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| Preface | |
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| Abbreviations | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Why is Jesus Research necessary? | |
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| How is Jesus Research possible? | |
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| No Quest, the Old Quest, the New Quest, and Jesus Research (Third Quest) | |
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| When did the study of the historical Jesus begin, and what has been learned? | |
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| Is it important to distinguish between what Jesus said and what the Evangelists reported? | |
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| Jesus Research and How to Obtain Reliable Information | |
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| What are the best methods for discerning traditions that originate with Jesus? | |
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| Sources, Especially Josephus | |
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| Do reports about Jesus exist outside the New Testament? | |
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| Are the Gospels objective biographies? | |
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| The Judaism of Jesus | |
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| Was Jesus not the first Christian? | |
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| Was Jesus an Essene, Pharisee, Zealot, or Sadducee? | |
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| Jesus' Birth and Youth | |
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| When and where was Jesus born? | |
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| Is there historicity in the virgin birth, and did some judge Jesus to be a mamzer? | |
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| Did Jesus travel to a foreign land to obtain wisdom and the powers of healing, or did he live with Essenes to obtain these powers? | |
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| Is there any reliable history in the noncanonical gospels that helps us understand Jesus' youth? | |
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| Jesus, John the Baptizer, and Jesus' Early Public Life | |
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| Was John the Baptizer Jesus' teacher? | |
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| Was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene? | |
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| Did Jesus perform miracles? | |
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| Jesus and Archaeology | |
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| How and in what significant ways is archaeology important for Jesus Research? | |
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| What are the most important archaeological discoveries for Jesus Research? | |
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| Was Jesus a peasant? | |
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| Jesus' Proclamation of God's Rule (the Kingdom of God) and His Parables | |
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| What was Jesus' fundamental message? | |
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| When did Jesus imagine God would inaugurate his Rule? | |
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| What term did Jesus use for God? | |
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| Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection | |
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| What led to Jesus' confrontation with some of the leading priests? | |
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| Who crucified Jesus and why? | |
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| Has Jesus' bone box (ossuary) been recovered? | |
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| If Jesus' bones have been discovered, is resurrection faith possible? | |
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| Did Jesus rise from the dead? | |
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| Conclusion | |
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| Suggested Readings | |