Jesus | Facts, Teachings, Miracles, Death, & Doctrines - Britannica

Summary of Jesus’ life

Holy Family1 of 2
Holy FamilyStained-glass window depicting Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus.(more)
“Tree of Jesse”2 of 2
“Tree of Jesse”“Tree of Jesse,” symbolizing Jesus' descent from the house of David, illuminated page from Rabanus Maurus's De laudibus sanctae crucis, from Anchin, mid-12th century; in the Bibliothèque Municipale de Douai, France. 29 × 20 cm.(more)

Although born in Bethlehem, according to Matthew and Luke, Jesus was a Galilean from Nazareth, a village near Sepphoris, one of the two major cities of Galilee (Tiberias was the other). He was born to Joseph and Mary sometime between 6 bce and shortly before the death of Herod the Great (Matthew 2; Luke 1:5) in 4 bce. According to Matthew and Luke, however, Joseph was only legally his father. They report that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was conceived and that she “was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18; cf. Luke 1:35). Joseph is said to have been a carpenter (Matthew 13:55)—that is, a craftsman who worked with his hands—and, according to Mark 6:3, Jesus also became a carpenter.

Quick Facts Also called: Jesus Christ, Jesus of Galilee, or Jesus of Nazareth (Show more) Born: c. 6–4 bce, Bethlehem (Show more) Died: c. 30 ce, Jerusalem (Show more) Notable Family Members: mother Mary (Show more) See all related content
Abraham Bloemaert: The Preaching of St. John the Baptist
Abraham Bloemaert: The Preaching of St. John the BaptistThe Preaching of St. John the Baptist, painting on canvas by Abraham Bloemaert; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.(more)

Luke (2:41–52) states that Jesus as a youth was precociously learned, but there is no other evidence of his childhood or early life. As a young adult, he went to be baptized by the prophet John the Baptist and shortly thereafter became an itinerant preacher and healer (Mark 1:2–28). In his mid-30s Jesus had a short public career, lasting perhaps less than one year, during which he attracted considerable attention. Sometime between 29 and 33 ce—possibly 30 ce—he went to observe Passover in Jerusalem, where his entrance, according to the Gospels, was triumphant and infused with eschatological significance. While there he was arrested, tried, and executed. His disciples became convinced that he rose from the dead and appeared to them. They converted others to believe in him, which eventually led to a new religion, Christianity.

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