Original Jesus Journal

The Historical Jesus

Who was Jesus of Nazareth as a historical figure? What do the earliest sources — before church councils, before doctrinal editing — actually tell us about what he said, did, and believed?

8 articles

Who Was the Historical Jesus? What the Earliest Sources Tell Us

Strip away 2,000 years of theology and tradition. What do the earliest sources actually tell us about the man called Jesus of Nazareth? Here's what scholars know.

Did Jesus Claim to Be God? What the Ancient Sources Actually Say

Did Jesus claim to be God? The answer depends on which ancient source you read. The earliest and latest gospels tell very different stories. Here's the evidence.

The Didache: The Earliest Christian Manual for How to Live and Worship

The Didache is the oldest known Christian instruction manual, written around 50-100 CE. It reveals how the first Christians actually practiced their faith.

Epistle of Barnabas: The Radical Text That Reinterpreted the Entire Old Testament

The Epistle of Barnabas argues that Jews fundamentally misunderstood their own scripture. This influential early text reveals Christianity's break from Judaism.

Odes of Solomon: The Earliest Christian Hymnal You've Never Heard Of

The Odes of Solomon are 42 mystical hymns from the 1st-2nd century — possibly the oldest Christian hymnal. Discover what these poems reveal about early worship.

What Did Jesus Actually Look Like? Forensic Science and Ancient Sources

Jesus didn't look like the paintings. Forensic anthropology, ancient texts, and archaeology reveal what a first-century Galilean Jewish man actually looked like.

What Jesus Actually Said About Homosexuality: A Look at the Ancient Sources

What did Jesus say about homosexuality? We examined all 43 ancient sources. The answer surprises most people. Here's what the historical record actually shows.

What Language Did Jesus Speak? Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, and the Evidence

Jesus spoke Aramaic as his primary language, but did he also know Hebrew and Greek? Here's what archaeology, ancient sources, and linguistics reveal.

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43 ancient texts. One reconstructed voice. Have a real conversation with the historical Jesus — grounded in the earliest records.

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Original Jesus Journal — Exploring the earliest sources of who Jesus actually was

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