The miraculous boy was to fulfil many prophecies; but although he often purposely acted in order to fulfil them, several given as illustrations are singularly wide of the mark.
At twelve years of age he was a match for learned doctors in disputation, and could pertly rebuke his mother for inquiring where he had been for three days and three nights.
He was baptised at thirty by John, who taught him rudeness of manners; and though a dove descended direct from heaven, and alighted on his head, he was immediately taken by the spirit into very dangerous places, was kept a remarkably long time without food, and was very strangely tempted by the Devil in person.
He became a great talker, dealt largely in mystical language, and gathered followers from the poorest, most ignorant, and most credulous of his countrymen.
He cured all sorts of diseases and afflictions, though there is no evidence that he ever underwent a medical training.
He worked miracles, as became an Eastern founder of a sect, but his achievements scarcely rank as high as the tricks of an Indian juggler.
He was uneducated, and never, so far as the record goes, wrote a line in his life; but as a preacher he was famous, and always succeeded in making his hearers marvel at his strange doctrines—doctrines so contradictory that no sane man can follow them.
He was vituperative in his language, austere in his manners, undutiful and repelling to his mother.
He appropriated other persons' property, and immediately after violently assaulted a large number of men, whom he charged with being dishonest.
When asked questions touching vital points of his own doctrines, he usually gave evasive answers.