Again, why do these biographers of Jesus give us the genealogy of
Joseph if he was not the father of Jesus? It is the genealogy of Mary
which they should have given to prove the descent of Jesus from the
house of David, and not that of Joseph. These irreconcilable
differences between Luke, Matthew and the other evangelists, go to
prove that these authors possessed no reliable information concerning
the subjects they were writing about. For if Jesus is a historical
character, and these biographers were really his immediate associates,
and were inspired besides, how are we to explain their blunders and
contradictions about his genealogy?

A good illustration of the mythical or unhistorical character of the
New Testament is furnished by the story of John the Baptist. He is
first represented as confessing publicly that Jesus is the Christ;
that he himself is not worthy to unloose the latchet of his shoes; and
that Jesus is the Lamb of God, "who taketh away the sins of the
world." John was also present, the gospels say, when the heavens
opened and a dove descended on Jesus' head, and he heard the voice
from the skies, crying: "He is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased."

Is it possible that, a few chapters later, this same John forgets his
public confession,--the dove and the voice from heaven,--and actually
sends two of his disciples to find out who this Jesus is, [Footnote:
Matthew xi.] The only way we can account for such strange conduct is
that the compiler or editor in question had two different myths or
stories before him, and he wished to use them both.

A further proof of the loose and extravagant style of the Gospel
writers is furnished by the concluding verse of the Fourth Gospel: