The main aim of this work is to understand Jesus as he saw himself, and to compare that self-understanding with the ways in which others have grasped the nature of his mission. Following his acclaimed study of Ancient Judaism, Irving M. Zeitlin turns his attention to the emergence of Christianity. The main aim of this work is to understand Jesus as he saw himself, and to compare that self-understanding with the ways in which others have grasped the nature of his mission. To achieve this aim, the key problems, questions and issues in dispute among scholars are re-examined, and resolved by means of a sociological method that is, by carefully situating Jesus' biography in it's social and historical context.