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The Ancient World: Extraordinary People in Extraordinary Societies

Jesus Christ

Also known as: Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth

Born: c. 6 bce; Bethlehem, Judaea

Died: c. 30 ce; Jerusalem

Related civilization: Imperial Rome

Major role/position: Religious leader

Life: Most of the information on the life of Jesus Christ comes from the Gospels by Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John in the New Testament, although Tacitus does describe his execution in his Annales (c. 116 ce; Annals, 1598). According to the tradition, Jesus Christ’s public ministry began when John the Baptist proclaimed him as the long-awaited Messiah. This news, along with Jesus’s “signs and wonders,” generated a sizable following. This created suspicion and then envy among the Jewish leadership. Their opposition grew when Jesus made claims to be divine. These claims may have led Judas, one of Jesus’s twelve disciples, to help the Jewish authorities arrest Jesus. In an unprecedented trial, Jewish authorities found Jesus guilty of blasphemy and wanted him crucified. Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, had to approve capital punishment. He publicly washed his hands, signifying that he would not accept ultimate responsibility for Jesus’s death.

Jesus cleansing a leper – medieval mosaic from the Monreale Cathedral

CWEP_Jesus_Christ.jpg

The Roman soldiers flogged Jesus, mocked him, beat him, had him carry the cross-piece to the execution site, and crucified him. The Jewish leaders also mocked Jesus. When Jesus died, a wealthy follower placed the body in a new tomb. According to his followers, Jesus rose from the dead, appeared to hundreds of them, and then ascended into heaven.

Influence: Jesus’s followers evangelized throughout the Roman Empire and eventually the world. They preached Christ’s message of love and the promise of eternal life. Christians believe sinful humans can live forever with God because Jesus’s death atoned for their sins. Jesus’s apparent celibacy was used as a model by later church leaders. A papyrus fragment that turned up in 2012 and makes reference to a “wife” of Jesus—possibly Mary Magdalene—has been skeptically received by most scholars.

See also: Bible: New Testament; Christianity; Tacitus.

—Emerson Thomas McMullen

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
"Jesus Christ." The Ancient World: Extraordinary People in Extraordinary Societies, edited by Shally-Jensen Michael, Salem Press, 2016. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=CWEP_0107.
APA 7th
Jesus Christ. The Ancient World: Extraordinary People in Extraordinary Societies, In S. Michael (Ed.), Salem Press, 2016. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=CWEP_0107.
CMOS 17th
"Jesus Christ." The Ancient World: Extraordinary People in Extraordinary Societies, Edited by Shally-Jensen Michael. Salem Press, 2016. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=CWEP_0107.