"Jesus of History"

The name Jesus  (Gk Iesous; herbr Yesua [ywh helps or saves.], often shortened to Yesu  was common at the turn of the era among Jews. Jesus of Nazareth  was born near the end of the reign of Herod the Great.(37-4 BC). His mother was Mary, his putative father was Joseph. no more can be stated with certitude about his origins according to the scientific limits. Since the Gospel infancy narratives( Matt 1-2) ; Luke 1-2) reflect strongly later theology. Chap 1 of each affirms that Jesus was conceived through the Holy Spirit without a human father- information not found elsewhere in the N.T. The claim of liberal scholars  that this is purely a theological creation is dubious, but for the believer surety about the virginal conception comes from church teaching rather than scientific exegesis. Chap 2 of each has Jesus born at Bethlehem, a detail again not affirmed elsewhere in the NT and one symbolically related to Jesus status as royal Davidic Messiah. Of questionable historicity are the very different genealogies in Matt 1:2-16; and Luke 3: 23-38. Yet very early NT creeds (Rom 1:3-4 and 2:Tim 2;8) proclaim Jesus to be " of seed of David". in a context of resurrection  in terms of the enthronement of the royal Son of David-by no means an obvious or necessary interpretation- may have been facilitated by the fact Jesus did come from an obscure collateral branch of the House of David. In any event, his Davidic lineage is traced through his legal father Joseph. The only NT indication about Mary (Luke 1:5, 36) points to levitical descent.
  Jesus was considered a layman during his earthly life ( true in a Christian as well as a Jewish view of him: see Heb. 8:4). This helps to account for his slighting reference to both priest and Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37), something of a anticlerical joke; More important, it helps to explain why only once in the Synoptic tradition is Jesus presented in dialogue exclusively with Sadducees ( the largely priestly party) and with hostility obvious on both sides ( Mark 12:18-27).
 Most important, it helps to explain  why the priestly and lay aristocracy in Jerusalem(i.e. the Sadducees was most prominent in bringing Jesus before Pilate. The mortal struggle between Jesus and his opponents has elements not only of Galilean versus Judean, of the poor versus the rich, of the charismatic versus the institutional, of the eschatological (end times) versus this-worldly, but also the priests versus laity.
  Jesus spent 30 years of his life in Nazareth, an obscure hill town S Galilee. We know also nothing about this period. He was by profession a "tekton" ( Mark 6:3), most likely a carpenter, though the term cover any artisan working or building with hard materials. Jesus legal father, Joseph, does not appear during his public ministry; presumably, he had died.In contrast, his Mother, Mary, is mentioned, as well as his brothers, James, Joses=Joseph), Judas=(jude). and Simon(Mark 6:3; Matt13:55. Sisters are mentioned, but unnamed.  From patristic times controversy has raged over the precise relationship of these figures [ siblings, 'children of Joseph' by a previous marriage, cousins].
  Most Gospel references indicate that the relatives did not follow him during his public ministry.( (Mark 3:21, 31-35; John 7:5;  John 7:5; though cf. John 2:12). This stands in mark contrast to their i influential position later on in the Jerusalem church. A passing reference of Paul in 1 Cor. 9:4 indicates that Jesus brothers were married. Nothing explicit is ever said in the NT about Jesus marital status. However, in the face of various references to his father,mother, brothers, and sisters, the total silence about a wife may be taken as an indication that Jesus remained unmarried.His unusual celibate status, thinks that a prophetic vocation might have been understood to include  celibacy, Vermes, in his article( Jesus the Jew 99-102) thinks that a prophetic vocation might have been understood to include celibacy, but most of his evidence comes from centuries later (Mishna and Talmud; yet see Jer. 16:1), Jeremiah's life a warning
 We know very little of Jesus formal education He did read O.T, which was his Bible, his enemies in John 7:15 wonder how Jesus can know scripture when He never formally studied-though they are probably referring to technical training in the law such as scribes would receive by studying under
 a recognized teacher. Jesus was addressed honorifically as" Rabbi," but the title is Pre- AD 70. Judaism was more loosely used then later on. (its application to J Baptist in John 3:26. Luke 4:16-21, presupposes that Jesus could read and understand Biblical Hebrew. Ordinarily  Jesus would have used Aramaic in conversation and discourses, since this was the common language of Galilean peasants. Greek would have been used by Jewish peasants in Galilee for commercial purposes, and Jesus may have known some. That he regularly used it in His teaching. All in all, there was nothing in His early life or educational background that prepared his fellow- townspeople for the startling career he was soon to undertake: hence the shock and scandal that greeted him when He returned home after a preaching tour. ( Marl 6:1-6a). He was totally ignored at home. No prophet is without honor except in his native place, among his own kindred, and in his own house.
 Sometime during ca. AD 2-29, during the reign of the emperor Tiberius (14-37, Jesus emerged from obscurity to receive baptism from John the Baptist a figure known from Josephus Ant 185.2, 116-19; History 75: 169-70) A stern ascetic with traits of the OT prophets,esp, Elijah. JB's message called Israel to repentance and to once and for all cleansing (baptism) in view of of the imminent , fiery judgment of God. In this limited sense,Jbap's message and imagery were  ' APOCALYPTIC" The very fact that Jesus submitted to John's baptism, a fact increasingly played down by the evangelists (e.g. Matt:4:14-15). indicates that Jesus basically accepted John's mission and message, that renders
 present-day attempts to eliminate or soften the element of future eschatology (end time). Some of Jesus first and closet disciples were apparently John's former disciples.