Biblical historian separates truth from myth in the ancient accounts of his life [Herald & Review, Decatur, Ill.]

Aug. 28--DECATUR -- If the son of God had possessed a driver's license during his life on Earth, the name on it would have read "Yeshua Hannosri" in Hebrew, or "Joshua of Nazareth" in English.

This was but one of many revelations made by Paul Maier, a professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University, during his seminar in Decatur last weekend on the life of Jesus.

How does Maier know that? Because ancient Jewish historians, who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah, called him that, and a "hostile source" would not have conceded anything about him that was not true.

What he doesn't know is why the translators who wrote the King James Bible would translate Joshua for Joshua in the Old Testament but Jesus for Joshua in the New.

Maier added that the Talmud is also the most authoritative nonbiblical source that Christ performed miracles because it contains his arrest warrant, which states: "He shall be (executed) because he has practiced sorcery and lured Israel to apostasy."

"When it's a friendly source, you can't tell if it's pumped up," he said, adding that this reference to acts out of the ordinary "does prove the miraculous."

An audience of nearly 150 people appeared to hang on Maier's every word, with almost everyone staying until the six-hour event concluded at the Lutheran School Association. The host church was St. John's Lutheran in Decatur.

People ranging from the Rev. Peter Kolb, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Vandalia, to Marilyn Smith, a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Decatur, took many notes.

"It's not like I'm looking for proof of what the Bible says," Smith said, "but I really love history, and the additional details make you feel more like you are there, living it."

Maier's specialty is comparing the secular to the sacred, and he has written several books, including those about ancient historians: "Eusebius -- the Church History" (Kregel, 1999) and "Josephus -- The Essential Works" (Kregel, 1995).

Virtually all nonbiblical stories about Christ as a child are "crude myths," Maier said, with the exception of one provided by Justin Martyr, an early church historian.

"He tells us that the tradition that young Jesus worked as an apprentice carpenter in the shop of his adoptive father was accurate. And he tells us their specialty -- they specialized in agricultural implements for harvesting grain, such as yokes for oxen and plows."

Maier said an archaeological site at Sepphoris, located four miles northwest of Nazareth, offers the best chance to eventually "part the curtains of Jesus' infancy and youth."

Indeed, he said Christ's adoptive father may have gone to help rebuild Sepphoris, a major city that had been destroyed by the Romans, and this may be where Joseph met Mary and why the family settled in Nazareth.

Maier also peppered his history with plenty of humor, such as when he referred to the Sea of Galilee rating a "10" on his own 1-to-10 scale of authenticity.

Other revelations included the following:--The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is almost certainly built on the site of the cave, used as a stable, where Christ was born. Justin Martyr, born just two generations after Jesus in neighboring Samaria, pinpointed the spot, and Constantine, Roman emperor from A.D. 306 to 337, built a double octagon wall around the place, which was his way of hallowing a Christian site.

--The 17th-century astronomer Johannes Kepler discovered what may have been the star of Bethlehem, a rare event when Jupiter and Saturn appear close together in the night sky. It happened in 5 B.C., when Jesus is thought to have been born. It later occurred in A.D. 800 and 1600 and won't happen again until 2400.

--The stones in the foundation of the synagogue at Capernaum almost certainly "heard" the teachings of Jesus, while the House of Peter nearby rates "a 7 or an 8" as the base of operations for Jesus and his disciples during his ministry in Galilee. This is because it, too, has the remains of a double octagon wall around it.

*n The raising of Lazarus from the dead in Bethany is supported by the fact that in Arabic, the town's name means "Lazarus' Place." Maier asked, "Why change the name of the town unless something spectacular happened?"

--The 1986 discovery of a first-century boat hull in the Sea of Galilee may explain how Christ was able to sleep through a storm while on a boat. The hull's construction revealed it could have been rowed or sailed, and during a storm, the ballast sack required for sailing would have been placed in the back and the sails taken down.

So Jesus may have slept under the decking at the rear, and the pillow mentioned by Mark in the New Testament may have been the ballast sack.

"Not until 1986 did the world know the details of what Mark was telling us," Maier said. "Is this the sort of information you need for your soul's salvation? Of course not. But I think it's fun."

Regarding Holy Week, he made these revelations:

--The place in Jerusalem identified as the Upper Room gets a "minus 5" on his authenticity scale. "It's one of the least credible Christian sites," Maier said. "It's got gothic arches in it."

--The Jews who praised Jesus when he entered Jerusalem were not the same Jews who yelled, "Crucify him!" when he faced Pontius Pilate. Maier said that the Good Friday showdown took place in an open area atop Herod's palace and that Mel Gibson got the size of the crowd right in "The Passion of the Christ."

"That place really is going to hold only 300 people if they're standing shoulder to shoulder," he said. "Christ's supporters were not allowed in."

Maier also answered questions from the audience as he went along.

To one from Kenneth Knox, prevention assistant for the Community Health Improvement Center, about the brevity of the Gospels versus the length of the writings by first-century historian Flavius Josephus, Maier said Josephus had imperial support and could afford a longer scroll.

Responding to the Rev. Scott Marsh of Texas Christian Church near Clinton, Maier said he believes the Book of Acts ends abruptly because that's where Luke's information ended. He said, "If Paul's trial before Nero had taken place (in his lifetime), wild horses couldn't have prevented Luke from writing about it."

Maier also gave the Shroud of Turin a "2 or 3" in response to a question from Dee King, a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church. "The paper trail just doesn't go back far enough," he said.

Even listeners who had heard Maier speak before said they were learning new things. They included David Hinkle and Lorraine Kenney, both members of St. John's Lutheran.

"His information is amazing," Kenney said. "I could listen to him for hours and hours."

tchurchill@herald-review.com 421-7978

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