Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: A Comparative Historical and Philosophical Examination of Revelation, Scripture, and Historical Claims

This study presents a comparative historical and philosophical examination of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, with particular attention to their respective claims concerning revelation, scripture, religious authority, and historically significant events. Rather than attempting to establish the theological truth of one religious tradition over another, the study adopts a comparative framework that distinguishes historical evidence, textual evidence, scholarly interpretation, and theological claims. The analysis examines the historical development and textual transmission of the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and early Christian traditions, and the Qur’an, alongside selected archaeological, manuscript, epigraphic, and historiographical evidence. Particular attention is given to the historical Jesus, the crucifixion and resurrection traditions, early Christian Christology, the Qur’anic account of Jesus, the emergence of Islam, early Qur’anic manuscripts, and selected claims concerning biblical and Qur’anic prophecy. The study also considers philosophical questions arising from competing conceptions of divine revelation, monotheism, incarnation, atonement, divine justice, and the epistemic status of religious experience. Throughout the analysis, arguments are evaluated in relation to their evidential basis, historical proximity, textual transmission, alternative explanations, and acknowledged limitations. The study concludes that historical research can establish significant facts concerning texts, communities, persons, traditions, and the development of religious beliefs, but historical methodology alone cannot conclusively determine metaphysical claims concerning divine revelation. Such claims require additional philosophical and theological assessment. The study therefore presents the evidence comparatively, identifies major areas of scholarly agreement and disagreement, and distinguishes what can reasonably be established historically from what remains a matter of interpretation, philosophical inference, or faith