Who was Jesus, really? That question has been debated by academics for the last two centuries, and contributions to this important issue in the history of Christianity are still making an impact on public opinion. Jesus the Galilean takes soundings in the life of the historical Jesus based on four readings from the Gospel of Mark which represent some of the most controversial issues in the current scholarly discussion about the historical Jesus. Using such resources as the background of the New Testament, archaeological studies, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Mishnah, and the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, this book explores what can be known about the historical Jesus in the historic Galilee.