answers the quest: they serve our faith at least in 4 ways:

1. By looking at the details to the historical Jesus, it means we can’t reduce Jesus to some kinds of mystic symbols. Jesus is not an ideal personal invent for our own. We don’t make Jesus acc to the ideal we may have and can’t reduce him to some mystical figures. B/c we continue to anchor that Xtn faith is connected with specific event. It keeps our faith rooted in the history of the person of Jesus.

2. Historical Jesus makes sure that the pious xtn of a mystic or docetic don’t end up in a docetic bend. Ex: the early heresy in the church was docetism: it come from the Gk word: “dokei” meaning “see to appear as if”, we don’t fall into the area of docetism. For them, jesus only seem to be human, acted as human but in fact he is really Divine. He explained that most Xtn are actually “crypto- monophysitism” (Crypto = hidden and mono = one, phisis = picture) = basically Jesus is only one nature (basically divine but as if he was human)

3. We can’t domesticate Jesus (change him and make him for our vision, for a comfortable, respectable… we can’t shape Jesus acc to what we want

4. We can’t use Jesus for our own program: a political revolution Jesus, a social transformer… indeed, the usefulness of the historical Jesus to theology is that he ultimately eludes all our neat theological programs, he bring all of them into question by refusing to fit into the boxes we create for him >> properly understood the historical Jesus is a bulwark against the reduction of xtn faith in general and Christology in particular to “relevant” ideology of any stripe.

5. (Loewe: Historical Jesus, last page) the results of the historical Jesus research become significant for xtn faith. The historical Jesus research counter recurring temptations to docetism by presenting xtn with images of Jesus as fully human and historical situated.

The historical Jesus research helps the transformation of the Gospels>> deep appreciation for the humanity of Jesus… help others draw closer to Jesus. This approach is more effectively in proclamation of the Gospels.

MEIR: Why get to know the historical Jesus? Who is then the real Jesus?

Meir distinguishes between the real Jesus, the historical Jesus and the Theological Jesus:

- Too often people equate the historical Jesus with the real Jesus: if we could get only the historical Jesus, then we could have the real Jesus. But the Gospels are not biography or history.

- The historical Jesus is not the same thing as the real Jesus.

- For the believers, the real Jesus we encounter today, while certainly in continuity with that Jesus who lived on earth 200 yrs ago, is crucified, died and was risen. Jesus encounters through the mediation of the cmty of belief in Scripture, prayer, church teaching, faith and sacraments…this is the way we come to meet the real Jesus today.

- People say that one of the key to the 3^rd quest is the rediscovering the Jewishness of Jesus and from there many other things will come in a greater and deeper…

HOW DOES FAITH FIT IN? (Meir pg 3)

No historical Jesus research existed until the 18^th century but it is st very helpful as Meir said: “preaching to the ordinary people after the academic week brings him down to earth and struggle with how one gets Scripture across to people? how can we be better to communicate to claim that Jesus in the Gospel?”

ð Our approach is definitely is “FIDES QUAERES INTELLECTUM” one who has richer, deeper understanding, integrating the “2^nd Naivete”

Ronald: THE QUEST FOR JESUS OF NAZARETH. (Read for your own reflection)

THE BACKGROUND OF THE JEWISH HISTORY

- It helps us to understand the person and message of Jesus. Jesus was born during the rule of the Roman emperor.

- To know the world of Jesus, in which context the Gospel was written? To know it to know something more about Jesus.

- Our faith is indeed a historical faith b/c it was revealed in the core of history and history is part of revolution. Ex: Jesus became human in the womb of Mary, crucified under Pontus Pilate. We link our faith into the event of history b/c:

HISTORICAL EVENT + FAITH INTEPRETATION = REVELATION

- Jewish links their faith into the event of history to understand God and history

- This Jewish history is the history of Jesus: How he prayed, and his tradition…

JEWISH HISTORY

Christian = historical religion

Herod the Great

Mariame Malth Cleopatra

Herod Philip Archelaus Herod Antipas Philip

(Herodias) married Herod Antipas

(Salome) married Philip (her father half brother)

· SYNOPSIS OF JEWISH HISTORY LEADING TO THE BIRTH OF JESUS (xem tai lieu)

· SYNOPSIS OF THE ROMAN HISTORY IN RELATION TO JESUS

There are three major periods:

1. The period of Kings (753-510 BC)

2. Period of the Republic (509- 27 BC)

3. Period of imperial Rome (27 BC- 475-76 AD)

But for our study we will focus on the last yrs of the Republic and the first yrs of the empire (look handout pg 4 – Roman History II)

WHAT WAS THE IMPACT OF PALESTINE TO THE ROMAN WORLD?

