Was Jesus Born on Christmas?

Do all the gospels have a story of Christmas? For that matter, do the stories agree as to the date of Jesus' birth?

Some people are surprised to find out that the story of "Christmas" is only recorded in two places in the NT, the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke. This means that Mark and John do not mention the birth of Jesus.

In order to determine the date of Jesus’ birth we must understand that Luke points out that Jesus was born “…in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign of King Herod…”

(Luke 2:1) This information, along with other sources outside of the NT, place the birth of Jesus prior to 4 BCE, or a full 4 to 6 years before year one of the CE!
Further proof of the year of Jesus’ birth can be found later in the gospel of Matthew. “When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who where two years old or under…” (Matt 2:16) Seemingly Herod did not know the exact age of the child, who was to be the messiah, so he ordered the death of all children under two.

Therefore if we add two years to the time of the death of Herod, which is established as 4 BCE, Jesus could have been born in any of the previous two years (coinciding with our previous material of the dates of the rulers when Jesus was born in 6 to 4 BCE).
Jesus' birthday was most certainly NOT on Dec. 25th, a date chosen later by Christian authorities to combat other "pagan" holidays...the first recorded "Christmas" on December 25th is in 377 CE. (Originally Jesus' birthday was clebrated on Jan. 6th)


Did you also know that Jesus was not born in year One of the Common Era (CE), and that he was actually born between the years of 7- 4 BCE?

The calendar in its present representation dates from the sixth century CE when a Scythian monk, Dionysius Exiguus, was assigned the task of calculating the year of the birth of Jesus. Based on assumptions and incorrect calculations by Exiguus, the present calendar is “off” by 4 to 5 years. So the "millenium" of 2000 was actually late, we should have celebrated the changing of the calendar in 1995 or 1996!

The Family of Jesus...Brothers?

(1) DOES THE BIBLICAL TEXT SAY THAT MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS, WAS A "VIRGIN" WHEN JESUS WAS BORN? DOES OUR MODERN DAY UNDERSTANDING OF "VIRGIN" MATCH THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE FIRST CENTURY WHEN THE GOSPELS RECORD IT?

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” (Matthew 1:23)
COMPARE WITH:
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, an shall name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

Is the book of Isaiah speaking about the child Jesus who wasnt born for at least another 500 years? Or is Isaiah speaking about another child?

Who will give birth to this child? The “young woman” gives birth to the child. Beginning with the word, alma (Hebrew), we arrive to an English translation of “young girl.” While the word alma can be used to designate a woman, it most often refers to a young girl who has reached the age of puberty and is able to be married. However, it lays no direct stress on the virginity of the girl, even though it is implied that if the girl is not yet married she should still be a virgin (in the modern sense of the word, i.e. she had yet to have sexual intercourse).

Later on when this text was translated by the followers of Jesus, (including Matthew above) into Greek. In the Greek version of the Bible, the Septuagint (LXX), the term alma was rendered as parthenos. This is a surprise considering the translation of the word alma should have resulted in the Greek word neanis. Neanis is the Greek term for “young woman” and it occurs in other places of the Hebrew Bible as a translation of alma. The fact that the LXX uses the term parthenos betrays the later theological importance placed on this word by the Greek linguists (In Greek parthenos was most often used as a translation of the Hebrew word betula which means virgin).

(2) DID JESUS HAVE BROTHERS?

They are variously described, here is but one example: James, Joses, Judas and Simon (Mark 6:3).
According to the Bible he did in deed have brothers (and in fact some sources mention sisters as well). A brief sampling of biblical verses which speak of his brothers include:
Matthew: 12:46-50, 13:55
Mark: 3:31-35, 6:3, 15:40
Luke: 8:19-21
John: 2:12, 7:4-5
Acts: 1:14
Galatians: 1:19
1 Corinthians: 9:4-5, 15:6-7
Jude, 1:1

(a)Adelphos is the Greek term for brother, with full (same two parents) or half (with one common parent) brother being the literal translation of the word.
"When one considers adelphos…is used a total of 343 times in the NT, the consistency of this “literal” usage is amazing…when used not merely figuratively or metaphorically but rather to designate some sort of physical or legal relationship, [adelphos] means only full or half brother…" (John P. Meier, A Maginal Jews, vol.I, p.328).

