Did Jesus really even exist?

Question

It seems to me that perhaps the man never existed.

Supposedly thousands of people followed him. People did alot of writing from the time and region he supposedly lived, but not about jesus. There are still many records and letters and historical accounts from the period, but strangely no mention of this jesus.

Also, much of the jesus story (including the crucifixion and resurrection) appears to come from older, yet very familiar religious traditions such as Chrishna, Horus, Orpheus, Bacchus, Osiris, Apollo, Hercules, Mithras, etc.

A likely answer is the whole jesus narrative is really just a metaphor for the sun's yearly passage through the zodiac
http://home1.gte.net/deleyd/religion/solarmyth/christ2002.htm
and the religion-slash-biography was crafted by leaders in 100 or 200 AD from pre-existing myths and philosophies from the area.

You can add anything constructive that you have,
or just flame away.

Answer 1

Two of the most meticulous record keepers of Ancient Times were the Romans and the Jews, and as you rightly point out, the events recorded in the Bible somehow seemed to escape their notice. Pontius Pilate's court records still exist, and there is no mention of the trial of Jesus or of the supposed custom of allowing the crowd to free a prisoner. It is a tradition among the Egyptian Coptic's that their Church was founded by the Apostle Mark, in 42 ad, certainly the first major Christian Chatecal School was in Alexandria, but not until 190, so there could have been several generations worth of revisions. Hadn't heard that one about about the Sun metaphor, Jesus didn't even get a nimbus in religious art until the 5th century, and then it was part of political deal the Emperor was cutting, The three main religions in Rome at the time were Christianity, the scribes and record keepers, Mithra ism, the army, and Sol Invites (the Unconquerable Sun), the wealthy landowners. He couldn't afford to make any of them mad, so he declared Mithra and Jesus were two names for the same being, and that YHWH was another name for Sol Invictus. That is why the rays of the Sun became a Christian symbol of holiness. The Bible, in it's current form, only dates back to the Vulgate, which was completed in 405. Personally, I think we should go back to traditional values, this new fangled Christianity stuff just ain't working out.

Answer 2

The Roman historian, Josephus Flavius, confirms the existence of Jesus in his historical narrative of life in the Roman "colony" of Palestine.

Other religious traditions? Well, which copied from which? Is it real, or is it memorex? Scriptural records from the writings of Moses all prophesy about a coming Messiah, and those all pre-date the religions of the near and far east.

There is some truth to the Zodiac angle, since according to the Bible, Jesus hung the stars in the heavens.

The "pre-existing myths" written in scriptures are finding more and more authentication through modern day archaeological digs going on in Israel through the Ministry of Antiquities (Check out a periodical, "Biblical Archeology Review.")

Answer 3

Cornelius Tacitus (55-120) was a Roman historian, who has the reputation of being the 'greatest historian' of ancient Rome by scholars for his moral 'integrity and essential goodness.' In his work titled Annals, Tacitus writes:

quote:

Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time, broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also.

/end quote:

He is talking about Jesus death and how after his death things calmed down and then something happened. 'Things broke out again'. The resurrection of Jesus? Anyway, this is proof that a man name Jesus did in fact exist and was put to death and then something happened after his death.

Answer 4

I believe that Jesus existed. I also accept the fact that not everyone will, depending on his or her personal opinions and/or beliefs. Because I am a Christian, I believe that Jesus is my savior and always will be. I just feel sorry for those who do not believe, because sadly, they are doomed to hell.

You can analyze the Bible and other documents of the time with a scientific point of view, but this only confused us more. Nothing is for CERTAIN; dates could have been easily mixed up, etc. I believe that some things, you just don't question.

Answer 5

Someone's taken The Da Vinci Code a little too close to heart. Where I come from, Mithras was taken from Jesus.
#1denverfan

Answer 6

of path, in case you're pushing aside Christian writers, its like asserting, "are you able to coach Julius Ceasar existed with out using Roman writings?" There are quite some individual writings approximately Jesus written interior of one hundred years of His death. additionally, Pliny the greater youthful, Tacitus and Suetonius (all non-Christians) wrote approximately Jesus. the final non-Christian writing of Christ from his term, whether, is with the aid of Josephus, the Jewish historian. He took painstaking efforts in making precise histories. He wrote a sprint approximately Jesus and others suggested interior the NT.

Answer 7

Jesus along with the other characters you mentioned are in encyclopedias. BUT, Jesus is in fact a living and breathing historical figure. Even His detractors and haters didn't deny that fact. But you do. Curious.

Answer 8

I think the man, Jesus, did live. He was a good man. Maybe even a prophet. Most of the bible was written by Paul. Anything
in the new testament past the gospels is useless bs. Anything in the old testament is mostly bs, except Psalms.

Answer 9

there is a lot to suggest he did , even outwith the bible ..
however the bigger question is .. is there proof he is the son of God

i do feel many stories that have been handed down , got added or mixed with the Jesus stories yes , to incorperate pagans to Christianity perhaps ? im unsure

Answer 10

these were real Men and Women who walked and talked with Jesus and gave their lives for Him, so yes Jesus is real.