25. The mystery of the lost years of Jesus of Nazareth
Possibly no other person in the collective history of humanity across the globe has been more closely studied by historians, archaeologists, theologians, and philosophers, than the itinerant Jewish teacher known as Jesus of Nazareth. Yet more than half of his generally accepted lifespan remains a mystery. Eighteen of his 33 years of life on earth are undocumented, or are documented in books labeled as heresies and falsehoods by Christian authorities. Despite the rejection of the books of the Apocrypha, many of the stories which they contain are included in the Koran, and many continue to be referenced as legends and folklore.
The decade between the ages of two and twelve, and the eighteen subsequent years leading up to Jesus being baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist, are blank. Outside of the books of the Bible and the Apocrypha, other records, including those of Josephus, record Jesus as having siblings, including James “the brother of Jesus who is called Christ”. For the Christian church, it seems that the mystery of faith is enough, but for historians, the details of the life of Jesus – his biography – remain a mystery both elusive and intriguing.
Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“The Apocryphal Gospels: Text and Translation”. Bart D. Ehrman, Zlatko Plese. 2011
“The Gospel According to Matthew”. King James Version. Online
“The Infancy Gospel of Thomas”. M. R. James, trans. Gnostic Society Library. Online
“The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew”. Ante-Nicene Fathers Trans. (1886). Gnostic Society Library. Online
“The Gospel According to Luke”. King James Version. Online
“The Gospel According to John”. King James Version. Online
“Travel in the Roman World”. Robert L. Cioffi, Oxford Handbooks Online. 2016
“Green and pleasant land?” Jeremy Paxman, The Guardian. March 6, 2007
“Did Jesus REALLY stay in England? Peter Stanford, The Daily Mail. November 27, 2009
“What do Muslims believe about Jesus?” A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam. Online
“The Tomb of Christ”. Rennes-le-Chateau Research and Resource. Online
“Third Nephi” The Book of Nephi. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Online
“Antiquities of the Jews”. Flavius Josephus. Circa 93-94 CE. Online at Project Gutenberg
