§ 1. Inevitable rise of different modes of explaining sacred histories 39 2. Different explanations of sacred legends among the Greeks 40 3. Allegorical interpretations among the Hebrews. Philo 41 4. Allegorical interpretations among the Christians. Origen 41 5. Transition to more modern times. Deists and Naturalists of the 17th and 18th centuries. The Wolfenbüttel Fragmentist 44 6. Natural mode of explanation adopted by the Rationalists. Eichhorn. Paulus 46 7. Moral interpretation of Kant 50 8. Rise of the mythical mode of interpreting the sacred history, in reference first to the Old Testament 52 9. The mythical mode of interpretation in reference to the New Testament 57 10. The notion of the mythus in its application to sacred histories not clearly apprehended by theologians 59 11. The application of the notion of the mythus too circumscribed 63 12. Opposition to the mythical view of the Gospel history 65 13. The possibility of the existence of mythi in the New Testament considered in reference to external evidences 69 14. The possibility of mythi in the New Testament considered on internal grounds 75 15. Definition of the evangelical mythus, and its distinctive characteristics 86 16. Criteria by which to distinguish the unhistorical in the Gospel narrative 87 FIRST PART. HISTORY OF THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS. CHAPTER I. ANNUNCIATION AND BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. § 17. Account given by Luke. Immediate supernatural character of the representation 95 18. Natural explanation of the narrative 100 19. Mythical view of the narrative in its different stages 104 CHAPTER II. DAVIDICAL DESCENT OF JESUS, ACCORDING TO THE GENEALOGICAL TABLES OF MATTHEW AND LUKE. § 20. The two genealogies of Jesus considered separately and irrespectively of one another 108 21. Comparison of the two genealogies. Attempt to reconcile their contradictions 112 22. The genealogies unhistorical 117 CHAPTER III. ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CONCEPTION OF JESUS.—ITS SUPERNATURAL CHARACTER.—VISIT OF MARY TO ELIZABETH.