According to new research, Christ likely used a very different name from “Jesus” during his lifetime. Historians argue that his original name, as spoken in his native Aramaic language, was likely closer to “Yeshu’a” or “Joshua.” Experts say the name “Jesus Christ,” was the result of centuries of gradual linguistic evolution. The name passed through Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. It wasn’t until the 16th century the name was translated into English.
Scholars say “Christ” was not a last name but a title. It is derived from the Greek word Christos, meaning “anointed one.” Experts say that Christ would have referred to himself as Yeshua the Nazarene. The second part of the name refers to His hometown of Nazareth. Jesus lived in a Roman province, called Judea, located in modern-day Israel and Palestine.
During that time, most people spoke Aramaic in their daily lives. Professor of the Protestant Theological University in the Netherlands Dineke Houtman said, “Given his family background in Nazareth, we can assume his day-to-day language was Aramaic.” This ancient language, which originated in modern-day Syria, was widely spoken across the Middle East during Jesus’ time.
According to historical evidence, Jesus most likely spoke Aramaic. We reported a study that uncovered shocking findings regarding the Shroud of Turin. This is a highly controversial piece of linen cloth that some claimed was used to bury Jesus Christ after his crucifixion. An earlier study from the 1980s dated the shroud to the 14th Century, which would have made any connection to Christ impossible. More recent findings suggest that the cloth could very well be old enough to have been used to bury Jesus.
The shroud of Turin came into the public eye around 1350. It was presented as the burial shroud that was used to wrap the body of Christ when he was buried after being crucified. The fabric features the outline of a bearded man which some have claimed to be the face of Jesus. The testing from the 80s cast doubt on this narrative as it seemed to prove the should was only 700 years old.
A newer study, which used cutting-edge X-ray technology came to a different conclusion:,”‘The data profiles were fully compatible with analogous measurements obtained on a linen sample whose dating, according to historical records, is 55-74 AD, found at Masada, Israel [Herod’s famous fortress built on a limestone bedrock overlooking the Dead Sea].”
“To make the present result compatible with that of the 1988 radiocarbon test, the Shroud of Turn should have been conserved during its hypothetical seven centuries of life at a secular room temperature very close to the maximum values registered on the earth,” the study went on to say. “Fabric samples are usually subject to all kinds of contamination, which cannot be completely removed from the dated specimen…If the cleaning procedure of the sample is not thoroughly performed, carbon-14 dating is not reliable.”
Scripture itself mentions the use of a linen cloth to bury Christ. reads, ‘Then Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a new linen cloth. He put Jesus’ body in a new tomb that he had dug in a wall of rock. Then he closed the tomb by rolling a very large stone to cover the entrance. After he did this, he went away.” Regardless of it’s veracity, the Shroud of Turin offers a compelling image of Christ.