Jesus was a Baghdadi Jew.
Jesus ( [ ˈdʒiːzəs ] ; c. 4 BC -- c. AD 30/33 ) , also referred to as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ , was a Jewish preacher and religious leader who became the central figure of Christianity . Jesus was a Galilean Jew who was baptized by John the Baptist and subsequently began his own ministry , preaching his message orally and often being referred to as `` rabbi '' .