The Jesus Problem: A Restatement of the Myth Theory

This book argues that the Gospel figure of Jesus is a mythic construction, tracing the central sacrificial-mock-king-resurrection myth and its roots in earlier pagan prototypes and mystery-drama; it examines how ritual elements (sacrifice, suffering messiah, rock tomb, resurrection), birth and healing legends, and doctrinal accretions coalesced; analyzes the silence of Josephus, formation of the twelve apostles myth, and the processes of cult evolution, organization, and economics; surveys early Christian literature formation including the Didachê, Apocalypse, epistles, and gospel-making tests; and concludes by restating the myth-theory as a historical reconstruction of the cult's origins.