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| A painting of Jesus Christ |
Born: c. 5 B.C.
Died: c. 30 A.D. (crucifixion)
Birthplace: Bethlehem, Judea
Best known as: The son of God in the Christian religion
Jesus
of Nazareth is the central figure of the Christian religion, a savior
believed to be both God incarnate and a human being. He is also known as
Jesus Christ, the term "Christ" meaning anointed or chosen one. Most of
the details of his life are unclear, and much of what is known about
his life comes from the four Gospels of the Bible. The Gospels tell the
story of Jesus's auspicious birth in a stable in Bethlehem, and then of
his life as an adult, a teacher with miraculous powers who foretold his
own death to his closest followers, called apostles. Jesus, betrayed by
the apostle Judas, was crucified by the Romans, and his resurrection
three days after his death was taken as proof of his divinity. The date
of Jesus's birth to
Mary
is celebrated each December 25th as Christmas Day. The occasion was
used as the base year for the modern Christian calendar, though
researchers now believe that earlier estimates were inexact and that
Jesus was actually born between 4 B.C. and 7 B.C. The date of the
crucifixion is now marked as Good Friday, and the resurrection
celebrated as Easter.
