Was Jesus a Pagan Goddess Worshiper?

The Da Vinci Code is the latest of many books by popular writers that have questioned the New Testament’s portrayal of Jesus. The Gospels say that during His lifetime His enemies called him a drunkard, glutton, and the associate of disreputable people (Luke 7:34; 15:2). The Talmud, written hundreds of years after Jesus, says that He was sexually immoral, a sorcerer, and an idolater

¹. Modern writers and cult leaders have claimed that He was a revolutionary zealot, an ascetic radical, a drug-influenced mystic, a Buddhist monk, etc.

The problem with all of these claims is that they ignore the only significant historical evidence about Jesus that has survived from the years immediately following His life, death, and resurrection. In fact, during the past two centuries the science of textual criticism has confirmed what Christians have always believed—that the main New Testament documents date from within the lifetime of many people who personally knew Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-10). If someone is unwilling to accept the veracity of the New Testament, they must rely on sheer speculation based on personal worldview and prejudice.

1. “The Talmud (Babylonian edition) records other sins of ‘Jesus the Nazarene’: 1) He and his disciples practiced sorcery and black magic, led Jews astray into idolatry, and were sponsored by foreign, gentile powers for the purpose of subverting Jewish worship (Sanhedrin 43a). 2) He was sexually immoral, worshipped statues of stone (a brick is mentioned), was cut off from the Jewish people for his wickedness, and refused to repent (Sanhedrin 107b; Sotah 47a). 3) He learned witchcraft in Egypt and, to perform miracles, used procedures that involved cutting his flesh — which is also explicitly banned in the Bible (Shabbos 104b).” (from a Hassidic Web site)Back To Article