O wad some Power the gift tae gie us to see oursels as ithers see us:

http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8616-jesus-of-nazareth

[…]

In the New Testament there are four “Gospels” professing to deal with the life of Jesus independently; but it is now almost universally agreed that the first three of these, known by the names of “Matthew,” “Mark,” and “Luke,” are interdependent, corresponding to the various forms of contemporary Baraitot, while the fourth, the Gospel of John, is what the Germans call a “Tendenz-Roman,” practically a work of religious imagination intended to modify opinion in a certain direction.

…and…

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the life of Jesus as presented in the Gospels is the utter silence about its earlier phases. He was one of a rather large family, having four brothers, Jacob, Jose, Simon, Judah, besides sisters. It is known that he earned his living by his father’s trade, that of a carpenter; according to Justin Martyr, plows and yokes made by Jesus were still in existence at his (Justin’s) time, about the year 120 (“Dial. cum Tryph.” § 88). It is doubtful whether he received any definite intellectual training, the great system of Jewish education not being carried into effect till after the destruction of Jerusalem (see Education). It is probable, however, that he could read; he was certainly acquainted, either by reading or by oral instruction, with much of the Old Testament; and his mode of argumentation often resembles that of the contemporary rabbis, implying that he had frequented their society. In defending his infringement of the Sabbath he seems to have confused Abiathar with Ahimelech (ii. 25; comp. I Sam. xxi. 1), if this is not merely a copyist’s blunder. It would appear from his interviews with the scribe (xii. 29-31; comp. Luke x. 27) and with the rich young man (x. 19) that he was acquainted with the Didache in its Jewish form, accepting its teachings as summing up the whole of Jewish doctrine. Only a single incident of his early days is recorded: his behavior about the time of his bar mi?wah (or confirmation) in the Temple (Luke ii. 41-52). It is strange that so masterful a character showed no signs of its exceptional qualities before the turning-point of Jesus’ career.

…it gets better:

The Jewish legends in regard to Jesus are found in three sources, each independent of the others—(1) in New Testament apocrypha and Christian polemical works, (2) in the Talmud and the Midrash, and (3) in the life of Jesus (“Toledot Yeshu’”) that originated in the Middle Ages. It is the tendency of all these sources to be-little the person of Jesus by ascribing to him illegitimate birth, magic, and a shameful death. In view of their general character they are called indiscriminately legends. Some of the statements, as that referring to magic, are found among pagan writers and Christian heretics; and as the Ebionites, or Judæo-Christians, who for a long time lived together with the Jews, are also classed as heretics, conclusions may be drawn from this as to the origin of these legends.

It ought also to be added that many of the legends have a theological background. For polemical purposes, it was necessary for the Jews to insist on the illegitimacy of Jesus as against the Davidic descent claimed by the Christian Church. Magic may have been ascribed him over against the miracles recorded in the Gospels; and the degrading fate both on earth and hereafter of which the legends speak may be simply directed against the ideas of the assumption and the resurrection of Jesus. The Jewish legends relating to Jesus appear less inimical in character when compared with the parallel passages which are found in pagan authors and Christian sources, more especially as such legends are fixed and frequently occurring themes of folk-lore; and imaginations must have been especially excited by the historical importance which the figure of Jesus came to have for the Jews.

The earliest authenticated passage ascribing illegitimate birth to Jesus is that in Yeb. iv. 3. The mysterious phrase (“that man”) cited in this passage as occurring in a family register which R. Simeon ben Azza is said to have found seems to indicate that it refers to Jesus (see Derenbourg in “R. E. J.” i. 293), and here occur also the two expressions so often applied to Jesus in later literature [SCRIPT] (= “that anonymous one,” the name of Jesus being avoided) and [SCRIPT] (=”bastard”; for which in later times was used). Such a family register may have been preserved at Jerusalem in the Judæo-Christian community.

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