Joseph Kryvelev Soviet religious scholar, biblical scholar, specialist in the history of Judaism and Christianity Date of Birth: 01.01.1906

1. Early Life and Education
2. Academic Career
3. Contributions to Religious Studies
4. Controversy and Criticism
5. Later Career and Legacy

Early Life and Education

Joseph Aronovich Kryvelev was born in Moscow in 1906. In 1934, he graduated from the Moscow Institute of History and Philosophy.

Academic Career

Kryvelev began teaching philosophy in 1932. From 1934-1936, he was a researcher at the Central Council of the League of Militant Atheists. He also worked at the Central Anti-Religious Museum from 1936-1939.

During the Great Patriotic War, Kryvelev served on the front lines. After the war, he returned to the Institute of Philosophy within the USSR Academy of Sciences.

Contributions to Religious Studies

Kryvelev's research focused on the origins of religions, the history of Judaism and Christianity, and the origins of biblical texts. He was a follower of A. Drews and belonged to the Soviet mythological school, which denied the historicity of Jesus Christ.

Kryvelev also considered other biblical figures, such as Peter, Paul, Moses, and Joshua, to be mythical. He maintained this view throughout his life, becoming the last remaining "mythologist" among Soviet scholars by the late 1980s.

Controversy and Criticism

Kryvelev's work has been subject to criticism from defenders of the historicity of Jesus. Alexander Men, a priest and theologian, labeled Kryvelev an "incorrigible mythologist."

Russian biblical scholar Ruslan Khazarzar criticized Kryvelev's book "The Book of the Bible," stating that it "represents a vivid example of the work of the period of Soviet atheism" and that its conclusions are ideologically motivated.

Later Career and Legacy

In 1959, Kryvelev was removed from his post at the Institute of Philosophy due to the campaign against cosmopolitanism. He subsequently worked at the Institute of Ethnography within the USSR Academy of Sciences until his retirement.

Kryvelev's legacy is a subject of ongoing debate within the field of religious studies. While some scholars criticize his mythological approach, others argue that his work offers valuable insights into the development of religious narratives.