Dear Classical Wisdom Reader,
“I’ve been at Cornell for 22 years. When I first started teaching courses on ancient Rome, you didn’t have to mention anything about the Bible. All the students already knew everything in it, whether they believed it or they didn’t believe it.
“Then, about 10 or 12 years ago, I started realizing a lot of students were coming that didn’t know much about the Bible. So started the course by reading parts of the Gospel of Luke, and we read parts of Acts of the Apostles.
“In the last couple years, not only do we do that, but I have students who don’t know even the bare-bones basics about Jesus at all. I mentioned the resurrection, and I was getting blank stares just last week, and this is not an exaggeration. These are people that are, like, they’re dimly aware, they’ve heard of this guy, Jesus, and so forth.
“You mention Noah and the flood, it means nothing. You mention Moses and the tablets, it means nothing.”
-
Michael Fontaine, Professor of Classics, Cornell University (from our recent event “The Golden Thread”)
More than two thousand years ago, a Jewish preacher from a remote corner of the Roman Empire was executed as a criminal. He owned no land, commanded no army, and wrote nothing that survives...yet his life would reshape the world.
Known to history as Jesus Christ, he is worshipped as the Messiah and Son of God by the largest religion on the planet, by billions of Christians throughout the globe.
Indeed, whether or not you are a believer, it is impossible to deny that few individuals (if any?) have left a deeper mark on human history, inspiring religions, empires, revolutions in ethics, and some of the greatest works of art ever created...
Though perhaps you might not realize it from the quote above...when even Ivy league students who have chosen an ancient history class don’t even know the foundations of Western civilization.
You can imagine then that to those of us who care about the past, it’s more important than ever to study, understand, and appreciate the vast wealth of wisdom from the ancients, especially at this time of year.
So today we will take a moment to look at the life and times of none other than Jesus Christ himself in our article below...
For some, it will be a nice refresher and an important part of history to be shared (and please do so!), but for others, perhaps it’s the very foundational story that can open up thousands of years of understanding...
And for those of you that are already very aware of Jesus and the general details of his story, you might be more interested in our Member’s Classical Wisdom Litterae Issue, dedicated to the ancient world of Jesus.
Even the faithful, after all, are often less knowledgeable about the overall historical context of Jesus’ life... especially as it was so complex! Indeed, it was an important moment in the Greco-Roman world, an era of larger than life characters, philosophers, poets and of course, the emperor -and his family- as well.
Classical Wisdom Members: Discover the world of Jesus Here:
Not a member? Subscribe today to enjoy our Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine dedicated to the Ancient world of Jesus, as well as our Ebooks, Podcasts and more:
I hope you enjoy it!
And Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
All the best,
Anya Leonard
Founder and Director
Classical Wisdom
The Life and Times of Jesus Christ
By Edward Whelan
The life of Jesus Christ stands at the crossroads of faith, history, and legend. To Christians, he is the promised Messiah; to Muslims, a revered prophet; to historians, a Jewish teacher who lived under Roman rule and died by crucifixion. From these beginnings emerged Christianity, now the largest religion in the world. Whether approached through belief or historical inquiry, the story of Jesus continues to challenge, inspire, and captivate humanity more than any other life ever recorded.
What we know of Jesus comes primarily from the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, written several decades after his death. Additional references appear in non-Christian sources, including the Jewish historian Josephus and the Roman writer Tacitus, which support the idea that Jesus was a real historical figure who was executed under Roman authority.
Biography
According to the Gospels, Jesus was divine, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born to the Virgin Mary. Most scholars date his birth to around 4–6 BC, rather than the traditional year 0 AD, which was calculated centuries later and is now considered inaccurate.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, fulfilling Jewish messianic expectations that the Messiah would come from the city of King David. His parents, Mary and Joseph, traveled there from Nazareth to comply with a Roman census. Christian tradition holds that Jesus was born in humble surroundings, often described as a stable, and that he was visited by the Magi, or the Three Wise Men, who brought gifts symbolizing kingship, divinity, and sacrifice.
At the time, Judea was ruled by Herod the Great, a Roman client king. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Herod, fearing a rival “King of the Jews,” ordered the killing of infant boys in Bethlehem, an event known as the Massacre of the Innocents. While not confirmed by external historical records, the story aligns with Herod’s well-documented brutality.
To escape this threat, Mary and Joseph fled with Jesus to Egypt. After Herod’s death, the family returned and settled in Nazareth, in present-day northern Israel. Jesus was raised as a Jew and likely received a traditional Jewish education, learning Hebrew scriptures and religious law. His father Joseph was a carpenter, a trade Jesus himself is believed to have practiced.
One notable episode from Jesus’ youth occurs when he was about twelve years old: he visited the Temple in Jerusalem and impressed learned teachers with his understanding of religious law. After this event, the Gospels are largely silent about his early adulthood.
There are many important historical documents written about the life and times of Jesus, especially about his childhood, some of which were rejected in ancient times...but not by everyone. Read the Two Sides of Jesus as seen in both the accepted and rejected Gospels.
This is a Christmas book unlike any you’ve ever seen before...
Most scholars believe Jesus lived quietly in Nazareth until his public ministry began. Christian tradition holds that he remained unmarried and celibate throughout his life.
Más info en https://ift.tt/l85BR02 / Tfno. & WA 607725547 Centro MENADEL (Frasco Martín) Psicología Clínica y Tradicional en Mijas. #Menadel #Psicología #Clínica #Tradicional #MijasPueblo
*No suscribimos necesariamente las opiniones o artículos aquí compartidos. No todo es lo que parece.
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