



Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project
Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously
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                           THE JESUS PROBLEM

                    A RESTATEMENT OF THE MYTH THEORY


                                   BY
                         J. M. ROBERTSON, M.P.


        [ISSUED FOR THE RATIONALIST PRESS ASSOCIATION, LIMITED]


                                London:
                              WATTS & CO.,
                17 JOHNSON'S COURT, FLEET STREET, E.C. 4
                                  1917








CONTENTS


                                                            PAGE
    Prefatory Note                                           vii

    Chapter I.--THE APPROACH                                   1
    Chapter II.--THE CENTRAL MYTH                             24

        § 1. The Ground of Conflict                           24
        § 2. The Sacrificial Rite                             31
        § 3. Contingent Elements                              39
        § 4. The Mock-King Ritual                             50
        § 5. Doctrinal Additions                              53
        § 6. Minor Ritual and Myth Elements                   57
        § 7. The Cross                                        61
        § 8. The Suffering Messiah                            64
        § 9. The Rock Tomb                                    67
        § 10. The Resurrection                                70

    Chapter III.--ROOTS OF THE MYTH                           72

        § 1. Historical Data                                  72
        § 2. Prototypes                                       91
        § 3. The Mystery-Drama                                96

    Chapter IV.--EVOLUTION  OF THE CULT                      107

        § 1. The Primary Impulsion                           107
        § 2. The Silence of Josephus                         121
        § 3.