Abram Ranovich

Abram Borisovich Ranovich (real surname Rabinovich, , – 29 May 1948) was a Soviet scholar of classical antiquity and religion. Ranovich authored several publications on the history of Judaism and early Christianity. He was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honour. At the same time Ranovich supported the Christ myth theory compatible with materialistic Marxist–Leninist approach of his times; in particular, he wrote: "It can be considered scientifically well established that Jesus Christ is a mythical creature. He was not the founder of the religion whose ignorant and gullible followers elevated him to the rank of God and endowed him with superhuman traits, as liberal theologians want to portray. On the contrary, Jesus is a deity, who was later endowed with human traits, with earthly 'biography'". Ranovich died in Moscow at the age of 62.