Is there independent proof that Jesus existed?

Question

By independent, I mean proof outside the bible's references to him. Also, is there any independent proof that he was the 'son of God'?

Answer 1

For the first part of the question, yes sort of. Jesus (Joshua) was a common enough name at the time, and 'messiahs' were ten a penny in Roman occupied Judea. So there are references, for example in Josephus, to local rabble-rousers called Jesus, but to equate such references to the Jesus of the Gospels takes a bit of a leap of faith.
For the second part of the question, well, no. 'Son of God' may be just a generic title adopted by the Essene and similar mystics at the time, with no special significance.

I'd like to tip the question on it's head and ask if there is proof that he was son of god in the bible! The so-called prophesies are very dodgy - the Emanuel prophesy for example is very generic and Jesus didn't really fulfil any of the criteria. And the Gospels can not agree with each other! Both Mathew and Luke give long genealogies of Jesus, but both are obsessed with establishing that he is male-line descendant of the house of David, not the son of God! Both trace his ancestry back through Joseph! And about the only name both lists of ancestors have in common is Joseph!

Answer 2

The Roman records have no reference of him, which is odd as they had records of almost everyonelse. It could be that those records were destroyed, that he had a different name, that they haven't been found or that they are hidden in some vault in the Vatican or other religious library.

There was a burial box found that was supposed to have the words this is the box of Joseph brother of Jesus, but it turned out to be a forgery.

Records from Herod's court, while they refer to many of the judgements made on people do not refer to anyone of his name, nor of the specific punishment given him at the specific time.

There was a scroll that was said to refer to him from the right date, but on investigation, someone had removed the original name and replaced it using an ink that could only have been manufactured after the 19th century, and that did not match the ink used on all other words on the document.

People keep saying there are records showing he did exist, but every one examined so far, has been shown to be a forgery, or having been created long after his death.

So to date, there is no independent proof that he existed in any records and outside the bibles references.

As to independent proof that he was the 'son of god', no that doesn't exist either.

Answer 3

Bertrand Russell said in his book 'Why I Am Not A Christian': "Historically, it is quite doubtful whether Jesus ever existed at all, and if he did, we do not know anything about him." Oh, really? Where had he been all his life? What about:

The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus
Suetonius (official historian to the Roman Imperial House)
Cornelius Tacitus (Governor of Asia)
Pliny the Younger (Roman proconsul in Bithynia, Asia Minor)

More recently, James Frazer, British antropologist and historian said that doubts cast on the historical reality of Jesus are "unworthy of serious attention". And Paul Johnson wrote in the Daily Mail, 28 March 1997 that the argument that Jesus never existed has been demolished ... by "the march of historical research".

The 19th century Oxford scholar Henry Liddon drew attention to the fact that Jesus fulfilled to the letter no fewer than 332 Old Testament prophecies (cited in William Hendriksens book, A Commentary on the Gospel of John).

In 'Science Speaks' (page 110), Westmont College's Peter Stoner evaluates the biblical data using scientific principles of probability and calculates the chance of just 48 of those prophecies being fulfilled by one person as one in 10 to the power of 157. Now I'm a mathematical dunce, but even I know that that's an astranomical number. Stoner concludes that to reject claims that Jesus is the Messiah is to reject a fact "proved perhaps more absolutely than any other fact in the world."

It would be impossible to answer the second part of your question before you get over the first part and realise that Jesus was a real person, not a figment of someon'e imagination.

There's plenty more where this came from, but I'm afraid you will just have to do your own research. Check out the references I give below if you genuinely want an honest answer.

Answer 4

Yes, there is proof that Jesus did exist. Josephus is one person that comes to mind. A Jewish Historian that wrote about Jesus and possible even spoke to those that had seen him or knew him.
Was he the Son of God? Well that depends on your faith.
Muslims, Jews and Christina alike believe in Jesus, but in different ways. To the Jews he was not the promised Messiah, so therefore reject him as so. To Muslims he was a Prophet and o Christians he was the promised Messiah, Son of God.
Yes, I believe he was a real person....but no more than that.

On an added note. I did read somewhere, once, that there is more evidence for the existence of Jesus than of Julius Caesar.

Answer 5

I dont know what evidence there is but it was over 2000 years ago what would you expect? A credit card record? I dont think the fact that Jesus existed is particularly controversial, some dogmatic atheists claim he didnt but the evidence is as poor as those who are spouting the superstitious nonsense. In fact evidence shows Jesus never claimed divinity or to be the son of God and the whole idea of having a virgin mother is due to a mistranslation of the word which only meant 'young woman' - compare 'maid' and 'maiden' to see how easily this could happen.

Answer 6

I think there are pieces of historical evidence like the Q-version of the of the new testament and ancient scrolls. These refer to Jesus, the person who preached the word of God and performed miracles. There is no proof I know of whether indeed Jesus was the son of the God, but it depends on your beliefs. If you believe he was, then there mayn't be any question about it. If you believe he wasn't then the ball's in your court to provide the proof.

Answer 7

As most people have stated, it's a question of faith. Faith, by definition is blind - it's the belief in something in the absence of evidence to back that belief.

I have no reason to doubt Jesus existed. I'm sure he was a swell guy, an excellent public speaker, and perhaps even a decent carpenter. As for him being the son of God? Well the homeless guy on the corner claims to be the son of God and I don't take him too seriously either.

Answer 8

There is no doubt that Jesus existed. Read the historian A N Wilson's book "Jesus"

Independent proof he was the son of God, (Jesus not A N Wilson) well no. . .that is a matter of faith not knowledge.

In a word, (or is that in THE WORD) it's up to you.

Answer 9

Yes there is outside proof that the man named Jesus lived, it is documented by the Romans of that time, I'm sure I read that there are relatives of his living today.
Although he supposedly said that he was the son of God there is no concrete proof that he was, but I suppose if you believe that God made us then you must also believe that we are all the son's of God.

Answer 10

There is scant evidence outside the Bible for Jesus' existence. There were mentions of him by people like Tacitus and Josephus, but even that is controverted.