let alone the existence of god.
2007-09-28 15:21:08 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes, I can. The historical documents referring to Christ's life and work may be divided into three classes: pagan sources, Jewish sources, and Christian sources.
The proof of the historical existence of Jesus and the authenticity of the founding of his church is a good starting point for a non-believer. Denials of the historical existence of Jesus have frequently been attempted.
NON-CHRISTIAN sources attest to the historical existence of Jesus. The statements of Tacitus around 117 (Annales XV,44), of Pliny the Younger around 112/113 (letter to the emperor Trajan), and of Suetonius around 120 (Vita Claudis, ch. 25) are reliable and historically conclusive and we may admit them as trustworthy evidence. We also possess statements by the Jewish writer
Josephus Flavius from around 93/94 which permit us to accept his knowledge of the historical personality of Jesus. As far as I am concerned, the best proof that Jesus existed is the fact that he answers my prayers.
2007-09-28 15:25:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
The closest writer to Jesus was Josephus, around 70 years later, and his reference is suspect. Experiment: without referencing a book or the Internet, write about the 1930's.
Most of the other independent writers did so well into the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Thallus' reference has strong indication to be a insert from a scribe, and doesn't equate the earthquake with Jerusalem. Roman crucifixions were recorded avidly, yet not for Jesus, this doesn't prove that it didn't happen, but also make it more suspect.
All in all there is significantly less proof for Jesus than Julius Caesar. Granted, Jesus may existed, but probably not as the gospels portray.
Edit:
I beleive on a cusory review that Pliny the Younger wrote about Christians not about Jesus and about 80 years after his death.
2007-09-28 22:32:11 · answer #2 · answered by Pirate AM™ 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no. not irrefutable. The proof of the historicity of Jesus is no stronger than the proof of the historicity of any other historical figure (but it is no weaker, either). What 'irrefutable' proof is possible for contingent facts? What 'irrefutable' proof do you have for the existence of anyone who died before you achieved consciousness? Even those historical facts that we do not dispute, like the holocaust, are based on the testimony of others (including their guarantee of the veracity of photographs, etc). History does not work the way your question presupposes.
2007-09-28 23:06:21 · answer #3 · answered by rebecca v d liep 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jewish Scholar : Josephus, made two statements about him in his writing. Josephus was born in 37 AD, died 100AD
He had no need to make the mention of Jesus if he did not exist. Many writings including Gnostic writings mentioned Jesus a lot. A world religion is not normally started by followers of a myth
Rev. TomCat
2007-09-28 22:28:07 · answer #4 · answered by Rev. TomCat 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
To be perfectly honest with you, I can't show irrefutable proof of the historicity of Theodore Roosevelt.
There is much about which I am uncertain.
2007-09-28 22:24:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Jesus can be proven with crosreferencing roman documents from his era. bit they wont contain any reference of him being devine.
as for god. its a bit of a fuitile discussion isnt it? you cannot prove god to exist because to prove, you need irrefutible evidince, which is hard to collect on an entity that cannot be perceived.
2007-09-28 22:23:50 · answer #6 · answered by mrzwink 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
hmm I'm the first to answer huh, well I'm guessing that your going to get alot of he is all around us" type anwers, but here is what I have learned , there was alot of known people that wrote in that time we have records of this, but none of these people ever said a thing about jesus and I think this guy would have made headlines, as far as a god, every civilization in the history of history has had gods, reason to explain things that they could not, ex. there was a god that took the sun across the sky, ex there was a god that mad it rain, who are we to say that these old gods (like the greek gods) are just fable maybe their all real and you wrong.
2007-09-28 22:26:45 · answer #7 · answered by Joshua S 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
There are records. The entire Bible is a living testament of His history, before He came in the flesh and after.
http://www.schneblin.com/studies/pdfs/in_the_volume_of_the_book.pdf
As for outside sources, I will save space and send my findings to my blog site...
http://schnebin.blogspot.com/2007/09/sources-outside-of-bible.html
As for your second question. Study this...
http://schnebin.blogspot.com/2007/04/proof-of-god.html
“Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen..." - Joh 3:11
2007-09-28 22:27:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
easily, its all around you..
I have made it plain for you to see, so when you are judged you will be held accoutable...NT Epshesians
And will this same question be applied to you in the next millenium? Or do we just use your old ssn
2007-09-28 22:25:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Ever read the gospels?
2007-09-28 22:33:14 · answer #10 · answered by Steve Amato 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