Jesus as a Real Historical Figure Jesus as a Historical Figure

Whether or not Jesus was a real historical figure is a subject of much debate in scholarly communities. Proponents of the theory that Jesus was an actual historical figure support their theory with evidence that stories related in the New Testament's stories of Jesus coincide with actual historical events. Opponents of the idea of a historical Jesus rely on the fact that there is not one single thing that definitively establishes the existence of the man Jesus Christ. Regardless of whether or not Jesus actually existed, there is substantial historical support for the idea that a man such as Jesus could have existed during that historical time period and performed tasks such as Jesus performed.

To understand Jesus as a historical figure, it is important to understand Jesus' culture. First and foremost, Jesus was a Jew. The influence of Judaism on the life of Jesus cannot be over-emphasized. Because Jesus was a Jew, he was part of a rich cultural heritage full of certain customs. In fact, much of the behavior seen as revolutionary on the part of Jesus was due to his challenging established Jewish customs. Furthermore, because Jesus was a Jew, he was considered a second-class citizen in an area occupied by Roman soldiers. Jesus' strength in the face of such opposition helped cement the idea of Jesus as a revolutionary figure.

Going back over 2000 years in Jewish culture, one finds an atmosphere quite different from the modern world. In the Judaism of...

Miracles and magic were not removed from the life of everyday Jews, but expected parts of daily life. When people prayed to God, there was a greater expectation of intervention and help than found in most modern society. Therefore, the idea of a man who could perform miracles was much more believable and accepted than in modern society.
While Jesus as a miracle-worker may have been more acceptable to a Jewish society in his day, the acts of Jesus that even modern-day skeptics believe may have happened were actually far more radical and revolutionary. For example, Judaism was a very purity-based religion. Jesus challenged the conventions of purity. For example, Jesus touched both lepers and "unclean" women. Furthermore, Jesus dined and socialized with people that were considered outcasts in traditional Jewish society.

Judaism also contained a very hierarchal power structure. The priests and those affiliated with the priests were given more respect and power than the average worshipper. Jesus challenged that hierarchy. Most dramatically, Jesus chased the money-changers from the temple, even though the priests should actually have been responsible for maintaining the sanctity of the temple. Furthermore, Jesus, with the aid of John the Baptist, baptized individuals, which gave a concrete foundation to individual one-on-one relationships between a worshipper and God.

In addition, as a Jew Jesus was a member of a Messianic religion and culture. Modern day opponents…