![]() However, the genealogies in Matthew and Luke disagree on many points and contradict one another, revealing that at the very least one of them is unquestionably fiction. I will first offer a summary, then I will provide more detailed, referenced commentary below.Īt some point (presumably early) in the history of Christianity, different Christian communities created genealogies for Jesus to try to show that he was descended from king David through his father Joseph. Historical and literary analyses of the gospel stories, along with comparative mythological studies, show that there are internal contradictions, historical inaccuracies, misrepresentations of older Jewish scriptures, mythical and legendary components, and other problems with the two Christian accounts of the birth of Jesus, completely undermining their credibility and showing that they cannot be true. In my 20s, however, my studies in and beyond college led me to conclusions quite contrary to the traditions I inherited as a child, and I discovered that there is a great divide between the world of high-quality scholarship and the mass of popular opinion. Like the majority of Americans, I grew up with these stories, accepted them, and celebrated them every year without ever analyzing them in depth or questioning their historicity. citizens still believe in the virgin birth of Jesus and other aspects of the biblical stories of Jesus' birth. Suspicious Similarities to Stories of the Roman Emperor AugustusĪre the Christian stories of Jesus' birth true? Could they be? Even as of December 2014, polls suggest that a majority of U.S.Literary Precursors and Parallels to the Birth Stories.Gospels of Matthew and Luke: Virgin Birth. ![]() Gospel of Mark: Jesus’ Adoption as Son at Baptism."Adoration of the Shepherds" by Gerard van Honthorst, 1622.
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