Blog Post #2: Bible Archaeology

Blog Post #2: Bible Archaeology

A Written Response By Lily Jeffs

1. What are some new historical facts related to Jesus that you learned from your own 

   group presentation? Be specific.

   
   

   When reflecting on my group presentation about Joseph of Arimathea, I learned many different facts that related this historical figure to Jesus. Joseph was a Jewish man who buried Jesus after he died, allowing him to be one of the first people to see Jesus rise from the cross. Although he was a member of the Jewish council known as Sanhedrin, he was also a secret follower of Jesus. Joseph also developed such a strong connection with Jesus that he developed the courage to ask the current ruler of Judea known as Pontius Pilate to be given the authority to bury Jesus alone. This legacy of Joseph's strong relationship with Jesus has carried on into the modern era in which an Episcopal church in Greenburgh, New York was named after him to commemorate his work. This project ultimately allowed me to learn many different insights as to who Jesus was and the relation he had with many other important historical figures including Joseph of Arimathea. With this, I chose the picture shown below because it demonstrates what role Joseph played in the crucifixion of Jesus and how caring and dedicated he was for him even though he was seen as a Jewish follower to many others.

   
   

   

   
   2. What are some new historical facts related to Jesus that you learned from the other group presentations? Be specific.

   
   After hearing from five other groups about other topics that had great relations to Jesus, I learned many different facts relating to this lesson. With this, after being presented about the Reign of Herod and The Slaughter of the Innocents, I learned that Herod was the king of Judea who had a motive to kill children in search of Jesus due to being jealous of his power. As a result, God sent a message within one of Joseph's dreams, telling him to take Jesus and evacuate to Egypt in which they were successful of narrowly escaping death. Apart from just this topic, I also learned that the Sermon on the Mount was an area located on the northwestern site of Galilee where Jesus healed and blessed people and taught his disciples, showing many that they are loved and deserved to live on Earth. Although Jesus was successful at spreading God's message, the current ruler of Judea known as Pontius Pilate ordered Jesus' death out of fear that Jesus was going to take over due to the excessive amount of power he was gaining and as a result, Jesus was later killed on the cross. This crucifixion occurred at the Site of Calvary where Jesus was nailed to the cross with two other men named Dismas and Getas. After reflecting on Jesus' death, it was found within the modern era an ancient fabric known as the Shroud of Turin that was designed to honor his resurrection and presented at his burial. It was found that on this clothe their is an imprint of Jesus' body, causing many to either believe this as genuine or fake. I ultimately learned many different and interesting facts about who Jesus was and what his life was like, allowing me to further my understanding as a new learner of Christianity. With this, I chose the image below to relate to this topic because it evidently displays where Jesus taught others and how welcoming he was during this time.

   
   

   

   
   

   3. Which topic related to Jesus' life did you find the most fascinating and why?

   
   

   One topic that I found the most fascinating was the Shroud of Turin. It amazes me that there might actually be physical evidence of Jesus' existence that can be found within a chapel in Italy. Also, I find it incredible that something so old could still exist over a thousand years ago though the ups and downs of wars and other emotional historical acts. If this imprint of Jesus is legitimate, it could transform the religion of Christianity as well as history. Furthermore, it would prove to many that Jesus truly existed and died for our sins on the cross. All in all, the topic of the Shroud of Turin was the most intriguing because it has the possibility that it was an ancient artifact used within Jesus' time and death that could prove Jesus' existence. As shown below, I chose this picture because it is a photo of what the Shroud of Turin looked like and how Jesus' body and face can easily be seen within this fabric.

   
   

   

   
   

   
   

   4. After reflecting on Jesus' characteristics in the last unit and the events related to his life in this unit, who are the two people in your life who display similar qualities as Jesus and why?

   
   When comparing Jesus to others, two figures that display similar qualities to him are my mother and father. All three are very loving and caring and have taught me many different lessons which I am currently using in life that show me that I belong on Earth for a reason. If I am ever feeling upset, angry, or confused, I can go to any of them for help, knowing that they will guide me into happiness and success. Also, my mother and father were both brought up by loving parents as Jesus was brought up by Mary and Joseph. They are very passionate and wise about certain topics and enjoy teaching others about this, much like Jesus did by holding lessons about God's word on the Sermon on the Mount. Conclusively, both my mother, father, and Jesus are very patient and forgiving, allowing me to learn from my mistakes and ultimately have the greater ability to trust them. I chose the image below to represent the similarities between Jesus and my parents in which both sets of figures are forgiving and welcoming to many.

   

   
   

   
   
   

   Works Cited

   
   “Jesus Carrying the Cross on the Way to Calvary.” Educational Technology Clearinghouse, etc.usf.edu/clipart/187800/187872/187872-jesus-carrying-the-cross-on-the.htm.

   
   

   “Jesus Teaches the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes.” Educational Technology Clearinghouse, etc.usf.edu/clipart/188000/188018/188018-jesus-teaches-the-sermon-on-the.htm. 

   “Shroud of Turin.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.com/graphicarts4u2/shroud-of-turin/. 

   
   

   
   

   Wohlers, Charles. “JOSEPH OF ARIMATHAEA .” Joseph of Arimathaea, www.satucket.com/lectionary/Joseph_Arimathaea.htm.
   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   

Blog Post #1: Who Is Jesus?

Blog Post #1: Who Is Jesus?

A Written Response By Lily Jeffs

Prior to this class, what did you already know about Jesus 

and where did this information come from?

