Jesus Christ

Jesus of Nazareth was the founder of Christianity. He is also referred to as Christ, which comes from the Greek word christos, meaning ‘anointed’. His life and teachings are recounted in the New Testament of the Bible. Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem (Palestine), which was a Roman province at the time. His birth was accompanied by miracles. Since the 6th century, the Christian (Western) calendar has been based on his birth.

Jesus grew up in the Jewish tradition. When he was about 30 years old he began preaching his own doctrine, which deviated from Judaism,. He had disciples, healed the sick and performed miracles. This led to conflicts with the Roman authorities, who sentenced him to death by crucifixion. After three days he rose from the grave and showed himself to several of his followers. Christ ascended to heaven 40 days after his death. Twelve disciples – the apostles – spread the word of Christ and thus instituted Christianity.