What proof is there the Bible was factual?

Question

Historians agree the Bible did indeed come from Jesus' time, but there is no proof that the Bible was not a book of fables, which I think it was. Jesus existed, but he was just a carpenter who like many other people in his time, claimed they could talk to God. He couldn't perform any miracles, and there was no proof he could. Why were there so many prophets back then and not now, if the Bible was true? It seems like a bunch of average ancient myths to me. No proof. I need proof, not hope?

I also don't want to believe in the Bible because it would scare me too.

Answer 1

Exactly how i feel!
BB, Jane

Answer 2

Based on your question and the way you've phrased it, I assume you just mean the Gospels and not the entire bible.

Josephus was a Roman scribe, during the time of Jesus. He is the cross reference for the Bible. He provided us with Roman historical scrolls which say there was a prophet named Jesus who worked many miracles and who was crucified.

As for the rest of the bible, SO much of it is also known fact. Did you know Alexander the Great is mentioned in the bible? Well, Catholic bibles anyway. Protestants took him out.

Alexander the Great tried to unite the "world" (his world) under Greek rule. About 200 years before Jesus. That's where we get the Greek version of the bible from. The Septuagint. Alexander had it commissioned so that everyone would eventually be speaking, reading and writing in the same language.

For those of you who watched 300, the Spartans are also in the bible. Well. Catholic bibles any way.

Kings 1 and 2 as well as Chronicles 1 and 2 are all verifiable history.

Many of the battles and miracles are verified by ancient texts of the people the Hebrews either escaped from or fought with.

So, you can't confirm Genesis. But you can confirm Exodus. We know from Egyptian scrolls that the Hebrews did leave Egypt after a time of plagues. Just as the bible says. The Egyptians were certain the plagues came because the Jews were "dirty."

Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy can't be "confirmed" because they are books of instruction. Not history.

The historical books are Samuel 1 and 2, the above mentioned Kings and Chronicles 1 and 2, Ezra, Nehemiah, if your Catholic Tobit, Judith and Esther plus 1 and 2 Maccabees. Maccabees contains the bits about Alexander the Great, the Spartans, Xerxes son of Darius. All people we know existed doing things historians agree they did.

All that history can be confirmed by alternate sources.

The Wisdom books are pure poetry and prose. None of those can be confirmed. There are 7 of those, if you have a Catholic bible. 6 if you have a Protestant bible.

The Prophetic books are a bit of a toss up. We can confirm the interaction between the Hebrew people and those they either fought with or escaped from. The Prophets came to tell the people they'd messed up and God was going to hand them over to the bad guys until they returned to him in truth. There are 18 prophetic books. If you've got a Catholic bible. 7 if you've got a Protestant one.

Much less of the New Testament can be confirmed. We know via historical scrolls how all the Apostles were killed. We know John was sent to prison on Patmos. Legend tells us other things about the Blessed Mother and Mary Magdalene. But how "true" is legend?

So. Dig out your high school history book and find yourself a bible. Compare what is said in the Historical books to what you find in your history book.

Answer 3

An example that could prove that at least the part of the Bible about Jesus is true, is that recently historians think they found the tomb of Jesus. What they could not find was the body of Jesus, which suggests that either A. the body was stolen. or B. that Jesus really did rise from the dead and ascend to heaven about a month later. Also some prophecies in the Bible that were highly detailed came true down to all those details. The prophecies were dated back to before the events happened but historians argue that they were written later. So that's some evidence for you to chew on you can believe it if you like, you can research it, do whatever you like. I'm not one of those Christians to be like believe or go to hell, so I hope this helped you if not, well I tried. XD. anyways I hope you have a good day.

Answer 4

The books of the Old Testament do not come from Jesus' time. Only the New Testament does. Historians think that Jesus probably lived, but that is not proof that he was divine. But I have to agree that the Bible is probably just mythology. Biblical scholars have torn about a half a million holes in the Bible. It is neither historical or accurate. Try reading Bart Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus. The New Testament has somewhere in between 300,000 and 500,000 errors. Have a great evening.

