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Jesus was born a Galilean. Why was he baptized to become a Jew?

Update:

Why did Jesus choose to become a Jew?

20 Answers

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  • axtell
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    Galilean Jew

  • BJ
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    When Jesus was a young child, the astrologers came, inquiring: “Where is the one born king of the Jews?” Mt 2:1, 2

    On Jesus’ torture stake Pilate put the title “Jesus the Nazarene the King of the Jews.” Joh 19:19.

    it was from Galileans that his early disciples were drawn, and all of his apostles with the possible exception of Judas Iscariot were Galilean. Mt 4:18-22; Lu 6:12-16

    The crowd of about 120 disciples that received the holy spirit on the day of Pentecost 33 C.E. were Galileans.

    As a group, the Jews of Galilee differed from those of Judea. According to the testimony of rabbis of ancient times, the Galileans valued reputation, whereas the Judeans placed greater emphasis on money than on a good name.

    The Galileans generally were not such sticklers for tradition as were the Judeans.

    (Jew)

    A person belonging to the tribe of Judah. The name is not used in the Bible account prior to the fall of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel.

    The first Bible writer to use the name Jews in direct reference to the people was the writer of the books of Kings, doubtless Jeremiah

    After the exile the name was applied to any Israelites returning and, finally, to all Hebrews throughout the world, to distinguish them from the Gentile nations.

  • 5 years ago

    You're right, He was born a Galilean because Joseph, His foster father and Mary, His mother, were both residents of Nazareth in Galilee. Joseph and Mary were both descended from David, and since David was born in Bethlehem of Judah, that's why He was born there according to Micah 5:2. The Roman government gave the command for all people to register in the land of their ancestors (see Luke chapter 2) but the prophecy of Micah had been given hundreds of years before.

    Eventually Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth and settled there. That's why Jesus was called "Jesus of Nazareth", even though He had been born in Bethlehem.

    As for the baptism, Jesus didn't become a Jew by baptism. John's message, recorded in all four Gospels, was for people to repent and be baptized. We're never told exactly why Jesus wanted John to baptize Him, but we have the words of Jesus, when He said, "And Jesus answering said unto him, 'Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.' Then he suffered him Matthew 3:15)."

    As for becoming a Jew, it would take a while to list all the Scripture! One thumbnail sketch, so to speak, is in Galatians 4:4-5. Jesus became a Jew to fulfill prophecies about Israel, the Kingdom, and other things.

  • ?
    Lv 6
    5 years ago

    Jews don't get baptized.

    It seems that Jesus was baptized into an order of Essenes, probably Nazarene Essenes. Essenes had Jewish heritage, but were not orthodox Jews. The contents of the Dead Sea Scrolls shed some light on this whole situation, because the Scrolls were from some kind of Essene community. The Essenes were an intermediate stage of development between Judaism and Christianity, and their practices were heavily influenced by ancient Egyptian religion, which is where baptism and other aspects came from.

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    Firstly - according to the New Testament, Jesus was born in Bethleham in the region of Judah - of the kingdom of Judea.

    Secondly --

    he was not "baptized to become a Jew"

    according to the New Testament, he was born a Jew and circumcised.

    according to the New Testament, he was baptized at over 30 years of age by John the Baptist who was doing it as a cleansing ritual for people who were already Jews.

    Thirdly --

    Galilee is a segment of Judea.

    Galilee had been part of the Kingdom of Judea until the Romans cut the kingdom into four segments -- The Herodian Tetrarchy -- each quarter of the kingdom going to one of the sons of Herod.

    All four were "Judean kingdoms"

    However, the name Judea remained with one of the quarters while another quarter was called Galilee.

    Moreover --

    IF, as the New Testament says, Jesus was born while Herod was still alive -- then at the time of his birth Galilee was still part of Judea.

    Another famous Jew from Galilee -- Josephus Flavius, who also happened to be a priest in the Jerusalem Temple and a leader in the First Jewish War against Rome.

  • Who
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    1) "jesus" is a fictional character

    2) there is a passage in the bible (micah 5.2-4) that says a ruler over israel will be born

    It is implied he will be born in "Bethlehem Ephrathah"

    3) there is a dispute among biblical scholars whether this refers to a place "bethlehem", or a person, or the clan "Bethlehem Ephrathah" of the jewish religion

    4) the ONLY references to "jesus" being born in bethlehem are in the "gospels" of matthew and luke BOTH of which were written at LEAST 100 years after the supposed event.THAT means neither of those gospels can be 1st hand account and MUST be at least 2nd hand account

    5) NOBODY knows who actually wrote those gospels but its certain they werent written by matthew or luke

    6) the ONLY reason the birth story is in the NT AND the OT part of the christian bible (and therefore the passage from micah) ) is to place mary, joseph and birth in bethlehem,so as to fulfill this passage and give credence to jesus being the "son of god"

    7) without that passage from micah the whole basis of the claim for jesus to be the "son of god" falls apart, and at best all you have is another prophet

  • anon
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    Jesus was born in Israel from Jewish parents

    God chose to be born a Jew according to the scriptures

  • ?
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    He was baptized to become a Christian, not a Jew.

  • 5 years ago

    How do you get 'baptized to be a Jew'???

    You can't even show that a Jesus ever existed, let alone a divine one...

    Another meaningless TD... LOL

    IMHO

  • ?
    Lv 6
    5 years ago

    Jew means Jewel of God. As in Gem. Precious Stone...see?

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