Jesus

More than a billion Christians around the world revere Jesus in a special way. Most regard him as the Son of God and consider him divine as well as human. No other person has had such claims made for him by so many. Most Christians believe that he lived, died, rose from the dead, and is an eternal presence. This entry cannot evaluate the validity of these beliefs but acknowledges that the influence of these beliefs on human society is profound.

More is known about the life of Jesus than about most other prominent figures of his time. Though it is occasionally suggested that Jesus is a mythical character, no serious scholar takes that view. Although no original manuscripts of the New Testament exist, that is ...