They were under the foreign dominant controls, many forces and liberation, so in this context when Jesus became popular JB asked him “are you the one to come?” B/c they are expected a political revolution. This is in the background of many people as we saw in the NT

Herod the great rule in 37 BC- 4BC: Palestine was under his control and at this time JESUS WAS BORN around the yrs 6-4 BC, under the period of Augustus (Lk 2,1) (Dionysius made a mistake in calculating that why we said that Jesus was born in the yrs1

Mt 2,16-18: the slaughter of the innocents and the flight to Egypt

Herod was half Jew nad half Roman- people didn’t like him, he had 10 wives: immoral life, if S.O was against him he would kill even his own wife and children (Mariamne)- so the slaughter of the innocent is very understandable in this context.

Herod the great built many temple, sports…his greatest ambitious achievement was the reconstructing the temple, he completed in the yr 66 AD. It took 48-49 yrs to finish- to win the favor of the Jewish people. It was 17 bigger than the Solomon temple. Jn 23, “destroy this temple and built in three day!”? (linking the Roman and history). This temple was destroyed totally in the yrs 70 AD.

He died of cancer in 4 AD and his territory was divided into three of his sons

1. Archelaus: (4 BC- 6AD) (Samaria, Judea, Idumea): Archelaaus was exiled and this territory was given to the governor of Asyria. He himself did not go there to govern but appointed a procurator- Pontus Pilate (the 5^th procurator 26-36 AD) to take care of the material affair, this included Jerusalem.

2. Philip got some small territory in the North East of Cesarea Philippi (where Jesus asked his disciples who do you say that I am?)

3. Herod Antipas (4 BC- 34 AD) He ruled Galilee and Perea (Jesus ministry took place in Galilee. He built great city. Herod the Great had 10 wives, the three were important (the story about Herodias and her daughter Solome- the head of JB. Solome got married to Philip (her father half brother). This is a reality, to enter the life of Jesus, his relationship with JB: Jesus was baptized in Jordan and began his public ministry-> understand this relationship-> enter his death?

How did Jesus understand all the details of his own death?

- Did he know all what would happen to him? (Jesus and John) Jesus would have a strong suspicious, supernatural knowledge to know that this faith could be very much the same with JB. (John was a prophet, so Jesus was also a prophet?)

- Jesus fulfilled the prophetic is to speak the truth to power ( the same thing would happen to him like John!) and John also spoke the truth to power (not to get married with this own brother’s wife)-> the same parallel between Jesus and John may happen the same.

When we look at the historical Jesus in the 3^rd quest (1980) is to understand the Jewishness of Jesus. Many scholars have written about this such as Senior Ch 2 “ the world of Jesus” and Rausch Ch3&4 “ The Jewish background” “Jesus and his movement”

The Jewish understood that Jesus challenge their system (up side down in the Temple)- the Roman did also any body try to revolve : the Zealot

Who caught Jesus’ death? The Roman or the Jew? Jesus’ death in term of salvation “he died for our sin”- we see it as eschatological. Jesus’ death was not just as one more Jewish revolutionist – but for the coming of the KDG.

The reality of Rome in Palestine:

- Rome took away Palestine the capital sentence-> the Jew brought Jesus to Pilate to declare the death sentence to Jesus, b/c they can ‘t do this by themselves

- The supreme High Priest, Rome took away also, Caipha was the High Priest: Jesus was sent to him during the trial.

- Taxes in Palestine: was spent in Palestine. Ex: If you collected 20 for tax, 10 is for yourself. That was the system- Jewish people NT: Tax corrupted ( collect a greater amount for their own at the service of the Roman) Tax collectors = prostitutes b/c they don’t follow the law)

- Jesus reached out to the context of the Jew and invited so like Matthew (tax collector) and Simon (Zealot party) for his disciples => the contradiction and absolutely extreme.

