The Old Quest of the Historical Jesus

Background and Context

• Old Quest: Refers to the period of historical investigation of Jesus between the 1770s and World War I.
• No Quest Era: Supposed hiatus in historical investigations until 1953.
• New Quest: Commenced around 1953, lasting until the 1970s or 80s.
• Third Quest: Current phase of historical investigation.

Key Figures and Developments

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and Herman Samuel Reimarus

• 1778 Publication: Lessing published Reimarus' writings posthumously.
• Main Claim: Reimarus argued that Gospel stories were fabrications, challenging their historical accuracy.
• Approach: Analyzed Gospels through rationalist perspective, questioning supernatural accounts.

David Friedrich Strauss

• Publication: "The Life of Jesus Critically Examined" (1835-1836, English translation in 1846).
• Methodology: Detailed analysis of Gospel stories; introduced the concept of mythological elements within the Gospels.
• Impact: Challenged both rationalists and supernaturalists, suggesting Gospels were mythological rather than strictly historical.
• Outcome: His work was significant but controversial, impacting his career.

Developments in Gospel Criticism

• Matthean Priority: The assumption that the Gospel of Matthew was the first written.
• Markan Priority: In the 1830s, scholars like Weisser and Wilke proposed that Mark was the first Gospel, leading to the Two-Source Hypothesis.
• Two-Source Hypothesis: Suggested Mark and a sayings collection (Q) were sources for Matthew and Luke.

Heinrich Julius Holtzmann

• Contribution: His 1863 work established the Two-Source Hypothesis as the norm in Gospel studies.
• Implications: Offered a counter to Strauss by seeking historically reliable material.

Ernest Renan

• Background: Initially trained for the priesthood but lost faith.
• Publication: "Life of Jesus" (1863), blending historical approach with imaginative writing.
• Perspective: Portrayed Jesus as a political figure, appealing to 19th-century idealist views.

Conclusion

• The Old Quest laid foundational work for understanding the Gospels and Jesus' historical life.
• It involved diverse perspectives, challenging traditional views and shaping future scholarship.