The Historical Jesus in the Fourth Gospel: A Paradigm Shift?

The Gospel of John has been either ignored or used marginally in the study of the historical Jesus. Careful study of the realia mentioned in the Gospel of John and explorations of the topography and architectural structures mentioned in the Gospel indicate that it must not be ignored or used only sporadically in Jesus research. Archaeological discoveries prove that sometimes the Fourth Evangelist knew more about Jewish customs and debates than the authors of the Synoptics and more about the architectural landscape of Jerusalem than the authors of the Qumran Scrolls or Josephus.