A compelling comparison of the gospels and Greco-Roman mythology which shows that the gospels were not perceived as myths, but as historical records Did the early Christians believe their myths? Like most ancient—and modern—people, early Christians made efforts to present their myths in the most believable ways. In this eye-opening work, M. David Litwa explores how and why what later became the four canonical gospels take on a historical cast that remains vitally important for many Christians today. Offering an in-depth comparison with other Greco-Roman stories that have been shaped to seem like history, Litwa shows how the evangelists responded to the pressures of Greco-Roman literary culture by using well-known historiographical tropes such as the mention of famous rulers and kings, geographical notices, the introduction of eyewitnesses, vivid presentation, alternative reports, and so on. In this way, the evangelists deliberately shaped myths about Jesus into historical discourse to maximize their believability for ancient audiences.

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motw/How The Gospels Became History - M. David Litwa.pdf

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motw/How the Gospels Became History_ - M. David Litwa.pdf

Litwa, M. David

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Brandywine River Museum

Mariners' Museum, The

Synkrisis: Comparative Approaches to Early Christianity in Greco-Roman Culture, 2019

United States, United States of America

Synkrisis, New Haven ; London, 2019

1, 2019

producers:
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Memory of the World Librarian: George Luis Bataille

Memory of the World Librarian: outernationale

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Cover 1
Half Title 2
Title 4
Copyright 5
Dedication 6
CONTENTS 8
INTRODUCTION: The Gospels Mythography and Historiography 14
CHAPTER ONE: Jesus Myth Theory 35
CHAPTER TWO: A Theory of Comparison 59
CHAPTER THREE: Incarnation 77
CHAPTER FOUR: Genealogy 90
CHAPTER FIVE: Divine Conception 99
CHAPTER SIX: Dream Visions and Prophecies 109
CHAPTER SEVEN: Magi and the Star 116
CHAPTER EIGHT: Child in Danger, Child of Wonder 128
CHAPTER NINE: The Righteous Lawgiver 140
CHAPTER TEN: Miracles 148
CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Pharmakos 169
CHAPTER TWELVE: Empty Tombs and Translation 182
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Disappearance and Recognition 192
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Ascent 200
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Eyewitnesses 207
CONCLUSION: The Myth of Historicity 222
Notes 236
Index of Subjects 282
A 282
B 283
C 283
D 284
E 285
F 285
G 285
H 286
I 287
J 287
K 289
L 289
M 289
N 290
O 291
P 291
Q 292
R 292
S 292
T 293
U 293
V 293
W 293
X 294
Y 294
Z 294
Index of Modern Authors 296
A 296
B 296
C 296
E 296
F 296
G 296
H 296
K 296
L 296
M 297
N 297
P 297
R 297
S 297
T 297
W 297
Index of Ancient Sources 298

2025-10-27