'The main aim of this work is to understand Jesus as he saw himself, and to compare that self-understanding with the ways in which others have grasped the nature of his mission. To achieve this aim, the key problems, questions and issues in dispute among scholars are reexamined, and resolved by means of a sociological method -- that is, carefully situating Jesus' biography in its social and historical context. The book includes a full analysis of the social structure of Palestine under Roman occupation, discussing the variety of sects and movements prevalent at the time, and the relation between the ruling Jewish circles and the Roman authorities. Materials relevant to our understanding of Jesus' life are analyzed, portraying his development from youth to his conflict with the Roman authorities.