Next the Lucan gospel traces Jesus' genealogy back to Adam in order to show the universality of the salvation which he brings.

Pope Leo received an official copy of his family tree, which includes his ties to "free people of color" in New Orleans.

But in the course of researching this programme we came across an extraordinary cautionary tale which illustrates the wider case for ensuring that Jesus is firmly anchored in historical reality.

This gospel was written by a Jew, Matthew the tax-collector, for a Jewish Christian audience. The narrative closely follows the life of Jesus from his birth, through his ministry and unto his ...