Eashoa Msheekha (Jesus Christ)

Jesus Christ, known in his time as Eashoa, was either the earthly embodiment and incarnation of God himself or the Son of God, or as many Christians believe, he may paradoxically be both at the same time. He is sometimes believed to instead be the incarnation of the Word of God (דַּבְּרִי הָאֵל, *daberi hael*) but in actually he manifests God in his entirety. By his earthly identity he was known as the son of Joseph and Mary; Jesus of Nazareth.

### Name & Etymology :

Jesus is a latinized transliteration of Yeshua, or simply Yeshu, which is his name in modern Hebrew. Many Hebrew speakers of today call him by this name, which is in itself nothing more than a shortened form of Yehoshua ("Joshua").

Yeshua in Hebrew is a verbal derivative from "to rescue", "to deliver". Among the Jews of the Second Temple Period, the Biblical Aramaic/Hebrew name יֵשׁוּעַ Yeshua' was common. The Hebrew Bible mentions several individuals with this name – while also using their full name Joshua.

However, at the time Jesus was actually called Eeshoa, which is the equivalent of Yeshua in Galilean Aramaic; the language Jesus actually spoke. Several dialects of Aramaic were spoken by Syriac and Judean peoples during the time the new testament was written. The name Eeshoa－ܝܼܫܘܿܥ (transliterated as yəšwʿ)－is believed to have been pronounced something akin to "ee-sho" [iːʃoʊʔ], although the exact sounds that make up the name (as with much of Aramaic) do not have any reliable English equivalent. The o sound is made by the letter wāw ܘ, which is a consonant not a vowel. The final -a, which is produced by the letter ayin ܥ, actually represents a voiced pharyngeal fricative (/ʕ/) or a similarly articulated consonant, and is probally best pronounced silent.

The moniker Christ comes from the latin rendering of Jesus's Hebrew title "HaMashiach" (Aramaic Msheekha) which, despite having more than one connotation, can be translated as "the anointed one". The word mashiach is where the English word Messiah is directly taken from. The "ha-" is Hebrew for "the".

## Appearance (Before the resurrection) see after

Yeshua was of Judean heritage—a jew—and by extension a Nazarene. He was not particularly remarkable in his appearance and must have appeared quite average among most Judaeans. This is evident by the fact that Judas had to point him out in the crowd of Apostles.

 Whomever I kiss, he is the one; seize him (Matthew 26:48).

And also the fact that Mary Magdalene later mistook him for the gardener (John 20:14-15). Even though Mary was not expecting a resurrected Christ, any distinct physical characteristic would probably have been noticed. From what we can tell from various descriptions (mainly by Romans) uncovered by archaeologists, including an arrest warrant, Jesus was swarthy, notably short, and of an arguably thin or emaciated frame\*¹, while at the same time being broad shouldered and barrel-chested and a little hunched over, with a longish face, very bushy—perhaps even connate—eyebrows, and a hooked nose.

According to the descriptions uncovered by archaeologists, he may have also been bald, or at least possessed little hair on his head. His eyes were described as goodly\*² and very kind. They were most likely brown and may have been of a rather unusually bright color or had strange glint to them. Within his eyes one could see an immense and unconditional kindness and compassion that made sinful/particularly corrupt people (ie. the Pharisees) incredibly uncomfortable, and even so far as to cause them to grow hateful and hostile enough want him crucified.

Because of his profession as a wood worker prior to his ministry he had very calloused hands and probally sustained more than one injury due to the precariousness that carpentry entailed, especially during that time period when people had limited technology and resources.

Words used to describe him were "small and ugly", kindly eyed, hunch backed, long faced, and "crooked".

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## History and Background

Jesus is a religious leader whose life and teachings are recorded in the Bible’s New Testament. He is a central figure in Christianity and is emulated as the incarnation of God by many Christians all over the world.

