[Olog-hai]

That’s precisely what the Koran denies that Jesus is, repeatedly. (Well, Jesus certainly isn’t the son of “Allah”, to be pedantic.)

[GBA]

If that's the case, then I think Rushdie had the title of his book right.

Those definitely are Satanic Verses.

(Boy howdy, are they ever in for a surprise!)

[kenavi]

The prophet Amos was a "sheep-breeder" who is credited with writing the book that's come down to us, and Jesus's near comtemporaries the sage Hillel was a woodcutter and Hillel's adversary Shammai was a builder.

Even Paul (Saul of Tarsus), whose learning had made him mad, according to the Roman governor, was a tent-maker.

James (Jacob), the brother/half-brother/cousin or what have you of Jesus, raised in the same milieu, was a respected leader in the Jewish Jerusalem community, where literacy would have been a must.

So it is Aslan, not the Gospels, that is ahistorical when he asserts that Jesus was likely illiterate by the mere fact of his profession. And I have never seen that asserted by any other Biblical scholar, whatever view held on Jesus's divinity.

There would be no controversy about this book if people were better educated about history. Interviews such as this are the blind leading the blind (if the blind person were a liberal!)