Before coming to this class, I only knew a few things about
Jesus. I usually only go to Church on Christmas Eve and
attending Notre Dame was my first time going to a religious
school. With this, for my 6th birthday, I can remember my
friend giving me a children's Bible. This was the first time
I was really given an insight to what Christianity was and
who played a role in it as I had never been baptized before.
Because of this gift and talking to my mother about it, I was able to begin learning about who Jesus and God were and what role they play in the present society. As of now, I know that Jesus was a Jewish boy given birth to by Mary and Joseph in a manger in
Bethlehem through a blessing God gave them. He was also
crucified on the cross by the Romans due to them not agreeing
with his teachings. Although he died long ago, many
followers treat him similarly to how they treat God through
praying to him because he is so holy and caring. With this,
I chose the image on the right to be included within my blog because it shows Jesus lifting his arms and passionately praying to God, showing others how welcoming and caring he was. I also chose the image above because it shows what Jesus would of looked like as well as the the typical outfit he would of worn during this time.

What new insights did you gain about Jesus from this unit? 
How does this change or confirm what you already thought?

When reflecting on this unit, I gained many new insights about
Jesus and his story of sharing Christianity to others around the
world. Specifically, I learned that although Jesus of Nazareth
was nailed and killed on a cross, his soul still carried on for
thousands of years through the resurrection, gaining new
followers, and allowing the religion of Christianity to become
more popular. Many followers see Jesus' figure as either Jesus
of History or Christ of Faith, in which Jesus of History refers
to Jesus as the divine son of God as he walked the Earth in
person of Jesus, while Christ of Faith recognizes the tremendous Christian conviction that the Jesus of History was raised from the dead by God and that he truly was/is the forever Lord and Savior (Zanzig 11). Christians don't believe that Jesus in some mysterious way became divine through his Resurrection from the dead, and instead believe that he was divine and one with God from the very beginning of time (Zanzig 10). They also believe that in the person of Jesus, God took on there flesh of humanity and became one with us in order to redeem us from our sin. Christians therefore don't believe in the "historical Jesus"as they think he is much more 
than that (Zanzig 11). All in all, I gained many insights regarding
how Jesus' followers understand him and his effects on the world 
and its people and why they respect him so much. With this, I 
chose the image on the right to be included within my blog because 
Jesus was wrote about within the Bible many times including his 
birth and his role later on in spreading Christianity throughout the 
world. The cross shown on the Bible also symbolizes the cross 
Jesus died on and how pivotal this moment was to this religion. 


Do you feel that you see Jesus as more of a spiritual figure, a 
historical figure, and/or both? Why?

Although I don't have that much experience with who Jesus 
was and what his life was like, after learning more about him
within this unit, I feel that he is both a spiritual and historical figure.
His work whilst living on Earth promoted his Christian teachings,
traveling around historical cities such as Galilee and preaching
God's word and the Gospel of the Kingdom in their synagogues 
as well as helping the poor ("Matthew 9 NIV"). These attractions allowed
Christianity to gain followers from the time Jesus was alive and
continually came to speak to when he died on the cross and rose
from the dead that contribute to him being a historical figure.
With this, the supernatural event of Jesus not being found in his
tomb after he was killed and instead rising up into Heaven
showed followers that he really was the son of God. The powerful
process of the Resurrection also allowed Jesus' spirit to grow on
Earth and work with God to spread his word about Christianity
for many more years into the future and ultimately become a spiritual
figure (Zanzig 11). Conclusively, Jesus was both a spiritual figure and a historical figure through his teachings on Earth having an effect on others soon after as well as when he died and rose from the dead.


How would you describe your relationship with Jesus?

I don't have a very strong relationship with Jesus due to not going to church on a regular basis as well as not knowing a lot about him. Although I rarely pray, when I do, I usually pray to God rather than Jesus because I feel that I have a better connection with him and that he knows more of what is best for me. With saying this, I have grown closer to Jesus after learning about him within this unit and completing this assignment. When reflecting on the first connection I had with Jesus, when I was an infant, my mother got an interactive book about his story and how he was born in a manger, allowing me to understand who he was at such a young age. I also enjoy commemorating his birth during Christmas through singing songs at Church. I hope to grow closer to Christ this year through my religion class and start praying to him as well as his mother Mary when needed so I can grow my understanding of Christianity and why I celebrate his life along with my family every year. With this, I chose the picture on the right to be included within my blog because it is a worldwide/personal symbol for who Jesus was and how he became so powerful after the resurrection and the increase of 
followers in Christianity later on.

Works Cited

Cohen, Robin. “Christian.” Pinterest, 15 May 2016, www.pinterest.com/pin/208924870192341338/.

“Free Image on Pixabay - Book, Bible, Christian.” Free Vector Graphic: Book, Bible, Christian - Free Image on Pixabay - 25149, pixabay.com/en/book-bible-christian-christianity-25149/.

  

       Jesus Clipart For Kids Black And White | Clipart Panda - Free Clipart Images, www.clipartpanda.com/categories/jesus-clipart-for-kids-black-and-white.

Matthew 9 NIV, biblehub.com/niv/matthew/9.htm.



“Pencil Sketches.” Pinterest, 26 Sept. 2012, www.pinterest.com/pin/135178426286535450/?lp=true.



 Zanzig, Thomas. Jesus of History, Christ of Faith. Saint Mary's Press, 1999.