Unraveling the Family History of Jesus: History of the Extended Family of Jesus from 100 BC to 100 AD

Unraveling the Family History of Jesus is a scholarly attempt to identify all of the personsrelated to Jesus from 100 BC to 100 AD.

Almost all of the significant persons mentioned in the New Testament were in fact related to Jesus in one way or another. Staring with the earliest Kings of Judea from 100 BC Mr. Norris shows which Kings were the great grandparents of Jesus. In making this discovery he puts "flesh and blood" on the names mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus found in the Gospel of Luke. For instance, the great grandfather of Jesus who is named Matthat in the gospel was in fact Antigonus Mattathias II, the last King of Judea of the Davidic line, executed in 39 BC by Herod the Great. His name has been "hidden" in history due to the fact that he was known by his Greek name, Antigonus, rather than his Jewish name, Mattathias. The famous historian Flavius Josephus only called him by his full name of Antigonus Mattathias II one time, after which he was only known as Antigonus. Thus it was unknown, until now, that the last Davidic King of Judea was in fact the great grandfather of Jesus.

By learning about the larger family of Mattathias we also learn about Jesus' great aunts and uncles and find that they were deeply involved in the events that led to the rise of Jesus, His death and resurrection, and the eventual destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Similar revelations are presented on the other side of Jesus' family, the extended family of His supposed father Joseph of Nazareth. Mr. Norris shows that Joseph was not a "poor carpenter" but was rather a rabbi and a scholar who was quite wealthy. When this is all presented it shows a much clearer picture of the surroundings in which Jesus taught and deepens our knowledge of His ministry and teaching methodology.