Can History Prove Jesus Existed ?

Question

Can you prove this without saying ' faith ' or The Bible

Answer 1

I found this ,it may answer some of your questions.(these or not my writings)

A would-be historian and wannabe scholar by the name of Hugh Schonfield who did a book titled something like, “In Search of Historic Jesus.” It didn’t take long to realize that this man was out to prove that the divine Jesus, the Son of God, didn’t exist, and that he – Schonfield – had an anti-God, anti-Faith agenda behind his writings. He made the outrageous supposition that “the early Church fathers may have rewritten some of the New Testament books and influenced others to rewrite the story of Jesus” despite a total absence of any historical or documentary proof to support such a thesis.

Another wannabe historian, Gary R. Habermas, took it even a step father with his claim that “the Gospels represent the teachings of the early church and not those of Jesus himself.” These kinds of spurious claims are johnny-come-lately efforts of liberals and leftists who neither know, nor have a relationship with Jesus Christ, nor have they ever even made an effort to personally put Jesus’ claims to the test.

That said, let’s examine some of the historical evidence that does exist.

Many years ago, my father made reference to a volume of historical documents he had looked at when he was studying in Bible College. He later obtained a copy and sent it to me. The book was titled, The Archko Volume, and represented the culmination of many years of effort of two eminent scholars, Drs. McIntosh and Twyman of the Antiquarian Lodge in Genoa, Italy. Published in 1887, the work provided copies of writings and works taken from the Talmud and the Sanhedrin contemporary to the time of Christ, along with a copy of “Acta Pilati,” which was a report sent by Pontius Pilate – the Roman procurator or governor of Judaea – to Caesar detailing the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Some of the other documents included Gamaliel’s interview with Joseph and Mary concerning Jesus. Gamaliel, you may remember, was the Pharisee at whose feet Paul the apostle sat while he was yet a Pharisee, being instructed in the ways of the sect.

The Archko Volume also includes some documented reports of Caiaphas, the High Priest who presided over the Jewish trial and judgment of Jesus prior to His being brought before Pilate, as well as his report to the Sanhedrin concerning the resurrection of Jesus.

According to the testimony of the two researchers and archeologists who came up with the documents, the sources of these documents were ancient libraries in Constantinople and the Senatorial Docket in Rome.

When you read these documents, it provides an interesting perspective and an otherwise not-considered view of others who either participated in or observed events and people who were involved in some way with Jesus Christ.

One of the things often overlooked by those who seek to authenticate the historical Jesus is the fact that what we now refer to as the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were written as personal testimonies of men who walked and talked with Jesus. These were eyewitness accounts. What makes them all the more intriguing is the fact that they were written at different times, in different places, and in three different languages (Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic), and yet they agree with each other. Each of the writers has a distinct personality and a perspective that differs from the others; and that personality comes through in the writing style. Nevertheless, there is synoptic agreement between Matthew, Mark and Luke.

John writes from a totally different perspective as Jesus’ best friend, and the majority of what he writes details the final week of Jesus’ life and what He taught before He was crucified.

But, let’s step away from the accepted canon for a moment and look at the works of historians who were contemporary to the time.

Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, Egypt was a contemporary of both Jesus and the apostle Paul. While he does not mention Jesus by name specifically in his works, he does outline some of the events and individuals – such as Pilate and Herod – who took part in the trial, judgment, and crucifixion of Jesus, and details certain events that could only have taken place with Jesus.
Flavius Josephus was a Jewish historian who doted on the history of his people. Born during the reign of Caligula in or about 37 AD, he provides convincing evidence of Jesus Christ. All the more interesting is the fact that at age 19, he joined the Pharisees, and apparently remained one for his entire life. He also became a Roman citizen, and was commissioned by Flavian to write a history of the Jews in 67 or 68 AD.

His third published work, The Antiquities of the Jews, which was issued in 93 or 94 AD was primarily an apology or defense of Judaism. What makes it of such interest to us is the fact that in the course of issuing this work, he gives credence to Jesus Christ, (see Antiquities XVIII, 3) reporting events that corroborate Scripture.

While some modern historians have suggested that Josephus’ works were tampered with by the early church fathers and altered in such a way as to give favorable treatment to Jesus Christ, there is no evidence to support that thesis. What is clear is that Josephus fell from favor with his erstwhile sect of the Pharisees because of his reports on Jesus Christ, and that Judaism today still essentially rejects his works as authentic as a result. Josephus himself notes toward the end of his writings that he was not held in favor among the Jews in the way he was 20 or 30 years prior.

Let’s take our historical review the next step. Near the end of the first century, and throughout the second and third centuries, we find the works of Clement of Alexandria, Ignatius, and Polycarp (who was a disciple of John). Each of them share their individual testimonies and experiences. Not intending to be historians, but teachers and apologists for Jesus Christ, they nevertheless give us an insight into the developments of Christianity and how it impacted the world of their day. Though none of them were personal witnesses to the life of Christ, they were the product of those who had walked and talked with Jesus Christ. Each of them died because of their witness and testimony.

