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The Search: A Historian's Search for Historical Jesus
The Search is neither predominately scholarly, historical, nor inspirational. Rather, it is a book that seeks to understand why Jesus said what he said and did what he did in light of the fact that he was not only a loyal Galilean Jew but he was also a loyal Roman subject, who was probably educated in Greco-Roman influenced schools, who probably worked under the authority of Roman administrators, who ministered under the protection of Roman officials, and who died as a enemy of Rome as mandated by Roman law.
The book is not intended to present Jesus in any lesser light than that of deity. Yet, within the context of known Greco-Roman history, customs, philosophies, and manners of the time in which Jesus lived and ministered. It attempts to show under what circumstances his ministry and popularity grew and flourished in Roman Mare Nostrum and then floundered.
The Search is historical in that it portrays the life of Jesus as it was in Roman Mare Nostrum East. It is scholarly in that it confirms each Gospel recorded event with non-biblical authenticating documentation. It is inspirational in that it assumes that the Gospel records are the most accurate records available about the life of Jesus and that the word and deeds recorded in the Gospel narratives have been preserved for two millennia because they were the narratives that God felt would be most spiritually beneficial to this Current generation.
This book will attempt to discover Jesus' life by filling in the empty center between birth and death by reaching beyond the bare bones skeleton of historical Jesus and alighting upon the fully developed historical epic of Jesus-the loyal Jewish Roman subject of Roman Mare Nostrum East.
The book is not intended to present Jesus in any lesser light than that of deity. Yet, within the context of known Greco-Roman history, customs, philosophies, and manners of the time in which Jesus lived and ministered. It attempts to show under what circumstances his ministry and popularity grew and flourished in Roman Mare Nostrum and then floundered.
The Search is historical in that it portrays the life of Jesus as it was in Roman Mare Nostrum East. It is scholarly in that it confirms each Gospel recorded event with non-biblical authenticating documentation. It is inspirational in that it assumes that the Gospel records are the most accurate records available about the life of Jesus and that the word and deeds recorded in the Gospel narratives have been preserved for two millennia because they were the narratives that God felt would be most spiritually beneficial to this Current generation.
This book will attempt to discover Jesus' life by filling in the empty center between birth and death by reaching beyond the bare bones skeleton of historical Jesus and alighting upon the fully developed historical epic of Jesus-the loyal Jewish Roman subject of Roman Mare Nostrum East.
674 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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December 15, 2015Without doubt, this book is the singularly most difficult one to rate that I have ever come across. Which is why I've left the 'star rating' blank. It may be a work of genius; it may be a compilation of fables with occasional gold-level snippets thrown into the mixture. I have made considerable efforts to check the veracity of several accounts and have come up mostly blank. But that doesn't mean I will stop trying. It's actually worth the effort to discover whether the extraordinary statements of this book are true or not.
Why I'm not dismissing this book out of hand: I know, from personal experience, that just because you can't google up some facts doesn't necessarily call those facts into question. Not every book is findable on a search engine and not every book that can be found is searchable and not every searchable book has the right key words at times for results to appear. So - despite not being able to track down many of the references in this book, I'm keeping an open mind. Maybe I'm just keeping that open mind because of an extraordinary experience I had several years ago: a group of people called me a liar because they couldn't verify some statements I'd made about numerical literary style through an internet search. The fact I had a book beside me and was quoting from print on paper seemed almost incomprehensible to them.
To be continued...
Why I'm not dismissing this book out of hand: I know, from personal experience, that just because you can't google up some facts doesn't necessarily call those facts into question. Not every book is findable on a search engine and not every book that can be found is searchable and not every searchable book has the right key words at times for results to appear. So - despite not being able to track down many of the references in this book, I'm keeping an open mind. Maybe I'm just keeping that open mind because of an extraordinary experience I had several years ago: a group of people called me a liar because they couldn't verify some statements I'd made about numerical literary style through an internet search. The fact I had a book beside me and was quoting from print on paper seemed almost incomprehensible to them.
To be continued...