Therefore, a careful reading of NT appears to provide an overwhelming amount of evidence that the “brothers” of Jesus were just that, full blood-brothers (i.e. following the Helvidian view). From the multiple attestations of the NT works and the Church Fathers, as well as the criteria of embarrassment (the fact that if Mary was not a perpetual virgin, it would be painful for the authors to include this information that would contradict their theology, i.e. brothers and sisters), it appears as if Jesus really did have full blood brothers

(3) SPEAKING OF JESUS' BROTHERS, WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THIS BURIAL BOX INSCROBED "JAMES, SON OF JOSEPH, BROTHER OF JESUS? IS THIS THE JAMES WE HAVE JUST SPOKEN ABOUT?

Quite possibly. While scholars continue to debate the veracity of the ossuary (or bone box), a couple of things are certain.

(A) These ossuaries were used during the first century almost exclusively, thereby conforming with the lifetime of Jesus (and James).

(B) The names given for his father (Joseph) and brother (Jesus) on the ossuary, while being common names in the first century, do correspond to the names of the father and brother of Jesus in scripture. Please go to the BIBLIOGRAPHY PAGE for a listing of websites that deal with this most fascinating of archeological discoveries.

Veracity of Biblical Studies

Biblical Questions

IS THE TYPE OF QUESTIONING WE ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK UPON "ALLOWED" BY CHRISTIANS, ESPECAILLY CATHOLICS?

YES. One of the first attempts of the Catholic Church to adopt these new means of study was the establishment of the Pontifical Biblical Commission in 1902 by Pope Leo XII in his Apostolic Letter Vigilantiae. This commission was established to look into aspects of biblical questions raised by the public and by scholars. Building on the work of the commission Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical promoting the field of biblical studies called Divino afflante Spiritu in 1943. And then in April of 1964, the pontifical Biblical Commission presented its acceptance of the use of many of the ideas within the field of historical criticism in the document the “Instruction Concerning the Historical Truth of the Gospels.” With the issuance of this document, the Church had finally opened itself to the truly worthwhile field of modern biblical studies and the positive results it could produce within the field of biblical inquiry.

Building upon all the works previously cited “The Instruction of the Bible in the Church” issued in April 1993 by the Pontifical Biblical Commission offered perhaps the most technical affirmation of the different tools that were now at the disposal of the exegete. In section I of this document entitled Methods and Approaches for Interpretation, the Commission outlines the structure of the Historical-Critical Method. Without going into explicit detail, let us briefly state the major approach’s within this discipline followed by a brief description.

(a) Textual Criticism studies the different manuscripts, and papyrus, that are extant through a process of linguistic, semantic and philological study.

(b) Literary criticism seeks to identify the different individual units or blocks of material contained within the larger corpus.

(c) Genre criticism attempts to identify the different literary styles and social milieus used in the texts.

(d) Tradition criticism attempts to determine the traditional development over time of the text.

(e) Redaction criticism studies the different layers of tradition and how they are united into one text.

(f) Historical criticism seeks to understand the historical significance of the text.
In approving these forms of study, the Catholic Church had embarked on a new era of biblical study in the Church’s history. No longer was it scandalous to inquire about questions that had previously been taboo for theologians. Solid scholarship, following an approved methodological directive, was sufficient enough for scholars to truly begin to question not just the tradition of the Church, but the biblical foundations on which they stood. With the Church’s newfound openness to question suppositions and investigate opinions, the Catholic Church rightly thrust itself into the field of historical Jesus research which had hitherto been the domain of Protestant scholars.


