What would be considered to be Jesus' nationality?

[Stevicus]

Every so often, I drive past a church that has a sign that says "Jesus was a refugee," and I've seen similar messages around the internet as well. While I'm not addressing the political aspects of such a message in this thread, it got me to thinking about what Jesus' actual nationality would have been and how he would have been considered a refugee. At the time of Jesus' birth, wasn't the territory under Roman control? Would he be a subject of the Roman Empire? Was he actually a refugee? Just curious what other thoughts there might be on this.

 

[F1fan]

Some place where he'd be executed for being a Christian. Today. Because we've come so far.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Every so often, I drive past a church that has a sign that says "Jesus was a refugee," and I've seen similar messages around the internet as well. While I'm not addressing the political aspects of such a message in this thread, it got me to thinking about what Jesus' actual nationality would have been and how he would have been considered a refugee. At the time of Jesus' birth, wasn't the territory under Roman control? Would he be a subject of the Roman Empire? Was he actually a refugee? Just curious what other thoughts there might be on this.

According to the Gospels, Joseph, Mary & the baby Jesus fled to Egypt as a refugee.

Bethlehem is in the Palestinian Territory, so going by modern nationalities, Jesus would have been Palestinian by birth.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Some place where he'd be executed for being a Christian. Today. Because we've come so far.

Where would that be?

 

[Subduction Zone]

According to the Gospels, Joseph, Mary & the baby Jesus fled to Egypt as a refugee.

Bethlehem is in the Palestinian Territory, so going by modern nationalities, Jesus would have been Palestinian by birth.

That is not according to the Gospels. That is only according to Matthew. Luke tells a different tale. But then there are quite a few differences in their nativity stories.

If we are talking the historical Jesus and not the mythological one he was probably born and raised in Nazareth. So he would have been a citizen of Israel as it was known at that time.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I would think He would be a Jewish subject of Roman Judea.

 

[Subduction Zone]

I have to change my position slightly. The area that Jesus lived in and was probably born in was Galilee. Israel as a country or territory does not appear to have existed at that time:

Galilee - Wikipedia

 

[Gargovic Malkav]

While I'm not addressing the political aspects of such a message in this thread, it got me to thinking about what Jesus' actual nationality would have been and how he would have been considered a refugee.

What is the proper demonym for a citizen of God's Kingdom?

 

[Subduction Zone]

What is the proper demonym for a citizen of God's Kingdom?

The Vatican? I would not know.

 

[Gargovic Malkav]

The Vatican? I would not know.

I don't think The Vatican is a demonym.
But now that you've brought that up, I've never thought of what the demonym of an inhabitant of Vatican City is...

 

[Debater Slayer]

What is the proper demonym for a citizen of God's Kingdom?

An Olympian, obviously.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I don't think The Vatican is a demonym.
But now that you've brought that up, I've never thought of what the demonym of an inhabitant of Vatican City is...

There isn't one.

 

[Subduction Zone]

I don't think The Vatican is a demonym.
But now that you've brought that up, I've never thought of what the demonym of an inhabitant of Vatican City is...

A Vaticaner? A Vaticanite? Google does not seem to like any of them. I do not think that at the time of Jesus' existence there was such a country.

Oh wait a second. Someone from God's country would be a Montanan.

 

[exchemist]

Every so often, I drive past a church that has a sign that says "Jesus was a refugee," and I've seen similar messages around the internet as well. While I'm not addressing the political aspects of such a message in this thread, it got me to thinking about what Jesus' actual nationality would have been and how he would have been considered a refugee. At the time of Jesus' birth, wasn't the territory under Roman control? Would he be a subject of the Roman Empire? Was he actually a refugee? Just curious what other thoughts there might be on this.

I suspect that what is meant by these signs is that Christians are supposed to see Jesus in their fellow men and to treat them with respect and charity.

Jesus clearly was not a refugee literally, as he was a Jew born and living in Galilee and Judaea, at the time they were part of the Roman colony there.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Every so often, I drive past a church that has a sign that says "Jesus was a refugee," and I've seen similar messages around the internet as well. While I'm not addressing the political aspects of such a message in this thread, it got me to thinking about what Jesus' actual nationality would have been and how he would have been considered a refugee. At the time of Jesus' birth, wasn't the territory under Roman control? Would he be a subject of the Roman Empire? Was he actually a refugee? Just curious what other thoughts there might be on this.

People who say Jesus was a refugee don't know what they are talking about. They are agenda driven to the point of distorting history.

We really don't know much about Jesus -- the gospels are not reliable records. But lets assume for the sake of argument that it isn't too far off. That would mean that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Judea, and grew up in Nazareth, Galilee.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Since America is the Promised Land, Jesus is clearly 100% Murican.

 

[F1fan]

Where would that be?

Well I was making a joke about certain Islamic nations that do execute people for being Christian, and that Jesus was executed for a religious purpose, and that Jesus wasn't even Christian, but Jewish. Just trying to make a joke wrapping up all the contradictory Abrahamic religions and the ongoing problems they cause in the Middle East.

Was it too early on Easter to joke about it? It didn't mention Pagans.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Well I was making a joke about certain Islamic nations that do execute people for being Christian, and that Jesus was executed for a religious purpose, and that Jesus wasn't even Christian, but Jewish. Just trying to make a joke wrapping up all the contradictory Abrahamic religions and the ongoing problems they cause in the Middle East.

Was it too early on Easter to joke about it? It didn't mention Pagans.

Which Islamic nations currently execute people merely for being Christian? I'm assuming we're talking about the states themselves, not terrorist groups and militias.

 

[Shaul]

According to the Gospels, Joseph, Mary & the baby Jesus fled to Egypt as a refugee.

Bethlehem is in the Palestinian Territory, so going by modern nationalities, Jesus would have been Palestinian by birth.

A Palestinian Jew.

To be quite precise he was a Judean Jew. Since at the time of his birth the official name was the Roman province of the Kingdom of Judah. The area wasn’t renamed to Palestine until a hundred year later. Before the Romans renamed the region (to purposefully to destroy its Jewish identity) there was never any place called Palestine.

 

[F1fan]

I suspect that what is meant by these signs is that Christians are supposed to see Jesus in their fellow men and to treat them with respect and charity.

Jesus clearly was not a refugee literally, as he was a Jew born and living in Galilee and Judaea, at the time they were part of the Roman colony there.

As I understand it most people of that era seldom travelled farther that about a 30 mile radius. But there is lore about Jesus traveling to India which is why there are missing years in the Gospels, and there he learned Buddhist ideas. There's also a story abut Jesus and Mary Magdelene traveled to south France and settled in the Pyrenees. Oh, and had kids.