- The Zealot believed that they should not be under the Roman rule.

- The Roman’s influent in Palestine: Roman currency is considered as dirty money, if that money go to the temple, they have to exchange it into the temple money- >> Jesus turned up side down…. at the temple >> open up a great amount of corruption.

- Geography:

- Sea of Galilee (in the North)

Storm at the sea (Jesus and his disciples)

Samaria (Half Jew, half pagan) Jn 4: Samaritan woman, Parable of the good Samaritan

- Judea is the true Jew.

- The people Perea don’t follow the Laws and Jewish tradition- very dangerous to go there

- Language: Jesus spoke Aramia and some Hebrew (classic language: OT), the language of business was Greek, the officer in Palestine speaks Latin. So when Pilate write on the top of the Cross, it was written in three languages: INRI (Iesus, Nazareth, Rex, Iudaeorum)

- NT was written in Greek, ABBA is Aramic word (daddy), AMEN is Hebrew word ( certainly agree)

- The Sanhedrin: 72 members (during the time of Jesus, the High Priest was appointed by the Roman. It includes:

- The Elder: from the Prominent family

- The High Priest (Levi tribe): minister of the temple

- Supreme High Priest: hold office for life (Jewish tradition but the Roman deposed it)

- 2^nd High Priest: in charge of Religion and Worship (Zachariah)

- 3^rd High Priest: treasurer of the temple

- The Scribe

Jewish historian by Josephus:

- All Jew at the age of 12 has to pay annual temple tax = 2 day of work.

- Pay 10% tithe on their harvest for maintain the temple (Mt23,23)

- Temple received gifts (Mk 7, 11)

- Receive abundant arm from the rich (Mk 12, 41)

- Life stock exchange, currency exchange (Mk 11, 15)

- Many visitors and pilgrims come to Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacle, Passover, Thanksgiving for the harvest (Jn 12,30)

ð A huge amount of money that the temple received during the time of Jesus->> clear out the temple >> Jesus was strongly against this religion for profit.

July 11^th 2005

THE RELIGIOUS AND NON-RELIGIOUS GROUPS IN JESUS’ DAYS

I. RELIGIOUS GROUPS: (xem them in handout)

1. The Pharisees

2. Sadducees

3. Essenes (The event of Masada and Qumran: the Dead Sea Scroll)

4. Zealots

II. OTHER NON-RELIGIOUS GROUPS:

1. Scribes

2. Samaritans

3. Publicans

4. People of the land (pg 45 Seniors)

5. Herodians

6. Diaspera: Jewish who lives out side the community

7. Sanhedrin: Jewish Great Council

The QUMRAN: The Dead Sea Scroll

The Essene gave a great contribution was the preservation of the Dead Sea Scroll

- It is given the 3^rd quest for the historical Jesus forward (in Pg 1 –Senior: 4 reasons for the renewal of the historical Jesus- one of them was the Dead Sea Scrolls

- In 1947, a young shepherd boy named: Muhammad Adh-dhib got the bks by ran into the cave to find the goats, he throw a stone into the dark cave, heard sthing broke inside-….- they found several jars with scrolls… sold in Jerusalem.

- In 1948-1949 some of these were sold in the market of Jerusalem

- Pere Roland De Vaux, OP, the very excellent Biblical Scholar (Biblicum: Rome)- from the Ecole Biblique Biblical School in Jerusalem, realized that these were something very special and precious… he had no authority for that so he contacted to Geral Harding ( Head of the Jordan Department Antique) a political authority to declare a certain area in archaelagia b/c they were afraid st will be lost. They went back to the cave and found 70 pieces of scrolls in 11 caves (1956). There were about 600 documents ( all OT except Mac, Esther and Wisdom)

- The Qumran Scrolls were hidden from 70-1946 >> the Essense was very committed in preservation of the Scripture b/c for the Jew the true and most activity you can do and pleasing to Yahweh is to study the Scripture and prayer

The theory of Roland De Vaux:

- They was Scrolls (Lk: the Scroll of Isaiah 61)

- The Qumran cmty would have had an entire library. The Roman attracted the Jew and destroy the monastery.