*** SEE:
“Instruction Concerning the Historical Truth of the Gospels.” Presented by the Pontifical Biblical Commission on April 21, 1964. http://clawww.lmu.edu/faculty/fjust/Docs/PBC_HistTruthFitzmyer.htm

“The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church.” Presented by the Pontifical Biblical Commission to Pope John Paul.
http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/PBCINTER.HTM

MISSION STATEMENT

The Foundations of Christianity and the Historical Jesus
Educate yourself in your faith

“The historical Jesus is not the real Jesus. The real Jesus is not the historical Jesus."(John P. Meier, A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, New York: The Anchor Bible Reference Library by Doubleday, 1991, p.21)

This provocative statement is bound to bring forth from the depths of the heart an immediate response. But pause for a moment and re-read the statement. What does it really say? The statement appears to be drawing a distinction between the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith. This is an extremely valid point that must be understood before any attempt can be made to determine who the Jesus of history was.
If you are interested in the Bible, the historical Jesus, and the foundations of Christianity, then you have come to the right website.

Inside we will explore the Biblical world through the scholarly endeavors of history, textual criticism, sociology, politics, economics an archaeology.
Topics that we will discuss include (but are not limited to):

~The Origins of the Israelite faith and how that tradition ultimately fostered the Christian faith.
~The Origins of the Bible.
~The life, times, family and actions of Jesus.
~The common "misconceptions" that many of the faithful possesses today.
This is NOT a faith filled website. We are not in the business of promoting, or for that matter refuting, differing religious traditions.
We merely concern ourselves with the presentation of the material that we currently have at our disposal.
How his information effects you and your faith is your decision.


The information contained below is to allow the reader a bit of comfort. The content of this site has been produced by someone with the educational background necessary to speak adequately on these points. This does not mean however they we should be considered an "expert"...everything said here should be independently verified (which is one of the reasons we have included so many detailed notes to aide you in your own investigation).

S. Ray Flowers III received his MA in Theology (emphasis in scripture) from the University of San Francisco, where he graduated with honors (Magna Cum Laude). Mr. Flowers also holds a BA in Comparative Religious Studies (emphasis in Christianity), with a minor in Administration of Justice, from San Jose State University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, as well as being a lifetime member of the Golden Key National Honor Society. Ray currently resides in, CA.

Biblical LINKS

www.newadvent.org
The resource on the Internet with for the Catholic Biblical Encyclopedia. It includes short summaries of just about every topic in Christandom.


http://www.serv.net/~oakmande/index.html
The Context Group is a working group of international scholars committed to the use of the social sciences in biblical interpretation.


http://www.beliefnet.com/index/index_10000.html
An updated discussion forum for scholars and lay people.


http://www.bsw.org/
A series of journal quality stories relating to the Bible.


http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/
http://www.gospels.net/
http://wesley.nnu.edu/noncanon/gospels.htm
These three sites present and discuss many of the extra-biblical works that have been located.


http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/theories.html
Historical Jesus theories through the eyes of modern scholars.


http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/toc/current.html
Professional Journal entries dealing with current biblical interpretation.


http://www.odan.org/index.htm
A website speaking about everyone's favorite group from Dan Brown's DaVinci Code...Opus Dei.

Bibliography - JESUS

THE HISTORICAL JESUS

THE SOCIAL WORLD OF JESUS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Betz, Hans Dieter. “Hellenism.” Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. III, H-J, David Noel Freedman, editor, pp.127-133. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992.

Elliott, John H. “Temple Versus Household in Luke-Acts: A Contrast in Social Institutions.” The Social World of Luke-Acts, Jerome H. Neyrey editor, pp. 211-240. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1991.

Friedman, Richard Elliott. “Torah (Pentateuch).” Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. VI, Si-Z, David Noel Freedman, editor, pp.605-622. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992.

Malina, Bruce J and Richard L. Rohrbaugh. Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press, 1992.

Malina, Bruce J. and Jerome H. Neyrey. “First-Century Personality: Dyadic, Not Individualistic.” The Social World of Luke-Acts, Jerome H. Neyrey editor, pp.67-96. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1991.

Meyer, Ben F. “Jesus Christ.” Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. III, H-J, David Noel Freedman, editor, pp.773-796. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992.

Rohrbaugh, Richard L. “The Pre-industrial City in Luke-Acts: Urban Social Relations.” The Social World of Luke-Acts, Jerome H. Neyrey editor, pp.125-150. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1991.



