Proof that Jesus existed?

Question

Christians, can you please provide me with historical proof Jesus existed besides the Bible?
I know the New testament states Jesus existed, but please what other out side source can I look at to see if Jesus really existed. Is there any thing written down on him by someone else besides paul and john or other biblical christian writters.

Answer 1

Josephus is the most popular ancient, non-Christian source to include an account referencing Jesus twice in his work called Jewish Antiquities. In one quote, he describes the condemnation of one "James" by the Jewish Sanhedrin. This James, says Josephus, was "the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ."
Tacitus was a Roman historian. He wrote an account describing the roman emperor Nero's descision to blame the burning of Rome on the Christians, saying:
"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. . . ." We can assume that the "mischevious superstition is describing the resurrection.
Pliny the Younger was the Roman governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor. He engaged in correspondence to the to Emperor Trajan, and in one of his letters, dated about A.D. 112, he asks Trajan's advice about the appropriate way to prosecute those accused of being Christians Pliny felt the need to consult the emperor because of the huge numbers and diversity of the accused, including people from every age, class, and sex. He writes about the Christians, saying
about these Christians:
"They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it"
Jewish authorities also wrote of the existence of Jesus in the Babylonian Talmud, Babylonian Talmud, a collection of Jewish rabbinical writings dated approximately A.D. 70-500. The most significant passage states:
"On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald . . . cried, "He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy."
Lucian of Samosata was a second century Greek satirist. In one of his works, he wrote jeeringly of the early Christians:
"The Christians . . . worship a man to this day--the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account. . . . [It] was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws."

Answer 2

Of course, if you take out Christian writers, its like saying, "Can you prove Julius Ceasar existed without using Roman writings?" There are TONS of individual writings about Jesus written within 100 years of His death.

Additionally, Pliny the Younger, Tacitus and Suetonius (all non-Christians) wrote about Jesus.

The best non-Christian writing of Christ from his time period, however, is by Josephus, the Jewish historian. He took painstaking efforts in making accurate histories. He wrote a little bit about Jesus and others mentioned in the NT.

Answer 3

The existence of the Christian movement might be a considerable statement as to the existence of Jesus. And then there is the fact that the disciples changed after his resurrection and became willing to die, rather than running, for the message that they brought to people.

There was an Atheist that was a lawyer who decided to treat the evidence like a modern day court trial. His book became famous. I have left you links to examine below.

Answer 4

In college (now many many years ago) I was with you on the evidence for the exsistence of Jesus.....do your homework and look into historical facts...the person did exsist and he had an impact in the region he lived and walked all in about a 3 year period...the following are the only two I could located quickly this moring...

Josephus twice mentions Jesus in his monumental work Antiquities of the Jews, written A.D. 90-95. His most extensive quote reads:

"Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works,—a teacher of such men as received the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day" (Antiquities, Book 18, chapter 3, section 3).

Cornelius Tacitus (ca. 56-120) was a Roman senator, consul and governor of the Roman province of Anatolia (covering most of modern-day Turkey) as well as one of ancient Rome's greatest historians. Late in his life he wrote a 16-volume history of the Roman emperors, the Annals.

No friend to either Nero or Christians, Tacitus writes that Nero blamed "a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace."

He goes on to explain that "Christus [Christ], from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty [crucifixion] during the reign of Tiberius at the hand of one of our procurators, 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 ..." (Annals, 15:44, quoted by Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ, 1998, p. 82).

Answer 5

all you people who say Jesus is a fabrication and Jesus didn't exist make me sick. just look at how people rank the answers. people that name historians and written source of ancient times get low marks and people who call Jesus a liquor seller get 3 thumbs up.
i bet all you hatters out there are either muslims or atheists. now even the corran names Jesus as a prophet so what more proof do you want!
if one were muslim and you would ask him to prove that mohamed existed he would look at you funny and if you called his prophet a camel herder he would brake your head into two.
but us Christians we don't stand united...and that pisses me off. when you people make offending comments like the ones which got appreciation on this discussion it is equal with disrespecting God Himself.
if i were to say "ya being a muslim is total crap because mohamed used to shovel camel s h i t for c o c k" i would get an international inccident on my hands. look what happened with the cartoons from denmark and latter on from france. but us Christians we just let people get away with stuff like these comments on this discussion.
stop being so much against Christianity or any other religion for that matter and mind your own f u c k i n g business!
you don't like it don't do it... but tollerate and accept!

peace

Answer 6

The first century jewish historian Josephus talks about him, the roman historian Tacitus talks about him, as does Pliny the Younger who was an assistant to one of the Roman emperors. There's also a mention of the sky going dark in the middle of the day by Julius or Justus, can't remember off the top of my head as described in the new testament when Jesus died. No one today doubts that a man called Jesus lived and claimed to be the son of God, the only doubts they have is if he indeed was.

Answer 7

try Muslim teachings for a corroborating account of the existence of Jesus to match the bible, according to Islam he was a prophet and a contemporary of Mohammed. It states such in the Qur'ān.

Now liken them to two CRIMINALS in the dock of a court, backing each other up so their crimes are not detected!

like it is -
Buff.

Answer 8

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 9

km –

Name one. There is not a single historical document dating to the time that Jesus would have lived that mentions him by name or mentions anyone who could have been him.

There is no description of what he might have looked like and there is not a single word he might ever have spoken that was written down by anyone who could have been there.

He does not even appear in the official records of Pontius Pilate (nor is there mention of a crucifixion of anyone who might have been Jesus).

The supposed darkness that fell upon the earth at the time of his death is not recoded by anyone, anywhere in the world, including Jerusalem itself.

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edit –

Flavius Josephus was not alive until after Jesus would have been dead. Further, in his detailed list of all the villages, towns, and cities of Galilee, there is no record of anyplace named Nazareth. There is no record anywhere (even the Old Testament) of a place called Nazareth until the time after Jesus would have lived.

Answer 10

the best way to answer this question is through your own search on the net for what you would consider proof of His existance outside of the Holy Bible...however, to start you can read this website on physical evidence found to support His existance....

http://www.ucgstp.org/lit/gn/gn044/proof.html

best wishes in your endeavor...

Answer 11

I hope you are interested to be a follower of Jesus. We christians know that Jesus existed and continues to exist even today, we feel His presence in our lives, He lives in our hearts.

May you visit these sites:

http://www.gotquestions.org/did-Jesus-exist.html
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48783
http://www.traditionalcatholic.net/Tradition/Jesus_Christ/index.html