Who Was Jesus? Fingerprints of the Christ by Murdock, D.M. -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Foreword v Introduction 1 The Gospel According to Matthew 3

The Nativity of Jesus Christ 3 The Baptism and Temptation 4 The Calling of the Disciples 4 The Sermon on the Mount 5 The Lord’s Prayer 6 Healing of the Sick and Casting out Demons 7 The Mission of the Twelve 8 Working on the Sabbath 9 John the Baptist Beheaded 9 Walking on Water 10 The Canaanite Woman 10 Peter the “Rock” 11 The Transfiguration 12 Becoming like Children 12 Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven 13 The Rich Young Man 13 Entry into Jerusalem 14 Driving out the Moneychangers 14 Cursing the Fig Tree 14 Signs of the Times/Second Coming 15 Jesus’s Anointment with Oil 15 The Last Supper 16 The Garden of Gethsemane 16 The Betrayal by Judas 16 Christ’s Trial 16 The Passion and Crucifixion 17 The Resurrection of the Dead 17 The Empty Tomb 18 Conclusion 18

The Gospel According to Mark 22

Was Mark First? 22 Comparison of Matthew and Mark 23 The Missing Scriptures 25 The Three Synoptics Juxtaposed 28

The Gospel According to Luke 31

Chronological Discrepancies 32 Luke’s Tenor 34 Startling Conclusions 34

The Gospel According to John 36

Authentic or Adulterated? 38 Who Killed Jesus? 42

Textual Harmonization 44

Inspired Originals? 46 Scribal Scalawags 47 Error-Filled Copies 48 Perfect Harmony? 49 Eyewitness Accounts or Compilations? 51

The Gospel Dates 53

Anonymous and Pseudonymous Authors 54 According to Whom? 55 “ Back in the Day…” 56 The Lukan Prologue 56 Irenaeus, “Father of the Catholic Canon.” 57 Church Father and Bishop Papias 58 Justin Martyr 60 The Rylands Papyrus 61 Late Dating of the Gospels? 62

Jesus Outside of the Bible 74

Titus Flavius Josephus 76 Pliny the Younger 80 Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus 81 Publius/Gaius Cornelius Tacitus 82 Thallus, Phlegon and Mara Bar-Serapion, et al. 86 The Talmud 90 Gnostic Sources 91 Extrabiblical Christian Sources 91 The Stones are Silent 92

Who are Elijah and Elisha? 99

Joseph, a Type of Jesus 104

Jesus as Fulfillment of Prophecy 107 Questions about the Gospel Story 120

Miracles, Impossibilities and Implausibilities 121 Failed Prophecies 127 Contradictions and Inconsistencies 128 Errors in Time and Place 135 Chronological Problems 141 Translation Errors and Language Problems 145 Illogic and Irrationality 159 Jesus’s Character 170 Repellant Deeds, Sayings and Doctrines 176

Apology Accepted? 182

“ It Doesn’t Matter?” 183 Four Camera Angles 185 Does The Bible Stack Up? 186 What Jesus Felt or Thought 187 Literal or Figurative? 190

History or Propaganda? 192

A Uniquely Divine Birth? 193 Salvation is from the Jews? 196 Son of Joseph? 196 Massacre or Myth? 196 Son of God? 198 The Resurrection of Lazarus? 200 The Naked Youth 210 The “Twelve” 211 The Sacred Meal 213 The Bloody Sweat 213 The Trial and Crucifixion 213 The Sun of Righteousness 216 The Sacred Spear and the Side-Wounding 218 The Empty Tomb Redux 219 The Ascension into Heaven 221 The Sayings of Jesus? 224

Conclusion 227

Fingerprints of the Christ? 227 Terror in the Name of God 232 Vacuous Christianity? 234

Bibliography 238 Index 246