THE HISTORICAL JESUS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bauckham, Richard. Jude and the Relatives of Jesus in the Early Church. Edinburgh, Scotland: T&T Clark, 1990.
________ “The Worship of Jesus in Apocalyptic Christianity.” New Testament Studies, vol. 27, 1981, pp.322-341.

Bowker, John, ed. The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1997.

Borg, Marcus J. Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time. The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith. San Francisco, California: Harper San Francisco (A Division of Harper Collins Publishers), 1994.

Brown, Raymond E. An Adult Christ at Christmas. Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 1978.
________ The Birth of the Messiah. New York, NY: The Anchor Bible
Reference Library by Doubleday, 1993.
________ The Death of the Messiah: From Gethsemane to the Grave. New York: Doubleday, 1994.
________ The Virginal Conception and Bodily Resurrection of Jesus. New York, NY: Paulist Press, 1973.
*** The last three works are the penutlimate representations of reserach on the three topics.

Cook, Michael, L. Responses to 101 Questions About Jesus. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press 1993.

Crossan, John Dominic. The Birth of Christianity. New York, NY: Harper San Francisco, 1998.
________ Who Killed Jesus? New York, NY: Harper San Francisco, 1991.
Cunningham, Phillip J. A Believer’s Search for the Jesus of History. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1999.

Funk, Robert W. Honest to Jesus. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1996.

Mayor, Joseph B. The Epistle of St James. London: MacMillan and Co., 1892.

Meier, John P. A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, vol. I-III.. New York, NY: The Anchor Bible Reference Library by Doubleday, 1991, 1994, 2001.

Sanders, E.P. The Historical Figure of Jesus. London: Penguin Press, 1993.

Sheehan, Thomas. The First Coming. New York, NY: Dorset Press, 1986.

Stanton, Graham N. The Gospels and Jesus. Oxford, England: Oxford
University Press, 1989.

Theissen, Gerd and Annette Merz. The Historical Jesus, A Comprehensive Guide. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press, 1998.

Vermes, Geza. Jesus the Jew: A Historians Reading of the Gospels. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Fortress Press, 1973.

TITLES OF JESUS

SON OF MAN
~~~~~~~~~~~
Black, Mathew. “Jesus and the Son of Man.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 1 (1978): pp. 4-18.

Brown, Raymond E. The Death of the Messiah: From Gethsemane to the Grave. New York: Doubleday, 1994.
________ An Introduction to New Testament Christology. New York: Paulist Press, 1994.

Collins, John J. “The Son of Man in First Century Judaism.” New Testament Studies, vol.38, number 3 (July 1992): pp.448-466.

Donahue, John R. “Recent Studies on the Origin of ‘Son of Man’ in the Gospels.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 48 (1986): pp.484-498.

Dunn, James D.G. “Christology (NT).” Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. I, A-C, David Noel Freedman, editor, pp.979-991. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992.

Fitzmyer, Joseph A. “Another View of the ‘Son of Man’ Debate.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 4 (1979): pp.58-68.

Hahn, Ferdinand, υίός , οu , ό. Edited by Horst Balz and Gerhard Schneider. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. III. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1993.

Isaac, E. 1 (Ethiopic Apocalypse of) ENOCH. Edited by James H. Charlesworth. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. I. Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Co. Inc., 1983.

Jonge, Marinus de. “Messiah.” Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. IV, K-N, David Noel Freedman, editor, pp.777-788. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992.

Nickelsburg, Geroge W. “Son of Man.” Edited by David Noel Freedman. The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. VI. New York: Doubleday, 1992, pp. 137-150.

Perkins, Pheme. “Gnostic Christology and the New Testament.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 43 (1981): pp.590-596.

Vermes, Geza. Jesus the Jew: A Historians Reading of the Gospels. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Fortress Press, 1973.
________ "The Son of Man Debate.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 1 (1978): pp. 19-32.

Walker, William O. “The Son of Man: Some Recent Developments.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 45 (1983): pp.584-607.

Wallace, Howard N. “Adam.” Edited by David Noel Freedman. The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. I. New York: Doubleday 1992, pp.62-64.

Bibliography - BIBLE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

HEBREW BIBLE (Old Testament Literature)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anderson, Bernhard W.. Understanding the Old Testament, 4th edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998
________The Eighth Century Prophets: Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Fortress Press, 1978.

Black, Matthew, ed. Peake’s Commentary on the Bible. London, England: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd., 1962.

Brettler, Marc Zvi. “Judaism in the Hebrew Bible? The Transition from Ancient Israelite Religion to Judaism,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly, vol.61, no.3, July 1999, pp. 429-447.

Bright, John. A History of Israel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Westminster Press.

Brown, Raymond E., et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1990.

Butrick, George Arthur, ed. The Interpreters Bible. New York, NY: Abingdon Press, 1956.
Cassuto, U.. A Commentary on the Book of Exodus. The Hebrew University, Jerusalem: The Magnes Press, 1967.

Clements, Ronald E.. Exodus: The Cambridge Bible Commentary. London, England: Cambridge University Press, 1972.

Farmer, William R., ed. The International Bible Commentary. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1998.

Freedman, David Noel. The Anchor Bible Dictionary. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992.
Jensen, Joseph. Old Testament Message: A Biblical-Theological Commentary. Wilmington, Delaware: Michael Glazier, Inc., 1984.

Metzger, Bruce M., ed. The New Oxford Annotated Bible: NRSV Edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1994.

Myers, Allen C., ed. The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1987.

Steinmueller, John E., et al. Catholic Biblical Encyclopedia: Old Testament. New York, NY: Joseph F. Wagner, Inc., 1956.

Werblowsky, R.J. Zwi, ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1997.

Wigoder, Geoffrey, ed. The Encyclopedia of Judaism. New York, NY: MacMillian Publishing Co., 1989.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEW TESTAMENT

GENERAL INFORMATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Albright, W.F., and C.S. Mann. Matthew. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1971.

Bacik, James J. Contemporary Theologians. New York, NY: Triumph Books, 1989.

Borg, Marcus J. Jesus in Contemporary Scholarship. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Trinity Press International, 1994.

Brown, Raymond E. Biblical Exegesis & Church Doctrine. New York, NY: Paulist Press, 1985.
________ An Introduction to the New Testament. New York, NY: The Anchor Bible Reference Library by Doubleday, 1997.
________ God and Man. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1967.
________ The Gospel According to John, 2 vols. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1970.
________ Responses to 101 Questions on the Bible. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1990.

Brown, Raymond E., and John P. Meier. Antioch and Rome, New Testament Cradles of Catholic Christianity. New York, NY: Paulist Press, 1983.

Buber, Martin. I and Thou (translated by Ronald Gregor Smith). New York, NY: Collier Books, Macmillan Publishing Company, 1958.

Bultmann, Rudolf. History of the Synoptic Tradition. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1963.

________ Kerygma and Myth. New York, NY: Harper & Brothers, 1961.

Duling, Dennis C. and Norman Perrin. The New Testament; Proclamation and Parenesis, Myth and Mystery (3rd Edition). Fort Worth, Texas: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1994.

