A student of
Ambrogio Donini, he became known for his treatment of religious themes and traditions through a Marxist and social perspective. His best-known work is probably The Life of Jesus, published in 1966 and reprinted several times. Based on what he deduced from the biblical texts and the
Dead Sea Scrolls, Craveri concluded that the claims of divinity by the
Historical Jesus were strictly limited and not unusual for a Jew of his time. Much of the strongest claims, and the emphasis regarding the saving power of Christ's death on the cross, could be reconsidered as a reworking of
Paul the Apostle, who, according to the author, was heavily influenced by Greco-Roman traditions. Craveri died on February 18, 2002, and is buried in Turin's Monumental Cemetery. ==Bibliography==