Can Anyone offer proof outside of religious text that Jesus even existed?

Question

Can Anyone offer proof outside of religious text that Jesus even existed?
Can we prove from a historical stand point if this guy even lived or is it all a manner of chasing pink elephants?

Additional Details

Keep in mind this is history!
Can anyone offer historical evidance that he lived or are we chasing pink elephants?

NOTE: Josephus was born Joseph ben Mattathias in Jerusalem in 37 CE, This Jesus figure died around 32 CE which means he can't offer anything but man made crap!

Answer 1

The ancient historical record provides examples of writers, philosophers and historians who lived during or not long after the time Jesus is believed to have lived and who testify to the fact that he was a real person. We will look at what some of these people have said.

Cornelius Tacitus
Tacitus lived from A.D. 55 to A.D. 120. He was a Roman historian and has been described as the greatest historian of Rome, noted for his integrity and moral uprightness. His most famous works are the Annals and the Histories. The Annals relate the historical narrative from Augustus’ death in A.D.14 to Nero’s death in A.D. 68. The Histories begin their narrative after Nero’s death and finish with Domitian’s death in A.D. 96. In his section describing Nero’s decision to blame the fire of Rome on the Christians, Tacitus affirms that the founder of Christianity, a man he calls Chrestus (a common misspelling of Christ, which was Jesus’ surname), was executed by Pilate, the procurator of Judea during the reign of the Roman emperor Tiberias. Tacitus was hostile to Christianity because in the same paragraph he describes Christus’ or Christ’s death, he describes Christianity as a pernicious superstition. It would have therefore been in his interests to declare that Jesus had never existed, but he did not, and perhaps he did not because he could not without betraying the historical record.

Lucian of Samosata
Lucian was a Greek satirist of the latter half of the second century. He therefore lived within two hundred years of Jesus. Lucian was hostile to Christianity and openly mocked it. He particularly objected to the fact that Christians worshipped a man. He does not mention Jesus’ name, but the reference to the man Christians worship is a reference to Jesus.

Suetonius
Suetonius was a Roman historian and a court official in Emperor Hadrian’s government. In his Life of Claudius he refers to Claudius expelling Jews from Rome on account of their activities on behalf of a man Suetonius calls Chrestus [another misspelling of Christus or Christ].

Pliny the Younger
Pliny was the Governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor (AD. 112). He was responsible for executing Christians for not worshipping or bowing down to a statue of the emperor Trajan. In a letter to the emperor Trajan, he describes how the people on trial for being Christians would describe how they sang songs to Christ because he was a god.

Thallus and Phlegon
Both were ancient historians and both confirmed the fact that the land went dark when Jesus was crucified. This parallels what the Bible said happened when Jesus died.

Mara Bar-Serapion
Some time after 70 A.D., Mara Bar-Sarapion, who was probably a Stoic philosopher, wrote a letter to his son in which he describes how the Jews executed their King. Claiming to be a king was one of the charges the religious authorities used to scare Pontius Pilate into agreeing to execute Jesus.

Answer 2

Roman historian Tacitus wrote:
Nero fastened the guilt . . . on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of . . . Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome

I know that you don't find authority in the Bible but looking at it purely as a historical document it consider extremely accurate to the originals. Because of the way it was perserved and the ammount that have been found dating back to early century. It is considered an accurate representation of events. Even liberal scholars give credence to the accuracy at something 98% or more.

Answer 3

Highly doubtful if not not at all.

Fact: I tell a stranger that I met a man named Jesus, I supply the stranger with much detail regarding Jesus's appearance, mannerism, and that after a lengthy discussion with him, I witnessed him walk on water, but I do not mention the fact that Jesus was raised by a professional carpenter, and that during our meeting Jesus constructed a lengthy platform under the water of which the walkway was just 2 inches below the surface, thus could not be seen by human eyes at most angles. The stranger travels for years telling of his experience with Jesus, thus by the time the original story is passed to countless people it is altered to the point of doubt, or non-belief...

Answer 4

Reasonable question.

You have your Josephus info. wrong. Check out Josh McDowell's book, "Evidence that Demands a Verdict".

McDowell was an atheist who was hell-bent (lol) on disproving Christianity...but you probably don't even really care or are too timid to find out other perspectives. I could be wrong...but prolly not.

Also, can you prove the T-rex existed? How about Christopher Columbus...I'm actually being serious here. Just trying to use some logic.

Answer 5

The way historians determine whether something is historical fact or not is by the eyewitness accounts of those who were around in that day. Thousands upon thousands of people saw and heard Jesus. There is not one shred of evidence from eyewitness that states He did not exist. Even the people who wished He didn't exist didn't refute this point. The Gospels themselves were written either by eyewitnesses or buy someone who spoke with or was in direct contact with Christ.

When you weigh all of the eyewitness evidence concerning the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ you will find that there is more proof of this then any other event in world history!

http://www.hawaiichristiansonline.com/the_resurrection.html

Answer 6

The bible is what's termed "Faction" A fictional tale set in a actual time and position. therefore the time, position and actual historic characters are all perfect despite the indisputable fact that the fictitious characters and thoughts are not from now on! there's no longer one unmarried element out of Jesus in the total Roman record - that is top - no longer one! collectively as he change into meant to were round there have been fairly some Jews claiming to be the messiah - all of whom are properly recorded! there's no longer a unmarried present day record from any source or perhaps the bible mentions of him like another references were no longer written until eventually many years after his meant death! He change into meant to were a large problem to the Romans and produced magnificent miracles yet nonetheless no longer one present day record? Even the bible mentions of him like another references were no longer written until eventually many years after his meant death! Pilate is recorded in the Roman record as a really lack luster guy yet no element out of a Jesus, an ordeal or crucifixion that would actual were used to make him look brighter! At best he change into an amalgam of those others yet just about really not in any respect existed!

Answer 7

The biggest problem with looking for historical documents about Jesus is that Jesus couldn't have been the guy's name. There is no "J" in the Hebrew language, and scholars believe the name Jesus Christ is in fact Greek. In other words, its Greek translation of his name, and if it anything like the rest of the Christian bibles, very likely a mistranslation. We may never know what his name really was, if he did exist.

Answer 8

Let me get my hip waders on to get through your first there is other historians as well as historical records remember the romans were meticilous record keepersso the recorded his trial and his death as well as his birth at the time of registration also there are historical doccuments and actually mor proof that he exhisted like eye witnesses than there is proof that you exhist not to mention archeological evidence and since his presense has been felt and he influenced so many people for the good his legacy will live on forever can you say the same ? so if you see pink elephants while wading in the feces you dish out makes one wonder what you are tripping on ? Gorbalizer

Answer 9

Unfortunately, it's called "faith" for a reason. It's probably impossible to prove Jesus lived--especially if he was said to have ascended to heaven, meaning there'd be no bones left. Even upon proving his existence, it would be impossible to physically prove he was the Messiah.

There is one interesting thing, however--the Shroud of Turin, currently kept in an Italian chapel. It's a cloth said to have covered Jesus as he was placed in the tomb. Unfortunately, archaeological tests are very destructive, so extensive testing on this cloth has not taken place due to arguments over whether the item itself is more important than proving its authenticity and/or significance.

Answer 10

Yes.....There are letters from Tiberius Ceasar, and Herod to Pontius Pilate describing what Jesus looked like in the Congressional library in Wahington D.C.
If you know history, then you know the Romans kept great records.

I don't trust links myself, so I will give you the site and you can see for yourself.

www.docrob.100megsfree5.com