Both land and sea trade routes had run through Jerusalem for centuries. On the contrary, non-Jewish political and cultural influences permeated Judea, which was an important shipping center for trade between India and the West and the military gateway to invade Egypt via land. Regarding Buddhism in Judea, Jesus did not live in a pastoral, ethnically isolated place and time.
I owe thanks to the barbed but benign comments of my friend, Dale Bengtson. Other evidence, while perhaps apocryphal, indicates that he spent most of his so-called lost years outside Judea, possibly in Kashmir to study Buddhism exclusively. Historical evidence indicates that Jesus knew about Buddhism, simply because both he and it were in Judea during the same time. The similarities are so striking that, even if no historical evidence existed, we can suspect that Jesus studied Buddhist teachings and that the prophecy and legend of Jesus was derived from Buddhist stories. The conclusion is that, although not identifying himself as a Buddhist for good reasons, Jesus spoke like a Buddhist. Historical accounts aside, many textual analyses indicate striking similarities between what was said by Jesus and by Buddha and between the prophetic legend of Jesus and ancient Buddhist texts. The real historical question is not if he studied Buddhism, but where and how much he studied Buddhism, especially during his so-called "lost years." If Jesus did not go to India, then at least India went to Judea and Jesus. Historical evidence indicates that Jesus was well acquainted with Buddhism. The evidence follows two independent lines-the first is historical, and the second is textual. And there is convincing evidence that he was also a Buddhist.
Was Jesus a Buddhist? Certainly he was many things-Jew, prophet, healer, moralist, revolutionary, by his own admission the Messiah, and for most Christians the Son of God and redeemer of their sins. Buddhist-Christian Studies, Annual 2005 v25 p75(15)
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