For 2,000 years the popular image of Jesus has remained fundamentally static. Today, the millennium prompts questions long-debated in scholarly circles. What is known about the historicity of Jesus? Is his existence indisputable? From period accounts to controversial hypotheses, THE UNKNOWN JESUS traces the origins of the stories surrounding the key figure of Christianity. Many have studied Jesus' life according to the Gospels, but these writings, penned decades after his death, narrate a Jesus of a specific faith. Armed with ancient sources such as the Dead Sea scrolls, the papyrus books at Nag Hammadi, and often overlooked writings of the early church, modern scholars discuss riveting new theories that challenge the common conception of Jesus.For 2,000 years the popular image of Jesus has remained fundamentally static. Today, the millennium prompts questions long-debated in scholarly circles. What is known about the historicity of Jesus? Is his existence indisputable? From period accounts to controversial hypotheses, THE UNKNOWN JESUS traces the origins of the stories surrounding the key figure of Christianity. Many have studied Jesus' life according to the Gospels, but these writings, penned decades after his death, narrate a Jesus of a specific faith. Armed with ancient sources such as the Dead Sea scrolls, the papyrus books at Nag Hammadi, and often overlooked writings of the early church, modern scholars discuss riveting new theories that challenge the common conception of Jesus.