Answer 5

So many things can be confirmed from the Bible that it fills volumes of magizines and articles written over many eras. All history is confirmed using archelogy or the legal historical method which relies on eyewitness testimony and documents. The Bible has more subsequent copies of it than any other literature around. It can historically be verified geograhically back to the 2nd chapter of Genesis. The many eyewitness accounts to the miracles and divine events that happened would have to be admitted in a court if general protocal was followed. There is observable evidence that sulfur and fire came down on the cities of sodom and Gohmorrah, there are still to this day Egyptian chariot wheels spread across the bottom of the Red Sea area where the nation of Israel crossed under Moses, The remnant of a tower is in the general location of the tower of Babel is still around. Geneticists agree that the cradle of civilization is in the Middle East in the general area of the Biblical description of the Garden of Eden, also that all mankind are related to a woman of that same area, that the world is coverd with about two miles of sedentary rock which means that water carried those layers of soil over the planet as in a world flood, that over 500 people witnessed seeing Christ after He was crucified most of whom were still alive when the apostle Paul wrote about those events, and there is a lot more but it comes down to this: it is easier to believe if you know the evidence than to disbelieve it.

Answer 6

You're definitely on the right track. The Bible is INDEED a great work of "ancient fiction", nowhere remotely like History (which was written by the Victors, anyway). But, you're sadly mistaken if you believe that Jesus actually existed - again, it is a pack of fables. No historical evidence AT ALL. His story is a concoction of the Ancient Mysteries of the Pagans...but do your OWN research and come to your OWN conclusions.

Don't you think it STRANGE (to say the least) that Mithras, Osiris, Dionysus, etc all hapened to be dying-resurrecting "god-men" who were all "born of virgins", all on or about December 25th, all born in mangers or caves, all found by shepherds following a guiding star (Venus?), and all hung on "trees" or crosses, etc, etc...? Here's a place you can START your search for the "Truth"

Answer 7

It's not a matter of proof that the Bible is factual. It's a matter of proof that a virgin had a son, that he could heal people, that he was god, that he died and came back, etc.

Really, that stuff could be put in a modern-day, reliable newspaper that's filled with other events that are true, and I'd still reject it without some really strong, irrefutable proof. Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence.

Answer 8

that was a short conviction of the heart. if you believe Jesus was just a carpenter the Jesus you just confessed your faith to in a previous question is the wrong one. Now start studying the word of God then use the different websites available that go with the different books of the bible they have real pieces of history to help prove parts of the Bible. it is an ongoing process just as evolution is. I find it hard to believe that people will accept the writings of Plato ans spend a lifetime searching for Atlanta's from the words of one man. but when over 5000 pieces of manuscript are placed in front of them they dismiss them as fables or fairy tales without studying them and looking for worldly facts that can be gleaned to help in believability. automatic dismissal a tough way to go when trying to prove to yourself that your own professed religion is based on lies and trickery.

Answer 9

if you go to www.messagedoctrine.com you can see a photo of the pillar of fire above bro. branham's head. the same pillar of fire that was with moses, that struck paul off his horse and blinded him, and rested upon The Lord Jesus. this photo was taken at the houston coliseum in 1950 during a debate between a baptist minister, dr. best, refuting aminister named, F.F.Bosworth, that God doesn't heal anymore. this photo was authenticated by, george c. lacey, examiner of questioned documents for the FBI as the 1st supernatural being ever photographed and sits in washington at the national archives today.

also you can see a photo of seven angels forming the head of Christ, the perfect capstone of the church. the photo was taken in 1963 over arizona and was in the may 17th edition of "LIFE" magazine. the seventh angel is the most notable and you can see him holding a trumpet.
thessalonians states, to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels...etc. All seven of them.

you may read all bro branham's sermons online at www.branham.org or purchase all 1182 for $15 at www.daysofthevoice.com. www.leevayle.net his series on godhead, presence, rapture, and paradox are really good.

Answer 10

The bible was written hundreds of years after the supposed time of the fictional character jesus. What historians are you listening to?

Answer 11

all of the holy rollers that say the bible is strictly factual are morons. it has been proven time and time again that humans could not have descended from only two humans (cuz of incest and genetic complications surrounding it)
the underlying messages are what matter. pick up the deeper meaning and the bible seems a lot more relevent.
jesus was a great man. he was not a god.