This page refers to Yehoshua ben Yosef, using critical analysis of the evidence available before the Roman Catholic Church approved the doctrines of Pauline Christianity. For information on the Christian messianic figure, see Jesus Christ.”
Yehoshua (ben Yosef), from the Hebrew or Aramaic: ישוע, variously translated as Yeshu, Yeshua or Yehoshua, considered by some to be a Jewish patriot, martyr and heir to the title "King Of The Jews" through the royal line of Galilee. He is seen by others as a revolutionary agitator to the Roman-endorsed Sadducee rule in David, part of the Roman province of Iudaea. There are also those who doubt the existence of such a man altogether.
Existence vs. non-existence
Any responsible coverage of this topic should begin with the caveat that not all scholars believe in the existence of this particular 1st Century Jew known as Yehoshua or Yeshua. The existence of a man known to the English-speaking world as Jesus is accepted by two major world religions, Christianity and Islam, based on their respective scriptures, the Bible and the Qur'an. However, the true historicity of "Jesus" is difficult to determine, as few reliable records of his life exist. While Christianity considers their Jesus to be the Christ (Messiah) and Son of God and Islam views him as a prophet, secular historians and most other world religions (including Judaism) tend to regard him as an ordinary human, perhaps even a rebellious rabbi in first century AD Israel, and, as mentioned earlier, a few dispute whether he ever existed.
The few detailed accounts of Yehoshua's life from the time period describe various remarkable events and miracles, including virgin birth and resurrection. These events are believed to have literally happened by many Christians, but most non-Christians and even some liberal Christians do not believe that these events actually occurred, based partly on the general principle that "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" and partly on a perceived lack of evidence from more neutral sources.
Many scholars see the Biblical narrative of Yehoshua's life as a mythologized account of a historical figure's life, aimed at winning new converts rather than existing as a neutral historical record. The difficulty of distinguishing which parts of the man's life are historical and which belong to Christian mythology is one of the main obstacles for Biblical historians. Even accurate accounts of events in Yehoshua's life may have changed in subtle ways during retellings. Others may have been exaggerated on purpose, and some may even have been entirely new events, possibly reinterpreted from older stories; virgin births and sacrifice were common features of Pagan godmen myths, such as Osiris-Dionysus.
Although the existence of a historical figure named "Jesus" is universally accepted by Christians and Muslims, there is a school of thought, called mythological school, which sees "Jesus" as a later interpolation into one of the mystery religions which resemble Christianity. This theory is commonly known as the Jesus Myth, and is based upon the supposition that Yehoshua did not exist. Others see the apparent relationship between Gnosticism and Christianity as being based on an historical figure acting as the focal point for the linking of Jewish religious traditions and political history with a mystery religion, a syncretism—ultimately more popular among Gentiles than Jews—which would become Christianity.
It must also be pointed out that each reader must determine what weight to give interpretations alternative to the prevailing mainstream view. Having said that, remember that amateurs to the field of history generally and New Testament history in particular should consider the comments of Richard Carrier, co-founder and former editor-in-chief of the Secular Web[1], made on their discussion board:
Amateurs often disregard the crucial importance of field-familiarity, i.e. that one must have a long and deep acquaintance with a particular time and culture in order to make reliable judgments about the probable and improbable, the expected and unexpected, and all the other background assumptions necessary to understanding the significance of any particular fact or claim--in short, one must be cognizant not merely of the literary context of a statement, but its entire socio-historical context as well. And that is no easy thing to achieve.
The rest of this article will be based on the supposition that Yehoshua ben Yosef did exist, and was a figure who laid the basis for—and yet was somewhat different than—the Jesus Christ of canonical Christian literature.
An exploration of Jesus, could he have been influenced by extra-dimensionals?
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