### **Conception and Birth :**

Jesus was born in Bethlehem somewhere around October 6-12, 4 B.C during the Feast of Tabernacles, otherwise known as Sukkot. [cite]

 He was NOT born on December 25 like most Christians believe.

Jesus's mother was named Mary. She was a virgin and duly betrothed to Joseph, a pious man who made a living as a carpenter. According to Luke, Jesus's lineage can be traced back to the house of David.

When everyone found out Mary was pregnant they assumed that it was due to illegitimacy. Joseph was distraught and resolved to divorce her quietly, but an angel told him in a dream that he should take Mary as his wife and name the child Jesus, because he would save his people from their sins. Joseph awoke and did all that the angel commanded. When the time of the birth drew near, Caesar Augustus commanded a census of Roman domains, and Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem, the ancient city of David, as he was of the House of David. As they were approaching the town Mary unexpectedly began to go into labour; and since there was nowhere for them to stay in town they were forced to deliver the baby in a cattle pen. So it came to pass that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The newborn child was laid in a manger and Joseph made makeshift bedding out of hay and cloth. Meanwhile angels announced his birth to a group of shepherds who came to the stable in order to worship him as the long awaited Messiah. Magi from the east came to Herod and asked him where they would find the King of the Jews, because they had seen his star. Advised by the chief priests and teachers, Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem, where they worshiped the child and gave him gifts. When they had departed, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned him to take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt because King Herod was conspiring to kill the child. They remained there until Herod died and his son succeeded him. Joseph then took his family to Nazareth in Galilee.

Jesus was conceived and born by his mother Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit without an actual father, an event known as The Immaculate Conception. The birth of Jesus by the Holy Spirit was not accomplished in any mannar which can be regarded in anyway as sexual. I suppose you could say that Jesus is quite literally a brainchild, manifested through God's power and intent into a physical existence within Mary's womb. It is because of this that during her pregnancy and prior to Jesus's delivery Mary still remained a virgin.

### **Background and Early Life :**

Little is known about his early life, everything is supposedly recorded in the New Testament and the four Gospels, which is more of a series of religious writings than an actual biography. **According to Christians, Jesus is considered the incarnation of God and his teachings are followed as an example for living a more spiritual life. Christians believe he died for the sins of all people and rose from the dead.**[cite]

Most of Jesus's life is told through the four Gospels of the New Testament Bible, known as the Canonical gospels, written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These are not biographies in the modern sense but accounts with allegorical intent. They are written to engender faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the incarnation of God, who came to teach, suffer and die for people’s sins. [cite]

Jesus was born circa 6 B.C. in Bethlehem. His mother, Mary, was a virgin who was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter. Christians believe Jesus was born through Immaculate Conception. His lineage can be traced back to the house of David. According to the Gospel of Matthew (2:1), Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great, who upon hearing of his birth felt threatened and tried to kill Jesus by ordering all of Bethlehem’s male children under age two to be killed. But Joseph was warned by an angel and took Mary and the child to Egypt until Herod’s death, where upon he brought the family back and settled in the town of Nazareth, in Galilee. There is very little written about Jesus's early life. The Gospel of Luke (2:41-52) recounts that a 12-year-old Jesus had accompanied his parents on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and became separated. He was found several days later in a temple, discussing affairs with some of Jerusalem’s elders. [cite]

## [cite]Later Life

Throughout the New Testament, there are trace references of Jesus working as a carpenter while a young adult. It is believed that he began his ministry at age 30 when he was baptized by John the Baptist, who upon seeing Jesus, declared him the Son of God.

After baptism, Jesus went into the Judean desert to fast and meditate for 40 days and nights. The Temptation of Christ is chronicled in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke (known as the Synoptic Gospels). The Devil appeared and tempted Jesus three times, once to turn stone to bread, once to cast himself off a mountain where angels would save him, and once to offer him all the kingdoms of the world. All three times, Jesus rejected the Devil's temptation and sent him off.

