The narrative of the ministry of Jesus in the Gospels is usually separated into sections that have a geographical nature: his Galilean ministry follows his baptism and continues in Galilee and surrounding areas until the death of John the Baptist.[1][4] This phase of activities in the Galilee area draws to an end approximately in Matthew 17 and Mark 9. After the death of John the Baptist and Jesus' proclamation as Christ by Peter, his ministry continues along his final journey towards Jerusalem through Perea and Judea.[5][6] The journey ends with his triumphal entry into Jerusalem in Matthew 21 and Mark 11. The final part of Jesus' ministry then takes place during his last week in Jerusalem which ends in his crucifixion.[7]
In the New Testament accounts, the principal locations for the ministry of Jesus were Galilee and Judea, with activities also taking place in surrounding areas such as Perea and Samaria.[1][4] The gospel narrative of the ministry of Jesus is traditionally separated into sections that have a geographical nature.
After the death of John the Baptist, about halfway through the Gospels (approximately Matthew 17 and Mark 9) two key events take place that change the nature of the narrative by beginning the gradual revelation of his identity to his disciples: his proclamation as Christ by Peter and his transfiguration.[5][6] After these events, a good portion of the Gospel narratives deal with Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem through Perea and Judea.[5][6][14][15] As Jesus travels towards Jerusalem through Perea he returns to the area where he was baptized.[16][17][18]
Bethabara: The Gospel of John (1:28) states that John the Baptist was baptizing in "Bethany beyond the Jordan".[31] This is not the village Bethany just east of Jerusalem, but the town Bethany, also called Bethabara in Perea.[32] A different interpretation places Bethabara on the opposite, western bank of the Jordan, in Judea rather than Perea; best known among these is the Madaba Map, which places Betahbara at today's west side of Al-Maghtas, officially known as Qasr el-Yahud.
Ænon: The Gospel of John (3:23) refers to Enon near Salim as the place where John the Baptist performs baptisms in the River Jordan, "because there was much water there".[31][32]
Calvary (Golgotha): Calvary is the Latin term for Golgotha the Greek translation of the Aramaic term for the place of the skull—the location of the crucifixion of Jesus.[44]
Gabbatha (Lithostrōtos): This location is referenced only once in the New Testament in John 19:13.[47][48] This is an Aramaic term that refers to the location of the trial of Jesus by Pontius Pilate, and the Greek name of Lithostrōtos (λιθόστρωτος) meaning stone pavement also refers to it. It was likely a raised stone platform where Jesus faced Pilate.[47]James Charlesworth considers this location of high archaeological significance and states that modern scholars believe this location was in the public square just outside the Praetorium in Jerusalem and was paved with large stones.[49]
Mount of Olives: This mountain appears in several New Testament passaages, and the Olivet Discourse is named after it. During his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus descends from the Mount of Olives towards Jerusalem, and the crowds lay their clothes on the ground to welcome him.[52] In Acts 1:9-12, the ascension of Jesus takes place near this mountain.
Egypt: The Flight to Egypt episode in the Gospel of Matthew takes place after the birth of Jesus, and the family flees to Egypt before returning to Galilee a few years later.[54][55][56]
An Augustusdenarius, stating CAESAR AVGVSTVS; and on the reverse: DIVVSIVLIV(S), which the population at large took to mean Son of God[62][63]
No documents written by Jesus exist,[64] and no specific archaeological remnants are directly attributed to him. The 21st century has witnessed an increase in scholarly interest in the integrated use of archaeology as an additional research component in arriving at a better understanding of the historical Jesus by illuminating the socio-economic and political background of his age.[65][66][67][68][69][70]
James Charlesworth states that few modern scholars now want to overlook the archaeological discoveries that clarify the nature of life in Galilee and Judea during the time of Jesus.[68] Jonathan Reed states that chief contribution of archaeology to the study of the historical Jesus is the reconstruction of his social world.[71] An example archaeological item that Reed mentions is the 1961 discovery of the Pilate stone, which mentions the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate, by whose order Jesus was crucified.[71][72][73]