- The Qumran cmty kept the Scroll, in order to preserve, they kept with oil, sock with soft cloths, put in a huge jar and hid them around 2km away in a high mountain cave that is why they were preserved for almost 1800 yrs

Why is it so important?

- There were many documents found in the caves

- They are not all Scripture but bks of prayer, cmty rules, chemical hisotry… (11 Scrolls with more than 600 documents, found every bks of the OT except Esther, Mac and Wisdom.

- The most complete was the bk of Isaiah (unroll it 24 feet= 8 meters)

- They bring life elements of Juadism’s influence in Xtn development, give text that we know it existed, valuable manuacript long ago…

What happen to the Dead Sea Scrolls?

- The Israel built a Museum for their Scrolls and its shape like a scroll, the center of the Museum is the Bk of Isaiah, the original were kept separated >>> help us to appreciate the life of Jesus.

- The Essenses are not mention in the NT but the importance is the scroll

- It helps us confirm the documents we use for long time ago is truly authentic- there is no conflict with the Gospel and the Scroll

How many BKs of NT were found in Qumran? Nothing, b/c the NT was written after the destroy Qumran. There is no evidence that Jesus’ connection with the Qumran but obviously is JB.

What is Jesus relationship with these groups?

- Jesus identified himself with non of these groups.

- Jesus called and invited all to the KD and Salvation (for every body)

- He doesn’t link himself with one group or others

- Jesus’ vision is unique. It was a vision of calling people to a new reform vision of life, new way of understanding God. Ex: Sermon on the Mount

- The teaching of Jesus is the call to the KDG, allowing God to do in our life, so we should be opened to the uniqueness of Jesus.

- The society of the world of the Jew is extremely complex>> we are called to be Xtn in the messiness of life in any situations.

What is the historical evidence of the existence of Jesus?

1. Non believers (Pagan)

a. The Pagan Roman sources:

- Why would they be interested in a man call Jesus that lived faraway from them- a remote town of Nazareth? The Roman empire greatly expanded to many areas.

- The Roman writer spoke about Jesus only when Xtnity began to expand to Greek territory and as far as Rome. There were three Roman writers:

- Suetonius: a Roman author compiled biography of the 1^st twelve of Roman Emperors (120 AD). He is a careful historian, when he wrote about the 1^st twelve Emperors… Emperor Claudius (41-54 AD) (pg 11 Senior) he refers to the expulsion of the Jew from Rome in 49AD on the account of the riots in which they were constantly indulging, at the instigation of Chrestus. (acts 18,2)

- Tacitus: a Roman historian (115-117AD) wrote about the great fire in Rome by Nero. Nero was a Roman Emperor (64-68 AD) properly he wanted to clear a certain section of Rome- burn them all and blame it to the Xtn (the 1^st martyr in Rome June 31^st ) “ they got the name from Christ, who was executed by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius…” (Senior, pg 11)

- Pliny: (111) was appointed legate to the Roman province of Bithynia, wrote many letters to the Emperor Trajan. He concerns the proper method for dealing with XTn, twice he refers to Christ, he advice the Trajan to force the Xtn to reject Xt, if they persisted to their faith, put them to death… the sign is they come together on a fix day of a week to celebrate the meal

- These three writers gave us a testimony of the existence of Jesus.

b. Jewish sources (pg 13- Senior)

- Josephus (37-38 AD), a remarkable character, born and raised a Palestian Jew, deserted his countrymen during the Jewish revolve. He was captured by the Roman. He convinced the Roman to pardon him and wrote a history of a Jewish people. He gave accurate details of Jesus. “Jesus is a wise man, if it is lawful to call him man, he does wonderful works, a teacher… He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was The Christ. And Pilate condemned Him on a cross…” (Senior pg 13) The point is: there is true evidence of the existence of Jesus.

2. The believers: (Gospels)

- The Bibles are not biography but at the foundation is the historical reality of the person of Jesus. It is also interpreted history of Jesus.

- We don’t look at the Gospels as the same way of the Roman or Jewish sources but at the same time we don’t say that they are historical events.

- Biblical gives significant meaning of Jesus, for a particular people: the XTn, his followers those who believe in Him.

- The historical of Jesus is true and for us Xtn: the historical Jesus and the Christ of faith are one, the same person.