Jesus (/ˈdʒiːzəs/ JEE-zuss Greek: Ἰησοῦς, translit. Iesous; Hebrew: ישוע, translit. Yēšū́aʿ, lit. ‘Yeshua; “He saves”‘;[12] c. 4 BC – c. AD 30), also referred to as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ,[e] was a Jewish preacher[13] and religious leader[14] who has become the central figure of Christianity.[15][16] Christians believe him to be the Son of God and the awaited Messiah (Christ, the Anointed One) prophesied in the Old Testament.[15][16]
Virtually all modern scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed historically,[f] although the quest for the historical Jesus has produced little agreement on the historical reliability of the Gospels and on how closely the biblical Jesus reflects the historical Jesus.[23][24][25] Often referred to as “rabbi“,[26] Jesus preached his message orally,[27] was baptized by John the Baptist, was arrested and tried by the Jewish authorities[28] and was crucified by the order of the Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate.[29] Jesus debated with fellow Jews on how to best follow God’s will, performed some healings, taught in parables and gathered followers.[29] After Jesus’ death, his followers believed he was resurrected, and the community they formed eventually became the Christian Church.[30] His birth is celebrated annually on December 25 (or various dates in January for some eastern churches) as a holiday known as Christmas, his crucifixion is honored on Good Friday, and his resurrection is celebrated on Easter. The widely used calendar era “AD“, from the Latin anno Domini (“in the year of our Lord”), and the alternative “CE“, are based on the approximate birth date of Jesus.[31][32]