his book is unsurpassed.  Renan’s inability to appreciate the more serious aspects of the work of Christ appears constantly, while his effort to discover romance in the life of Jesus is offensive.  More important than any of these is Theodor Keim, Geschichte Jesu von Nazara (1867-72, 3 vols.), translated, The History of Jesus of Nazara (1876-81, 6 vols.).  The author rejects the fourth gospel and holds that Matthew is the most primitive of the synoptic gospels; he does not reject the supernatural as such, but reduces it as much as possible by recognizing a legendary element in the gospels.  When the work is read with these peculiarities in mind, it is one of the most stimulating and spiritually illuminating treatments of the subject.

2.  Critically more trustworthy, and exegetically very valuable, is Bernhard Weiss, Das Leben Jesu (3d ed. 1889, 2 vols.), translated from the first ed., The Life of Christ (1883, 3 vols.).  It is more helpful for correct understanding of details than for a complete view of the Life of Jesus.  Rivalling Weiss in many ways, yet neither so exact nor so trustworthy, though more interesting, is Willibald Beyschlag, Das Leben Jesu (3d ed. 1893, 2 vols.).  The most important discussion in English is Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (1883 and later editions, 2 vols.).  This is valuable for its illustration of conditions in Palestine in the time of Jesus by quotations from the rabbinic literature.  The material used is enormous, but is not always treated with due criticism, and the book should be read with the fact in mind that most of the rabbinic writings date from several centuries after Christ.  Schuerer (see below) should be used wherever possible as a counter-balance.  Dr. Edersheim follows the gospel story in detail; his book is, therefore, a commentary as well as a biography.

3.  Albert Reville, Jesus de Nazareth (1897, 2 vols.), aims to bring the work of Renan up to date, and to supply some of the lacks which are felt in the earlier treatise.  The book is pretentious and learned.  In some parts, as in the treatment of the youth of Jesus, and of the sermon on the mount, it is helpfully suggestive.  The Jesus whom the author admires, however, is the Jesus of Galilee.  The journey to Jerusalem was a sad mistake, and the assumption of the Messianic role a fall from the high ideal maintained in the teaching in Galilee.  In criticism M. Reville accepts the two document synoptic theory, and assigns the fourth gospel to about 140 A.D.  He rejects the supernatural, explaining many of the miracles as legendary embellishments of actual events.