Jesus lived in the midst of this chronic turbulence. He was probably born at Bethlehem in Judaea, between 7 and 4 B.C. Both the year and date of his birth are now regarded as the products of later calculation and tradition. A precise chronology is impossible because the Gospels provide no dates. The four Gospels are the most important sources dealing with his life and ministry. Though written by different authors more than a generation after his death (Mark, the earliest, was written about A.D. 70; John, the latest, shortly before 100), their accounts, though different in important ways, are in broad general agreement.

They describe the circumstances of Jesus's birth and of an appearance at the Temple when he was about twelve but remain silent about his activities until the age of thirty, the point at which he began to attract a following as an itinerant rabbi. Accompanied by twelve close associates or disciples, he preached throughout the Judaean countryside to ever-increasing crowds. His message was directed primarily against the Pharisees. Jesus felt that their rigid observance of the Law was an obstacle to faith and that it could largely be superseded by the simple commandment to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” At the same time, his preaching left no doubt that he regarded himself as the Messiah (the Greek word for which is christos, or Christ). By this he did not mean the traditional Messiah who would lead the Jews to earthly glory, but the Son of God who brought them eternal salvation. His kingdom, he said, was “not of this world,” and those who believed in him “would not perish but have eternal life.”

This message enraged the Pharisees but attracted many, especially among the poor. When he entered Jerusalem at Passover accompanied by symbols attributed to the Messiah by prophetic tradition, Jesus provoked a crisis. The Sanhedrin demanded his arrest. The Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate, agreed, fearing that his presence would provoke further disorders when virtually the entire country had come to town for the festival. Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin for blasphemy and by Pilate for treason, though both trials as described by the Gospels were of dubious legality. Everyone responsible seems to have been motivated by political expediency, and Jesus was crucified with uncommon haste to avoid the possibility of demonstrations. After his execution, his followers reported that he had returned from the dead and ascended into Heaven after promising to return on the Day of Judgment.

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