Post by Nosameerf on Apr 5, 2010 0:52:56 GMT
I found this article very interesting and I hope you don't mind me sharing it with you. I haven't read the book, but the ideas seem very interesting and certainly add meat to Jesus as an individual. There is no reason why a 'mere' carpenters son (as well as the son of God!) could not become a religious leader, yet this article certainly makes sense and provides food for thought.
Anyhow, I am not a religious scholar, so what do I know!
Not a carpenter: Jesus 'was the son of a middle-class architect', new book claims
Daily Mail
Dan Newling
02nd April 2010
It's a somewhat different version of the greatest story ever told.
Rather than being born in a stable to a carpenter father, Jesus was actually the son of a successful, middle class and highly intellectual architect.
The claim comes from biblical scholar Dr Adam Bradford, who also says that between the ages of 12 and 30 - the so-called 'missing years' of Jesus's life, when little is known about him - he was studying at religious schools and became the highest-ranking rabbi in Judea.
The radical revision of Christian history would suggest that, in preaching the spurning of worldly possessions for an austere life, Jesus may have been speaking from experience.
Dr Bradford has analysed the Bible's original Greek and Hebrew scriptures to try to establish the truth about Christ's background.
He says a mistranslation of the Greek word 'tekton' to describe the profession of Joseph, Jesus's father, is one of many mistakes that have led to a fundamental misunderstanding of Christ's character.
Dr Bradford claims that while 'tekton' is usually said to mean carpenter, it more accurately means master builder or architect. As an architect, Joseph would have had a higher social status that enabled him to better educate his son.
In most English translations of the Bible furthermore, Joseph is a 'just man'. But Dr Bradford says the word 'man' is not in the original Greek text and the word translated as 'just' really means a senior religious scholar involved in the judiciary.
'If Jesus was the son of a poor itinerant carpenter with some radical ideas nobody would have been that concerned about what he said.
'But because Jesus was trained to become the most educated Jew of his time, it gave him the chance to exert extraordinary influence and let him get away with acts that normal Jews would have been imprisoned or chastised for.
'Christ enjoyed social privileges unavailable to an uneducated itinerant carpenter. Not only was he able to clear the official Temple market on two occasions without interference but he was also able to teach unhindered in the Temple courts and synagogues.
Dr Adam Bradford's book The Jesus Discovery reveals the new claims
'Throughout the Bible he is addressed with formal titles of Rabbi and Doctor of the Law - the highest position in Jewish society - even by his enemies.'
Little is known about what Jesus did between 12, when he is said to have spent Passover in Jerusalem with his family, and 30, when he was baptised by John.
Dr Bradford, who is also a London GP, believes that during this time Jesus became the most senior rabbi in Judea.
He said: 'When Christ sat with the Doctors of the Law in the Temple at age 12 he astonished them with his knowledge. They would almost certainly have recruited Christ for later enrolment at their schools.
'It would be like a Premiership manager signing up a child who was incredibly gifted at football.
'Under the Jewish system, Jesus would not have re-emerged into public life until he was 30 when he had become a "didaskalos".
'This word is currently translated in the Bible as "teacher" but in fact it has a much higher status and meaning.
'Because the Jewish authorities had invested so much hope and time into Jesus it explains why they became so vehement in their hatred after he went "off message".
'He was their great hope who deviated from the Jewish faith, and so betrayed what they stood for.'
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1263029/New-book-claims-Jesus-son-middle-class-architect.html
Anyhow, I am not a religious scholar, so what do I know!
Not a carpenter: Jesus 'was the son of a middle-class architect', new book claims
Daily Mail
Dan Newling
02nd April 2010
It's a somewhat different version of the greatest story ever told.
Rather than being born in a stable to a carpenter father, Jesus was actually the son of a successful, middle class and highly intellectual architect.
The claim comes from biblical scholar Dr Adam Bradford, who also says that between the ages of 12 and 30 - the so-called 'missing years' of Jesus's life, when little is known about him - he was studying at religious schools and became the highest-ranking rabbi in Judea.
The radical revision of Christian history would suggest that, in preaching the spurning of worldly possessions for an austere life, Jesus may have been speaking from experience.
Dr Bradford has analysed the Bible's original Greek and Hebrew scriptures to try to establish the truth about Christ's background.
He says a mistranslation of the Greek word 'tekton' to describe the profession of Joseph, Jesus's father, is one of many mistakes that have led to a fundamental misunderstanding of Christ's character.
Dr Bradford claims that while 'tekton' is usually said to mean carpenter, it more accurately means master builder or architect. As an architect, Joseph would have had a higher social status that enabled him to better educate his son.
In most English translations of the Bible furthermore, Joseph is a 'just man'. But Dr Bradford says the word 'man' is not in the original Greek text and the word translated as 'just' really means a senior religious scholar involved in the judiciary.
'If Jesus was the son of a poor itinerant carpenter with some radical ideas nobody would have been that concerned about what he said.
'But because Jesus was trained to become the most educated Jew of his time, it gave him the chance to exert extraordinary influence and let him get away with acts that normal Jews would have been imprisoned or chastised for.
'Christ enjoyed social privileges unavailable to an uneducated itinerant carpenter. Not only was he able to clear the official Temple market on two occasions without interference but he was also able to teach unhindered in the Temple courts and synagogues.
Dr Adam Bradford's book The Jesus Discovery reveals the new claims
'Throughout the Bible he is addressed with formal titles of Rabbi and Doctor of the Law - the highest position in Jewish society - even by his enemies.'
Little is known about what Jesus did between 12, when he is said to have spent Passover in Jerusalem with his family, and 30, when he was baptised by John.
Dr Bradford, who is also a London GP, believes that during this time Jesus became the most senior rabbi in Judea.
He said: 'When Christ sat with the Doctors of the Law in the Temple at age 12 he astonished them with his knowledge. They would almost certainly have recruited Christ for later enrolment at their schools.
'It would be like a Premiership manager signing up a child who was incredibly gifted at football.
'Under the Jewish system, Jesus would not have re-emerged into public life until he was 30 when he had become a "didaskalos".
'This word is currently translated in the Bible as "teacher" but in fact it has a much higher status and meaning.
'Because the Jewish authorities had invested so much hope and time into Jesus it explains why they became so vehement in their hatred after he went "off message".
'He was their great hope who deviated from the Jewish faith, and so betrayed what they stood for.'
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1263029/New-book-claims-Jesus-son-middle-class-architect.html
There is a need for wood in construction and architecture. Tables, chairs, ceilings &c. are far more practical than quarrying and dragging stones to serve those purposes (though they were often used that way.) I agree that wood was of a significant cost, yet I have no doubt that wood was utilized profusely in the Mediterranean 1st century C.E. The costs compared to quarrying and moving stone may not have been significantly less, though I'd have to research that for certain.
