The New York Times on Saturday published an interview between opinion columnist Nicholas Kristoff and author Elaine Pagels, in which Kristoff discussed her claim that Jesus may have been the product of rape rather than a virgin conception. pursued.
In his forthcoming book, Miracles and Wonders: Mysteries of the History of Jesus, Pagels, a religious historian and professor at Princeton University, will write about a man named Panthera who he claims may have fathered Jesus, possibly through rape. He mentioned Roman soldiers.
Although Pagels called the evidence “circumstantial”; interviewshe also said that it should not be ignored.
However, Kristof noted in his book that he acknowledged that many of the historical accounts claiming that Jesus was the son of Panthera were the work of earlier writers who sought to disparage Jesus.
“Yes, these stories were spread among the Jewish community after Jesus’ death, and they considered Jesus a false messiah because his father was a Roman soldier,” she told Kristoff. Ta.
Merry Christmas from the New York Times. pic.twitter.com/8R9fjW2zex
— Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) December 21, 2024
In an unpublished book scheduled for public release in April 2025, Pagels claims to provide evidence of the historical existence of a Roman soldier named Panthera. She tells Kristoff that the tomb of a Roman soldier named Tiberius Panthera has been discovered. “He was part of a group of Syrian archers stationed in Palestine in the 1st century,” he said.
According to Kristoff, Pagels claimed that there was early evidence that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was promiscuous and may have slept with Panthera of her own free will, but she also claimed that the Roman soldiers It also references historical accounts of mass rapes of Jewish civilians in Galilee. The period of Jesus’ birth. (Related: Researchers discover 1,300-year-old Christ tattoo)
Pagels also spoke about his tumultuous journey within his faith. According to Kristoff, she grew up in a home that was militantly opposed to the faith and became an evangelical Christian of her own accord, when a fellow Christian told her that her Jewish friend was not going to heaven. It is said that he completely abandoned his faith.
“When some Christians told me that non-Christians go to hell, I left their church. It didn’t make sense to me. What about Jesus’ message of divine love? ?At that point I abandoned Christianity. For some people, there’s no middle ground. You’re either in or out, that’s how it is often done.
However, she revealed that she still has questions about herself and her relationship with faith.
Pagels has written many best-selling books on Christian themes. His 1979 book The Gnostic Gospels won National Book Award from the National Book Foundation.
Her writings and ideas on Christian themes are diverse and controversial. in 2007 exterior On Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report,” Pagels suggested that modern Christianity is simply a product of authoritarian rule.
In 2007, Pagels told Colbert that modern Christianity is inherently authoritarian.https://t.co/PwiDsp4cIu
— Rob (@RobMcGravytrain) December 22, 2024
“There’s a lot of authoritarianism inherent in your beliefs,” she told Colbert.
