Book by film director refutes Bible teachings about the birth of Jesus

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Film director Paul Verhoeven has written a book that contradicts the Bible by suggesting that Jesus might have been fathered by a Roman soldier who raped Mary.

An Amsterdam publishing house says it will publish the book titled “Jesus of Nazareth: A Realistic Portrait” in September.

Verhoeven is best known as the director of films including “Basic Instinct” and “RoboCop,” but he is also a member of the “Jesus Seminar,” a group that questions church teachings about Jesus.

John Dominic Crossan, a Jesus Seminar founder, says that while Verhoeven is a member in good standing, there is little evidence for the view that Jesus was illegitimate.

Crossan says the claim was first reported in a polemic written in the second century to refute the Christian belief that Jesus was born of a virgin.

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