Elliott, J.K. The Apocryphal Jesus: Legends of the Early Church. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Eusebius. Ecclesiastical History. Translated by C.F. Cruse. Peabody, MA.: Hendrickson Publishers, 2000.

Flannery, Austin. The Basic Sixteen Documents, Vatican Council II: Constitutions, Decrees, Declarations. Northport, NY: Costello Publishing Company, 1996.

Fitzmyer, Joseph A. A Christological Catechism. New York, NY: Paulist Press, 1991.
________ The Gospel According to Luke, 2 vols. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1985.
________ The Acts of the Apostles. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1998.

Gundry, Robert H. Matthew. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1994.

Hahn, Ferdinand, υίός , οu , ό. Edited by Horst Balz and Gerhard Schneider. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. III. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1993.

Hendrick, Charles W. “Protovangelium of James.” Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. III, H-J, David Noel Freedman, editor, pp.629-633. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992.

“Instruction Concerning the Historical Truth of the Gospels.” Presented by the Pontifical Biblical Commission on April 21, 1964. http://clawww.lmu.edu/faculty/fjust/Docs/PBC_HistTruthFitzmyer.htm

“The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church.” Presented by the Pontifical Biblical Commission to Pope John Paul.
http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/PBCINTER.HTM

Kittel, Gerhard, ed. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. I-X. (TDNT). Translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. Grand Rapids, MI: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999.

Kung, Hans. On Being Christian. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company Inc., 1976.
________ The Theologian and the Church. London, England: Sheed and Ward, 1965.
________ The Church. London, England: Burns & Oats, 1967.

Kyser, Robert. The Gospel of John, The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol. III H-J. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992.

Lindars, Barnabas. The Gospel of John. Great Britain: Marshall, Morgan and Scott, 1972.
Marcus, Joel. Mark, 1-8. New York, NY: Doubleday, 2000.

May, Herbert G., and Bruce M. Metzger, ed. The New Oxford Annotated Bible, RSV Edition, New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1971.

Mann, C.S. Mark. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1986.

Meier, John P. Matthew. Wilmington, Delaware: Michael Glazier, Inc, 1980.

Metzger, Bruce M., ed. The New Oxford Annotated Bible: NRSV Edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1994.

The New American Bible. Nashville, Tennessee: Catholic Bible
Publishers, 1987.

Robinson, James M., general ed. The Nag Hammadi Library. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1988.


THE BOOK OF REVELATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Collins, Adela Yarbro. The Apocalypse: New Testament Message 22. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1990.
________ "Revelation, Book of”. Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. Y, O-Sh, David Noel Freedman, editor, pp.694-708. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992.

Collins, John J. “Pseudonymity, Historical Reviews and the Genre of the Revelation of John.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 39 (1977): pp.329-343.

Fiorenza, Elisabeth Schussler. Revelation: Vision of a Just World. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press, 1991.

Ford, J. Massyngberde. Revelation. Garden City, NY: The Anchor Bible by Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1975.

Malina, Bruce J. On the Genre and Message of Revelation; Sky Visions and Sky Journeys. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995.

Thomas, Robert L. “The Glorified Christ on Patmos.” Bibliotheca Sacra, vol.122., April-June 1965, pp.241-247.


RESSURECTION APPEARANCES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(1 Corinthians 15)
Barrett, C.K. A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians. London, England: Adam & Charles Black, Ltd., 1968.

Betz, Hans Dieter, and Margaret M. Mitchell. “First Epistle to the Corinthians.” The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. I, A-C, edited by David Noel Freedman, pp.1139-1148. (New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992)

Bruce, F.F. I and II Corinthians. London, England: Marshall, Morgan and Scott, Ltd., 1971.
________ Men and Movements in the Primitive Church. Carlisle, United Kingdom: Paternoster Press, 1979.

Conzelmann, Hans. “On the Analysis of the Confessional Formula in I Corinthians 15:3-5.” Interpretation; A Journal of Bible and Theology 20, no.1 (1966): pp.15-25.

Murphy-O’Connor, Jerome. I Corinthians. Wilmington, Delaware: Michael Glazier Inc., 1979.
________“The First Letter to the Corinthians.” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, pp.798-815. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1990.
________ “Tradition and Redaction in 1 Cor 15:3-7.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 43 (1981): pp.582-589.

Nickelsburg, George W.E. “Resurrection (Early Judaism and Early Christianity).” The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. V, O-Sh., edited by David Noel Freedman, pp.684-691. (New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992)

O’Collins, Gerald, and Daniel Kendall. “Mary Magdalene as Major Witness to Jesus’ Resurrection.” Theological Studies 48 (1987): pp.631-646.

Orr, William F., and James Arthur Walther. I Corinthians. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1976.

Painter, John. Just James. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press, 1999.

Thiselton, Anthony. The First Epistle to the Corinthians; A Commentary on the Greek Text. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000.


CHARACTER STUDIES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MARY
~~~~
Branick, Vincent P. “Mary in the Christologies of the New Testament.” Marian Studies, vol. XXXII (1981), Dayton, Ohio: The Mariological Society of America, pp.27-50.

