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Who was Jesus? It is generally believed that the historical Jesus was a Jew and that Christianity originated as a sect of Judaism. The Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) indicate that Jesus was born around 7-4 BCE and died 30-33 CE after a one-year ministry in Galilee (or three years in Galilee and Judea according to John's gospel). Most Christian and Jewish scholars accept as a given that Jesus grew up in Nazareth of Galilee and lived and died believing himself to be a true religious Jew. 
The historical Jesus was supposedly persecuted by the Pharisees, the high priest, and just about every Jewish group that existed in first-century Judea. Eventually Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin (the highest Jewish authority), found guilty of blasphemy, turned over to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, charged with sedition, and crucified between 28-33 CE. Who was this man who influenced so many millions of people over the last 2000 years?
Was the historical Jesus really Jewish? Why would believing Jews accept a man and his followers who rejected everything they believed in?
The Church replaced the Synagogue. Christian Holy Days replaced Jewish Holy Days. Many Jewish writings of the second century BCE to the second century CE have been discovered in recent decades which indicate that Judaism of the first century was more diverse than had previously been thought. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Gnostic Nag Hammadi documents have contributed to this change in perspective. Scholars have been able to find a niche within Judaism from which they believe Jesus could have obtained his beliefs and teachings. 
If one examines closely the various Jewish groups and sects of the first century, one finds that no matter how much they differ from one another, they still remain Jewish. The books of the Law and the Prophets are still their primary sacred scriptures; the Temple in Jerusalem is still the center of their worship; their belief in one single God remains unchanged. If Jesus and his followers rejected all these things, were they still Jews? In our book, Jesus: Pagan Christ or Jewish Messiah?, we take a skeptical look at the influence of the Greco-Roman culture and Judaism on Paul and the Gospel According to Mark in an effort to uncover the "real" historical Jesus and the origins of Christianity. To read a selection from the book, Click Here.If you have questions or comments about our book, please contact us at webmaster@jesusquest.com.
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Copyright © 1999-2007 Laurence E. Dalton and
Shirley Strutton Dalton. Data content copyright © 1999-2007 Laurence E.
Dalton and Shirley Strutton Dalton.
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Jewish law and practices were thoroughly rejected for Christians by Paul in his letters.
Peter's vision in Acts of the Apostles lets him know that the Biblical prohibition against unclean foods has been
canceled.
The rite of circumcision is not required of non-Jews for conversion.
Yet this religion is said to have originated within Judaism. How could this be?