May 29, 2024
AN INDIVIDUALISTIC REVISION OF THE CHRONOLOGY OF JESUS’ LIFE
Author Ron Charles wrote in the ‘Author’s Preface’ to this 2003 book, “When I first began to determinedly study the life of the historical Jesus, I made the mistake of approaching his life from the viewpoint of the current … commonly accepted tabulated timeframe. In so doing, I felt that it would be a very simple matter to arrange the life of Jesus into a logical chronology that I could use as a foundation for my search for a historical Jesus. The task seemed at first to be fairly straightforward, based on the currently accepted fundamental premise: Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, perhaps in the winter time, probably somewhere between 4 BC and 2 BC in the town of Bethlehem… However, as I plunged deeper into the Gospels, I began to see some inconsistencies and some chronology problems with the neat package that had been wrapped by modern fundamentalists… I had to re-evaluate what was actual truth based on historical fact and what was presumed truth based on tradition.”(Pg. vii)
He continues, “I turned my attention to the … generally accepted chronological order of Jesus’ life to see if in it lay the cause for inconsistencies… Eventually, I became so frustrated with the inconsistencies and the illogical presumptions, that I decided to forget about tradition and everything that I had learned… and start all over with no preconceived ideas… concerning the life and ministry of Jesus… I read hundreds of documents relating to the person and character of Jesus and reviewed countless chronologies and accounts of his life, ministry, and death… During these years of research I have maintained the premise that the record of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels is non-argumentative truth. But… I chose to disregard all chronological assumptions and conjecture … and to the best of my ability develop what I hoped would be a logical chronological timetable of the life and ministry of Jesus… I felt an obligation to develop a chronology that I felt most logically and comfortably fit within the established time frame of known Greco-Roman history…” (Pg. viii-ix)
He goes on, “I nevertheless felt that I needed to record the details of my pursuit thus far and my experiences relating to the pursuit. The result was this book… In this autobiographical account of my search, I chronicle Jesus’ life and explain how I discovered non-biblical corroboration that confirms the truth of the Gospel records of Jesus’ life and ministry… My motive and purpose for this research was… not to attempt to change anybody’s mind concerning their perception of the life of Jesus or to discredit any existing ideas or viewpoints. It was merely to find non-Biblical historical resources that would serve to substantiate the truth of the Gospel records within the context of historical truth.” (Pg. x)
He adds, “My book is HISTORICAL in that it portrays the life of Jesus as it was in Roman [Palestine]… It is SCHOLARLY in that it confirms each Gospel recorded event with non-biblical authenticating documentation. It is INSPIRATIONAL in that it assume that the Gospel records are the most accurate records available about the life of Jesus and that the word[s] and deeds recorded in the Gospel narratives have been preserved for two millennia because they were the narratives that God felt would be most spiritually beneficial to this current generation. This book will seek to discover Jesus’ life by filling in the empty center between birth and death of the creedal descriptions of Jesus.” (Pg. xv)
He explains his methodology, “In order for truth to be established, there has to be at least one other source confirming the Gospels’ record… the events recorded in the Gospels are the events that must be challenged as truth… If [an event] is recorded in the Gospels, then a search must be conducted to find a second witness, thus fulfilling the legal requirements that established truth at that time in history. If it were not recorded in the Gospels, no further consideration needed to be entertained.” (Pg. 10)
He states, “I realized that the Gospels were not written to reflect any sense of a chronological order of the life and/or ministry of Jesus… I discovered that not only were there the commonly acknowledged missing years in Jesus’ life from age 12 or 13 to about age 26 or 27 (age 30 in the commonly accepted chronology)… Therefore, I decided that I would chronologically arrange Jesus’ life in a manner so that I would be able to understand it. This chronicle would serve as my personal road map that would guide me on my journey to find the historical Jesus.” (Pg. 29)
He outlines his own chronology; e.g.: “I have chosen the year 7 BC as the year of [Jesus’] birth, because to me that year seems to be the most accurate and the most logical when known Roman, Greek, Syrian, and Persian history is evaluated and compared to the biblical texts.” (Pg. 61) “AD 23… Jesus traveled from Nazareth … to the Jordan River to be baptized by John… For the three years between the time of his wilderness experience at age 30, until the beginning of his ministry at age 33, nothing is known of Jesus’ life… AD 26… Jesus returned … to Bethabara. John proclaimed… ‘Behold the Lamb of God.’ … On Tuesday, March 13, AD 31, the first of Jesus’ two triumphal entries into Jerusalem… Wednesday, March 28, AD 31… The Passover feast and Last Supper held…” (Pg. 62-70)
He argues, “we are left with many questions that have not yet been answered satisfactorily. The primary question that must be answered it: How long did Jesus stay in the tomb before he rose from the dead? If we take the words of Jesus literally, then he was to remain in the tomb for three days three nights… What about the two resurrections---one physical and one spiritual separated by six days? In my research, I have not discovered enough information to affirm the reality of two resurrections. Yet, it seems to be the only explanation that justifies that inconsistency between Matthew’s account of the resurrection and the other three Gospels’ accounts. So, I will continued to research and search for the truth regarding the two-resurrection question. But until I discover enough truth to warrant a reevaluation, I have chosen to stick with the words of Jesus---that he will remain in the tomb for three days and three nights… and then he would rise from the dead.” (Pg. 586)
He concludes, “I have come to the realization that my work has just begun… All that has actually been covered in this volume is the chronological order of the life of Jesus… I have no choice but to devote the rest of my life in pursuit of my quest to ‘know him, and the power of his resurrection’ [Phil 3:10].” (Pg. 596)
The author’s chronology is far different from those of other scholars; but he largely documents his basis for his conclusions. This book will interest those looking for “independent” research regarding the life of Jesus.