Brown, Raymond E., ed. Mary in the New Testament. New York, NY: Paulist Press, 1978.

Jelly, Frederick M. “Marian Dogmas within Vatican II’s Hierarchy of Truths.” Marian Studies, vol. XXVII (1976), Dayton, Ohio: The Mariological Society of America, pp.17-41.
________ “The Theological Context of and Introduction to Chapter 8 of Lumen Gentium.” Marian Studies, vol. XXXVII (1986), Dayton, Ohio: The Mariological Society of America, pp.43-73.

Kierkegaard, Søren. Fear and Trembling. London, England: Penguin Books, 1985.

George F. Kirwin, “Lumen Gentium, Nos. 66 to 69- Twenty Years Later.” Marian Studies, vol.XXXVII (1986), Dayton, Ohio: The Mariological Society of America, pp-143-164.

Laurentin, Rene. The Present Crisis in Mariology; Rise of Fall of Mariology, translated by Ronald DiSanto and William J. Cole. University of Dayton, Ohio, 1968.

McBrien, Richard P. Catholicism, vol. II. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Winston Press, 1980.
McHugh, John The Mother of Jesus in the New Testament. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1975.

Padovano, Anthony T. “Mary, Mother of the Church.” Marian Studies, vol. XVII (1966), Dayton, Ohio: The Mariological Society of America, pp.27-45.

Rahner, Karl. Mary Mother of the Lord. New York, NY: Herder and Herder, 1963.
Semmelroth, Otto. Mary, the Archetype of the Church. New York, NY: Sheed and Ward, 1963.
________ “Chapter VIII, The Role of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in the Mystery of Christ and the Church.” Commentary on the Documents of Vatican II, edited by Herbert Vorgrimler (New York, NY: Herder & Herder, 1967).

Shea, George W. “Pope Paul VI and the ‘Mother of the Church.” Marian Studies, vol. XVI (1965). Dayton, Ohio: The Mariological Society of America, pp. 21-28.

Vorster, Willem S. “Protevangelium of James.” The Anchor Bible Dictionary: Volume 3, H-J, edited by David Noel Freedman, pp.629-632 (New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992).


PETER
~~~~~
Allen, E.L. “On This Rock.” The Journal of Theological Studies, vol. V, pp.59-62. Oxford, England: Claredon Press, 1954.

Brown, Raymond E. The Community of the Beloved Disciple. New York, NY: Paulist Press, 1979.
Brown, Raymond E., and Sandra M. Schneiders. “Hermeneutics.” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, pp.1166-1174. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1990.
Brown, Raymond E., et. al. “Aspects of New Testament Thought.” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, pp.1354-1381. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1990
Brown, Raymond E. et. al. Peter in the New Testament. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House, 1973.

Bultmann, Rudolf. The Gospel of John; A Commentary. Translated by G.R. Beasly-Murray. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Westminster Press, 1971.

Cullmann, Oscar. Peter: Disciple, Apostle, Martyr. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Westminster, 1962.

Donfried, Karl P. “Peter.” The Anchor Bible Dictionary: vol. V, O-Sh, edited by David Noel Freedman, pp.251-263 (New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992).

Elliott, John H. I Peter. New York, NY: Doubleday, 2000.

Friedrich, Gerhard. “Petros.” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. VI, pp.100-111.Grand Rapids, Michigan: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1968.

Grant, Michael. Saint Peter. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble, Inc., 1994.

Jensen, Joseph, and William H. Irwin. “Isaiah 1-39.” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, pp229-248. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1990.

Journet, Charles. The Primacy of Peter. Westminster, Maryland: The Newman Press, 1954.

May, Herbet G. and Bruce M. Metzger editors. The New Oxford Annotated Bible With the Apocrypha: RSV Version. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1977.

Stoops, Robert F. Jr. “Acts of Peter.” The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. V, O-Sh, edited by David Noel Freedman, pp.267-268 (New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992).

Tanner, Norman P. Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, vol.II. Georgetown, Washington: Sheed and Ward, 1990.