For the two billion Christians worldwide, Jesus of Nazareth is the son of God - a first century messiah who performed miracles before being crucified to atone for the sins of mankind. However, some claim that Jesus was something else entirely, and have developed conspiracy theories claiming he was anything from a hypocrite to an alien. Who, or what, was Jesus?
Christ was a family man
Contrary to popular belief, Jesus enjoyed romantic relationships and fathered children.
Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene
Early copies of the Bible refer to Mary as Christ's "partner". This is evidence that his union with his controversial follower was widely known and accepted.
Jesus was the oldest, but not only, child of Mary and Jospeh. As well as unnamed sisters, the prophet had a number of brothers - James, Joseph, Judas and Simon - who rose to prominence in the early church.
Some argue that Jesus' family secretly emigrated to France, where they eventually formed the Merovingian dynasty of Kings. Their secrets are protected by the mysterious Priory of Sion.
Some claim that shocking similarities between the lives of Jesus and Apollonious, including being born in miraculous conditions, indicate they were the same person.
Jesus told his followers about his extra-terrestrial background. John 8: 23 states “And He was saying to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.’” Jesus himself said he was an alien.
Jesus' ascension to heaven marked his return to his planet
On Easter Sunday, Jesus is said to have resurrected, and 40 days later he rose to Heaven. But some say that his ascension was the Messiah making his return back home to an alien civilisation.
