Jesus
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Jesus of Nazareth
Half-length portrait of younger man with shoulder-length hair and beard, with right hand raised over what appears to be a red flame. The upper background is gold. Around his head is a golden halo containing an equal-armed cross with three arms visible; the arms are decorated with ovals and squares.
6th-century mosaic of Jesus at Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna. No undisputed record of what Jesus looked like is known to exist.
Born c. 5 BC/BCE[1]
Bethlehem, Judea, Roman Empire (traditional); Nazareth, Galilee (modern critical scholarship)[2]
Died c. 30 AD/CE (aged 33-35)[3][4]
Calvary, Judea, Roman Empire (according to the New Testament, he rose on the third day after his death.)
Cause of death Crucifixion
Resting place Traditionally and temporarily, a garden tomb in Jerusalem[5]
Nationality Israelite
Ethnicity Jewish
Home town Nazareth, Galilee, Roman Empire
Parents

Father: (Christian view) God (spiritually) and virginal conception (physically);
(Islamic view) Virginal conception; Mother: Mary;
Adoptive father: Joseph

Jesus of Nazareth (c. 5 BC/BCE – c. 30 AD/CE),[3] also known as Jesus Christ or simply Jesus, is the central figure of Christianity. Christians view him as the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament and as the Son of God,[6] who provided salvation and reconciliation with God to humankind by dying for their sins, then raising himself from the dead.[7][8]

The principal sources of information regarding Jesus' life and teachings are the four canonical gospels, especially the Synoptic Gospels,[9][10] though some scholars believe apocryphal texts such as the Gospel of Thomas are also relevant.[11] Some parts of the gospels are considered to be historically reliable while others are not,[12][13][14][15][16][17] and the elements whose historical authenticity is disputed include the two accounts of the nativity of Jesus, as well as the resurrection and certain details about the crucifixion.[18][19][20][21][22][23]

Most critical scholars in biblical studies believe that some parts of the New Testament are useful for reconstructing Jesus' life,[24][25][26][27] agreeing that Jesus was a Jew who was regarded as a teacher and healer, that he was baptized by John the Baptist, and was crucified in Jerusalem on the orders of the Roman Prefect of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, on the charge of sedition against the Roman Empire.[28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38]

Aside from these few conclusions, academic debate continues regarding the chronology, the central message of Jesus' preaching, his social class, cultural environment, religious orientation, and his historical existence.[11] Critical Biblical scholars and historians have offered competing descriptions of Jesus as a self-described messiah, as the leader of an apocalyptic movement, as an itinerant sage, as a charismatic healer, and as the founder of an independent religious movement. Most contemporary scholars of the historical Jesus consider him to have been an independent, charismatic founder of a Jewish restoration movement, anticipating an imminent apocalypse.[39] Other prominent scholars, however, contend that Jesus' "Kingdom of God" meant radical personal and social transformation instead of a future apocalypse.[39]

Christians traditionally believe that Jesus was born of a virgin,[7]:529-532 performed miracles,[7]:358-359 founded the Church, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven,[7]:616-620 from which he will return.[7]:1091-1109 Most Christian scholars today present Jesus as the awaited Messiah and as God,[40] arguing that he fulfilled many Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament.[41] While the doctrine of the Trinity is accepted by most Christians, a few groups reject it, wholly or partly, believing it to be non-scriptural.[42][43][44]

Judaism rejects assertions that Jesus was the awaited Messiah, arguing that he did not fulfill the Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh.[45] In Islam, Jesus (Arabic: عيسى‎, commonly transliterated as Isa) is considered one of God's important prophets,[46][47] a bringer of scripture, the product of a virgin birth, and a worker of miracles. Islam also teaches that Jesus ascended bodily to heaven without experiencing death at the crucifixion.[48] Islam and the Baha'i Faith use the title "Messiah" for Jesus,[49][50] but do not teach that he was God incarnate.