There is another historical evidence of Jesus Christ that most intending historians seem to miss completely: the evidence contained in what Jesus is reported to have said.

Let’s set aside for a moment the fact that what is reported in the four Gospels is incorporated into the New Testament, and consider the statements on their own merit.

If indeed Jesus was a historical individual, and the statements attributed to Him are true and factual, they can be put to the test.

Jesus made some statements and some phenomenal promises that no one else in history has ever made.

“I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me.” Is that actually true? How about this one? “I am the Door. By me if any man enter in he shall be saved.”

Whoaa! Buddha never said anything like that. Mohammed never said anything like that. Confucius never made any such claim. So, if Jesus was the only one to make such claims, then everything else He said stands or falls on those statements.

How, then, do you put those statements to the test?

Well, let’s begin with promises He made to “them that believe.” If those promises can be proven to work, we have a basis for believing the rest of what He says.

Take a look at Mark 16:17, 18, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Then there was His instruction to his Disciples, (Matthew 10:8) “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”

Or, how about, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14)

Those kinds of promises were made to those who came into fellowship, commitment, and union with Him. Were they true? Could they be put to the test?

I don’t have space to tell you in a daily journal like this of all the hundreds and perhaps thousands of times I have seen every one of these miracles.

Casting out demons? More times than I can possible count, with visible displays that would curl your hair.

Speaking with new tongues? Let’s don’t go there. It is impossible to recount the tens of thousands of personal experiences and the folks I have seen, known, laid hands on, etc., who have received this experience.

Take up serpents? Here is one of those Hebrew metaphors couched in the Greek text of the New Testament that some folks have misapplied with some deadly results. “They shall take up serpents” is a Hebrew metaphor that is used on several occasions throughout both Old and New Testaments; and it means “to take on wily, deceitful men who seek to gain the advantage over you in arguments.” Once again, it is impossible to recount the number of times I have seen this promise fulfilled.

How about, “If they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them..”? This has both literal and metaphorical applications, and it speaks of the protection provided by the Lord when someone seeks to kill you, or you ingest something poisonous without your knowledge. I can’t tell you how many times I had to apply this promise in a very literal sense living in the arctic. The only water we had was contaminated. There were viruses visible to the naked eye, and we simply didn’t have the filtration equipment to cleanse the water. We knew we were there at the instruction of the Lord, and that we could claim that promise. As far as I know, we never got sick or contracted some disease as a result of drinking otherwise deadly water. It was a daily sign that followed our existence for so long as it was needed.

Then of course, there is the most common evidence of all: “They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Maybe there are diseases that I haven’t prayed for at some time in the past that folks have contracted, but I assure you that they are few and far between. Apart from the fact that I have personally experienced instantaneous healings for my own body, it would be impossible to recount the number of people I have laid hands on or prayed for who have been healed.

These promises are to “them that believe.” These are not religious promises. These promises are not evidenced in other religions. These are the here and now, everyday proofs available to anyone who accepts Jesus Christ, believes on Him, repents from their past and walks with Him on a daily basis.

They provide the greatest proof of the historical Jesus one can ever consider. They aren’t historical – at least from the standpoint of something that happened once a couple of thousand years ago. They are available in the past, the present and the future as evidence of a living Jesus Christ who indeed rose from the dead as He said He would, and as we have eyewitness accounts for.

They are the kinds of evidence that would stand up in any court of law as irrefutable proofs that Jesus was a historical person, that He did live and die, and that He rose again as the Son of God, providing us with ongoing proofs that He is alive now and forever!

If you need personal proof of the historical Jesus, it is available to you in overwhelming quantities.

Answer 2

Yes. Josephus an ancient scholar wrote about him. Your calendar is pegged on A.D, which means annu domini (in the year of our lord). Gandhi, a non-Christian, acknowledge Jesus and his sermons on the mount. Scientists have dug up artifact which if not directly related to Jesus was directly directed to those whom he dealt with. Pilate for example. A coin bearing Pilate's inscription was dug.

What historical proof do you need more.

Daniel is right. Can you prove that some atheists like Marx, Sagan, etc existed?

Answer 3

Can history prove George Washington existed?
I would strongly recommend you google a historian named N.T. Wright. If you are actually interested. You can find audio and text articles of him discussing the historical evidence supporting the existence of Jesus Christ.

Answer 4

It's always going to be problematic.

We have some historical evidence that there was a Welsh warrior-king who was the "seed" of the Arthurian legends, but that guy wasn't at all like the legends.

What will/would be probelematic about a historical Jesus is the same thing - separating the person from the mythos.

