Summary of the discussion so far on the historical (human) Jesus.

Jesus was a Jew, not a Christian. 

He was born around 4 B.C. His mother was Mary, his father unknown. There is mention in contemporary writings of the time that a Roman soldier by name Panthera was his biological father. His conception took place when Rome sent its soldiers to put down a Jewish revolt. There are many clues to suggest that he was regarded as a mamzer, a person of questionable parentage, by members of his village and community.

Joseph married Mary after Jesus was born. Jesus had 4 half-brothers and 2 half-sisters. Since Joseph is thought to have been much older than Mary, and since very little is heard about Joseph after the birth of Jesus, he is assumed to have died early. As per Jewish custom his brother Clophas married Mary and is believed to have fathered his half-siblings.

When he was born, Jesus was named Yeshua (Joshua) ben Yoseph, Jesus son of Joseph. When the Greeks translated his name, it became Jesus and it stuck. He was regarded as the messiah, meaning the anointed one. Since the Greek word used for the oil used for anointment was khrisma and the person anointed khristos, Yeshua ben Yoseph became Jesus Christ!

As a Jew, Jesus was circumcised; he observed the Passover, read the Bible in Hebrew, and kept Saturday as the Sabbath day.

He joined a messianic movement begun by his relative John the Baptizer, whom he regarded as his teacher and as a great prophet.  John and Jesus together filled the roles of the two Messiahs who were expected at the time, John as a priestly descendant of Aaron and Jesus as a royal descendant of David. Together they preached the coming of the Kingdom of God.  Theirs was an apocalyptic movement that expected God to establish his kingdom on earth, as described by the prophets. John and Jesus preached adherence to the Torah, or the Jewish Law.

Like all Jews of the time, Jesus was expected to marry and produce children. There are hints in the gospels as well as other sources that he married Mary Magdalene.

He was charged before Pilate of sedition amounting to treason of claiming to be ‘the king of the Jews’ for which he was condemned to death. 

There are those who say that he survived death; some say by feigning; others say he fell into a comatose state from which he recovered; still others say that he plotted the whole thing – having himself drugged to escape death.

Most accept that he died.