Church tradition maintains that John, the last of Jesus' disciples left alive, wrote his gospel from the Island of Patmos at the end of a long life. Was his memory still vigorous and clear? Was he tempted to enhance events or even introduce miraculous ones in order to present a more appealing Jesus? Are there inconsistencies between John's narrative and the other gospels that suggest that all of them may have historic inaccuracies? These are questions frequently asked.

On the other hand, if Jesus was simply a good teacher who performed no authentic miracles, why did it take three years...