Answer 5

It is possible to establish that a 'man' called Jesus lived at a specific time. However, it is not possible to prove that he was anything more than an human just like the rest of us. If you believe he was more than human, then you have to explain it by faith (because that existence is not real outside of faith).


-----------------------------------

Hey Darryl L -

I went to college where Robert E. Lee is buried (Traveller his horse was still stuffed an on display at first) so his physical remains exist as proof. Where is your physical proof of an historic Jesus?

Answer 6

There is overwhelming evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ, both in secular and biblical history. Perhaps the greatest evidence that Jesus did exist is the fact that literally thousands of Christians in the first century A.D., including the twelve apostles, were willing to give their lives as martyrs for Jesus Christ. People will die for what they believe to be true, but no one will die for what they know to be a lie.
http://www.gotquestions.org/did-Jesus-exist.html
Suggested Reading
The Case for the Real Jesus By: Lee Strobel
http://www.christianbook.com/the-case-for-the-real-jesus/lee-strobel/9780310292012/pd/292012?product_redirect=1&Ntt=292012&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

Non Biblical evidence as proof for Jesus Christ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrRQqYGf4O0

'Did Jesus Exist?' A Historian Makes His Case
http://www.npr.org/2012/04/01/149462376/did-jesus-exist-a-historian-makes-his-case
Refuting the myth that Jesus never existed
http://bede.org.uk/jesusmyth.htm
Did Jesus Really Exist?
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/philosophicalfragments/2012/08/29/did-jesus-really-exist/
What do we know about Jesus - from non-biblical sources?
http://www.provethebible.net/T2-Divin/D-0201.htm

Did Jesus Christ Really Exist? Proving Jesus Without the Bible
http://beginningandend.com/jesus-exist-historical-evidence-jesus-christ/

Is There Any Evidence for Jesus Outside the Bible?
http://www.pleaseconvinceme.com/index/pg79644


Is There Any Proof of Jesus Other Than the Bible? (1of2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HknelAk8_S8&feature=related

Answer 7

There are quite a few pieces of historican evidence for Jesus's existence. Cornelius Tacitus a Roman historian, Lucian of Samosataa Roman Rhetoric , and Jospheus. He is mention in these men's writings:

"But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the bounties that the prince could bestow, nor all the atonements which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero from the infamy of being believed to have ordered the conflagration, the fire of Rome. Hence to suppress the rumour, he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished with the most exquisite tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for thier enormities. Christus, the founder of the name was put to death by Pontious Pilate, procurator of Juedea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischeif originated, but through the city of Rome also. " Tacitus, Annals XV, 44.

"About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who wrought surprising facts and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He was over many Jews and many of the Greeks . He was the Messiah.
When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up their affection for him.
On the third day he appeared to them restored to life, for the prophets of God had prophesied these and countless other marvelous things about him, and he has still to this day not disappeared" Antiquities 18:63-64

"the man who was crucified in Palestine because he introduced this new cult into the world ... Furthermore, their first lawgiver persuaded them that they were all brothers one of another after they have transgressed once for all by denying the Greek gods and by worshipping that cruicified sophist himself and living under his laws." - The Passing Peregrinus

This accounts for something, Cornelius was a historian and his writings are recordings of events that took place. Lucian of Samosataa spoke scornfully of Christ and christians. I doubt he would speak such a way about someone who never existed. And Jospheus a fellow Jew spoke of Christ as being a wise man who was condemned to be crucified

Answer 8

Can history priove that Christopher Columbus existed? How about Plato, or Socrates? Betsy Ross? Maybe Darwin? How about Robert E. Lee, or Crazy Horse? Please prove this without reading some book. Get the point?

Answer 9

Pious frauds/forgeries. A very popular source of 'proof'.

Josephus: forged - many webpages devoted to the discussion of this passage.
The James, Brother of Jesus ossuary: forged: a true artifact, but the inscription was a fraud. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2003-06-18-bible-artifact_x.htm

Hmm, the Archko Volume is a new one, but given that such convincing "proof" is rarely trotted out for inspection, it is immediately suspect. Yes, also a fraud...see link below.

Answer 10

Read anything that Lee Strobel wrote. He used to be a hard core atheist until he converted to christianity. Actually his wife converted first and it almost cost them their marriage. He being a journalist, decided to investigate this man named Jesus and with his findings concluded that He did indeed exist. Some of his books are "The Case for Easter" and "The Case for Christ". They are small books that simply get to the point without using much "faith". They are pretty factual. I totally recommend them.

Answer 11

No. Head to http://nobeliefs.com/exist.htm for a VERY thorough explanation on the lack of any historical evidence of Christ. He explains why Josephus' accounts are suspect (having been written no less than 30 years after the supposed crucifixion, as well as his being sponsered by a bishop who advocated lies to keep the church in power.)

There is a detailed timeline concerning all writings of Christ, as well as the gospels and the other writings, complete with footnotes and resources.