## [cite]Jesus's Ministry

Jesus returned to Galilee and made trips to neighboring villages. During this time, several people became his disciples. One of these was Mary Magdalene, who is first mentioned the Gospel of Luke (16:9) and later in all four gospels at the crucifixion. Though not mentioned in the context of the "12 disciples," she is considered to have been involved in Jesus's ministry from the beginning to his death and after. According to the gospels of Mark and John, Jesus appeared to Magdalene first after his resurrection. According to the Gospel of John (2:1-11), as Jesus was beginning his ministry, he and his disciples traveled with his mother, Mary, to a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The wedding host had run out of wine and Jesus's mother came to him for help. At first, Jesus refused to intervene, but then he relented and asked a servant to bring him large jars filled with water. He turned the water into a wine of higher quality than any served during the wedding. John's gospel depicts the event as the first sign of Jesus's glory and his disciples' belief in him.

The Synoptic Gospels chronicle Jesus as he traveled through Judea and Galilee, using parables and miracles to explain how the prophecies were being fulfilled and that the kingdom of God was near. As word spread of Jesus's teaching and healing the sick and diseased, more people began to follow him. At one point, Jesus came to a level area and was joined by a great number of people. There, at the Sermon on the Mount, he presented several discourses, known as the Beatitudes, which encapsulate many of the spiritual teachings of love, humility and compassion.

## [cite]**The Last Supper**

Jesus and his 12 disciples met for the Passover meal, and he gave them his final words of faith. He also foretold of his betrayal by one of the disciples and privately let Judas know it was he. Jesus told Peter that before a rooster crowed the next morning, he would have denied knowing Jesus three times. At the end of the meal, Jesus instituted the Eucharist.

After the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Jesus asked God if this cup (his suffering and death) might pass by him. He implored a group of his disciples to pray with him, but they kept falling asleep. Then the time had come. Soldiers and officials appeared, and Judas was with them. He gave Jesus a kiss on the cheek to identify him and the soldiers arrested Jesus. One disciple tried to resist the arrest, brandished his sword

## [cite]The Crucifixion

The next day, Jesus was taken to the high court where he was mocked, beaten and condemned for claiming to be the Son of God. He was brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. The priests accused Jesus of claiming to be the king of the Jews and asked that he be condemned to death. At first Pilate tried to pass Jesus off to King Herod, but he was brought back, and Pilate told the Jewish priests he could find no fault with Jesus. The priests reminded him that anyone who claimed to be a king speaks against Caesar. Pilate publicly washed his hands of responsibility, yet ordered the crucifixion in response to the demands of the crowd. The Roman soldiers whipped and beat Jesus, placed a crown of thorns on his head and then led him off to Mount Calvary.

Jesus was crucified with two thieves, one at his left and the other at his right. Above his head was the charge against him, "King of the Jews." At his feet were his mother, Mary, and Mary Magdalene. The Gospels describe various events that occurred during the last three hours of his life, including the taunting by the soldiers and the crowd, Jesus's agony and outbursts, and his final words. While Jesus was on the cross, the sky darkened, and immediately upon his death, an earthquake erupted, tearing the temple's curtain from top to bottom. A soldier confirmed his death by sticking a spear into his side, which produced only water. He was taken down from the cross and buried in a nearby tomb.

## [cite]Risen from the Dead

Three days after his death, Jesus's tomb was found empty. He had risen from the dead and appeared first to Mary Magdalene and then to his mother Mary. They both informed the disciples, who were in hiding, and later, Jesus appeared to them and told them not to be afraid. During this brief time, he beseeched his disciples to go into the world and preach the gospel to all humanity. After 40 days, Jesus led his disciples to Mount Olivet, east of Jerusalem. Jesus spoke his final words to them, saying that they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit, before he was taken upward on a cloud and ascended into heaven.

## Notes

\*¹ This was probally due to not being able to afford enough food. (“Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”--Matthew 8:20)[cite].

\*² Goodly as in the archaic use (definition 2) meaning attractive, excellent, or desirable [cite].