Reed also states that archaeological finding related to coinage can shed light on historical critical analysis. As an example, he refers to coins with the ""Divi filius" inscription.[65] Although Roman Emperor Augustus called himself "Divi filius", and not "Dei filius" (Son of God), the line between being god and god-like was at times less than clear to the population at large, and the Roman court seems to have been aware of the necessity of keeping the ambiguity.[62][63] Later, Tiberius who was emperor at the time of Jesus came to be accepted as the son of divus Augustus.[62] Reed discusses this coinage in the context of Mark 12:13–17 in which Jesus asks his disciples to look at a coin: "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" and then advises them to "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." Reed states that "the answer becomes much more subversive when one knows that Roman coinage proclaimed Caesar to be God".[65]
David Gowler states that an interdisciplinary scholarly study of archeology, textual analysis and historical context can shed light on Jesus and his teachings.[69] An example is the archeological studies at Capernaum. Despite the frequent references to Capernaum in the New Testament, little is said about it there.[74] However, recent archeological evidence show that unlike earlier assumptions, Capernaum was poor and small, without even a forum or agora.[69][75] This archaeological discovery thus resonates well with the scholarly view that Jesus advocated reciprocal sharing among the destitute in that area of Galilee.[69] Other archeological findings support the wealth of the ruling priests in Judea at the beginning of the first century.[67][76]
^ abJesus in the Synagogue of Capernaum: The Pericope and its Programmatic Character for the Gospel of Mark by John Chijioke Iwe 1991 ISBN9788876528460 page 7
^The Gospel according to Matthew by Leon Morris ISBN0-85111-338-9 page 71
^The Sermon on the mount: a theological investigation by Carl G. Vaught 2001 ISBN978-0-918954-76-3 pages xi-xiv
^The Synoptics: Matthew, Mark, Luke by Ján Majerník, Joseph Ponessa, Laurie Watson Manhardt, 2005, ISBN1-931018-31-6, pages 63–68
^Steven L. Cox, Kendell H Easley, 2008 Harmony of the GospelsISBN0-8054-9444-8 pages 97-110
^The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels by Douglas Redford 2007 ISBN0-7847-1900-4 pages 165-180
^Steven L. Cox, Kendell H Easley, 2007 Harmony of the GospelsISBN0-8054-9444-8 pages 121-135
^The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels by Douglas Redford 2007 ISBN0-7847-1900-4 pages 189-207
^Steven L. Cox, Kendell H Easley, 2007 Harmony of the GospelsISBN0-8054-9444-8 page 137
^The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels by Douglas Redford 2007 ISBN0-7847-1900-4 pages 211-229
^Mercer dictionary of the Bible by Watson E. Mills, Roger Aubrey Bullard 1998 ISBN0-86554-373-9 page 929
^The Miracles of Jesus by Craig Blomberg, David Wenham 2003 ISBN1592442854 page 419
^H. Van der Loos, 1965 The Miracles of Jesus, E.J. Brill Press, Netherlands page 599
^Dmitri Royster 1999 The miracles of ChristISBN0881411930 page 71
^The Miracles of Jesus by Craig Blomberg, David Wenham 2003 ISBN1592442854 page 440
^ abcJonathan L. Reed, "Archaeological contributions to the study of Jesus and the Gospels" in The Historical Jesus in Context edited by Amy-Jill Levine et al. Princeton Univ Press 2006 ISBN978-0-691-00992-6 pages 40-47
^Archaeology and the Galilean Jesus: a re-examination of the evidence by Jonathan L. Reed 2002 ISBN1-56338-394-2 pages xi-xii
^ ab"Jesus Research and Archaeology: A New Perspective" by James H. Charlesworth in Jesus and archaeology edited by James H. Charlesworth 2006 ISBN0-8028-4880-X pages 11-15
^ abcdWhat are they saying about the historical Jesus? by David B. Gowler 2007 ISBN0-8091-4445-X page 102
^ abArchaeology and the Galilean Jesus: a re-examination of the evidence by Jonathan L. Reed 2002 ISBN1-56338-394-2 page 18
^Historical Dictionary of Jesus by Daniel J. Harrington 2010 ISBN0-8108-7667-1 page 32
^Studying the historical Jesus: evaluations of the state of current research by Bruce Chilton, Craig A. Evans 1998 ISBN90-04-11142-5 page 465
^"Jesus and Capernaum: Archeological and Gospel Stratigraohy" in Archaeology and the Galilean Jesus: a re-examination of the evidence by Jonathan L. Reed 2002 ISBN1-56338-394-2 page 139-156
^Jesus and archaeology edited by James H. Charlesworth 2006 ISBN0-8028-4880-X page 127
^Who Was Jesus? by Paul Copan and Craig A. Evans 2001 ISBN0-664-22462-8 page 187