Author Ron Charles wrote in the ‘Author’s Preface’ to this 2003 book, “When I first began to determinedly study the life of the historical Jesus, I made the mistake of approaching his life from the viewpoint of the current … commonly accepted tabulated timeframe. In so doing, I felt that it would be a very simple matter to arrange the life of Jesus into a logical chronology that I could use as a foundation for my search for a historical Jesus. The task seemed at first to be fairly straightforward, based on the currently accepted fundamental premise: Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, perhaps in the winter time, probably somewhere between 4 BC and 2 BC in the town of Bethlehem… However, as I plunged deeper into the Gospels, I began to see some inconsistencies and some chronology problems with the neat package that had been wrapped by modern fundamentalists… I had to re-evaluate what was actual truth based on historical fact and what was presumed truth based on tradition.”(Pg. vii)
He continues, “I turned my attention to the … generally accepted chronological order of Jesus’ life to see if in it lay the cause for inconsistencies… Eventually, I became so frustrated with the inconsistencies and the illogical presumptions, that I decided to forget about tradition and everything that I had learned… and start all over with no preconceived ideas… concerning the life and ministry of Jesus… I read hundreds of documents relating to the person and character of Jesus and reviewed countless chronologies and accounts of his life, ministry, and death… During these years of research I have maintained the premise that the record of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels is non-argumentative truth. But… I chose to disregard all chronological assumptions and conjecture … and to the best of my ability develop what I hoped would be a logical chronological timetable of the life and ministry of Jesus… I felt an obligation to develop a chronology that I felt most logically and comfortably fit within the established time frame of known Greco-Roman history…” (Pg. viii-ix)
He goes on, “I nevertheless felt that I needed to record the details of my pursuit thus far and my experiences relating to the pursuit. The result was this book… In this autobiographical account of my search, I chronicle Jesus’ life and explain how I discovered non-biblical corroboration that confirms the truth of the Gospel records of Jesus’ life and ministry… My motive and purpose for this research was… not to attempt to change anybody’s mind concerning their perception of the life of Jesus or to discredit any existing ideas or viewpoints. It was merely to find non-Biblical historical resources that would serve to substantiate the truth of the Gospel records within the context of historical truth.” (Pg. x)
He adds, “My book is HISTORICAL in that it portrays the life of Jesus as it was in Roman [Palestine]… It is SCHOLARLY in that it confirms each Gospel recorded event with non-biblical authenticating documentation. It is INSPIRATIONAL in that it assume that the Gospel records are the most accurate records available about the life of Jesus and that the word[s] and deeds recorded in the Gospel narratives have been preserved for two millennia because they were the narratives that God felt would be most spiritually beneficial to this current generation. This book will seek to discover Jesus’ life by filling in the empty center between birth and death of the creedal descriptions of Jesus.” (Pg. xv)
He explains his methodology, “In order for truth to be established, there has to be at least one other source confirming the Gospels’ record… the events recorded in the Gospels are the events that must be challenged as truth… If [an event] is recorded in the Gospels, then a search must be conducted to find a second witness, thus fulfilling the legal requirements that established truth at that time in history. If it were not recorded in the Gospels, no further consideration needed to be entertained.” (Pg. 10)
He states, “I realized that the Gospels were not written to reflect any sense of a chronological order of the life and/or ministry of Jesus… I discovered that not only were there the commonly acknowledged missing years in Jesus’ life from age 12 or 13 to about age 26 or 27 (age 30 in the commonly accepted chronology)… Therefore, I decided that I would chronologically arrange Jesus’ life in a manner so that I would be able to understand it. This chronicle would serve as my personal road map that would guide me on my journey to find the historical Jesus.” (Pg. 29)
He outlines his own chronology; e.g.: “I have chosen the year 7 BC as the year of [Jesus’] birth, because to me that year seems to be the most accurate and the most logical when known Roman, Greek, Syrian, and Persian history is evaluated and compared to the biblical texts.” (Pg. 61) “AD 23… Jesus traveled from Nazareth … to the Jordan River to be baptized by John… For the three years between the time of his wilderness experience at age 30, until the beginning of his ministry at age 33, nothing is known of Jesus’ life… AD 26… Jesus returned … to Bethabara. John proclaimed… ‘Behold the Lamb of God.’ … On Tuesday, March 13, AD 31, the first of Jesus’ two triumphal entries into Jerusalem… Wednesday, March 28, AD 31… The Passover feast and Last Supper held…” (Pg. 62-70)
He argues, “we are left with many questions that have not yet been answered satisfactorily. The primary question that must be answered it: How long did Jesus stay in the tomb before he rose from the dead? If we take the words of Jesus literally, then he was to remain in the tomb for three days three nights… What about the two resurrections---one physical and one spiritual separated by six days? In my research, I have not discovered enough information to affirm the reality of two resurrections. Yet, it seems to be the only explanation that justifies that inconsistency between Matthew’s account of the resurrection and the other three Gospels’ accounts. So, I will continued to research and search for the truth regarding the two-resurrection question. But until I discover enough truth to warrant a reevaluation, I have chosen to stick with the words of Jesus---that he will remain in the tomb for three days and three nights… and then he would rise from the dead.” (Pg. 586)
He concludes, “I have come to the realization that my work has just begun… All that has actually been covered in this volume is the chronological order of the life of Jesus… I have no choice but to devote the rest of my life in pursuit of my quest to ‘know him, and the power of his resurrection’ [Phil 3:10].” (Pg. 596)
The author’s chronology is far different from those of other scholars; but he largely documents his basis for his conclusions. This book will interest those looking for “independent” research regarding the life of Jesus.
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