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Taking the Jew Out of Jesus---and Putting It Back

In a recent radio interview, Dr. Bernard Starr (psychologist, journalist and college professor) showed how classical artworks washed out all traces of Judaism in the personae of Jesus, his family, and followers -- despite the fact that they were all dedicated practicing Jews throughout their lives. The process of totally Christianizing the Jesus circle placed an artificial wedge between Judaism and Christianity that remained in place for centuries. Nowhere in these artworks is there a hint of the subjects' Jewish identities or origins.

One example of this is Bartolome Esteban Murillo's sixteenth century painting The Baptism of Christ, which pictures John the Baptist baptizing Jesus. John is holding a crucifix staff, thus telling the viewer that this is a Christian event and a Christian conversion. The fact is that there was no Christianity at the time of this baptism, nor did John or Jesus have any intention or desire to launch a new religion. Neither Jesus nor John ever heard the word "Christian"; it does not appear in the Gospels, although the term "Jew" appears eighty two-times.



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