Jesus Knows Just How You Feel
The evidence is overwhelming. Jesus Christ Actually Existed.
Did Jesus Really Be? Where is the proof from non-Bible sources that he is real?
These questions and others like it are often asked by Bible skeptics and atheists alike. This article will show that not only is there historical evidence (from secular sources every bit well equally Christian) that Jesus Christ was real and existed, but also that Jesus Christ is the most documented and historically verifiable effigy in antiquity.
Historical Evidence of Jesus Christ's Beingness From Sources Outside the Bible
Non Biblical sources
Jospehus did non believe Jesus was the Son of God. But he wrote about him.
There are many secular historians who lived in the century later the death of Jesus Christ who confirmed his existence. Hither are some of them:
Flavius Josephus
Co-ordinate to his Wikipedia entry: "Titus Flavius Josephus (37 – c. 100), was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century Advertizement and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 70."
His most important works were The Jewish State of war (c. 75) and Antiquities of the Jews (c. 94). The Jewish War recounts the Jewish revolt against Roman occupation (66–70). Antiquities of the Jews recounts the history of the earth from a Jewish perspective for an ostensibly Roman audience. These works provide valuable insight into 1st century Judaism and the groundwork of Early Christianity.
Josephus was a Jew who did not believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God or Christianity. In The Antiquities of the Jews, book 18, chapter 3, paragraph 3 the famous historian Flavius Josephus writes:
"Now, at that place was virtually this time Jesus, a wise man, if information technology be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works—a teacher of such men equally receive the truth with pleasance. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the proposition of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cantankerous , those that loved him at the offset did not abdicate him, for he appeared to them alive once more the third day, every bit 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 24-hour interval." (source)
Later on Josephus writes:
"But the younger Ananus who, as we said, received the loftier priesthood, was of a bold disposition and uncommonly daring; he followed the party of the Sadducees, who are astringent in judgment above all the Jews, every bit we have already shown. As therefore Ananus was of such a disposition, he thought he had now a good opportunity, as Festus was now expressionless, and Albinus was however on the road; so he assembled a council of judges, and brought earlier information technology the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ, whose proper name was James, together with some others, and having accused them as law-breakers, he delivered them over to be stoned." (source)
Josephus considered one of the greatest historians of antiquity, independently provides proof and evidence that Jesus was a existent person who did exist and also confirms the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross nether the orders of Pontius Pilate, thus confirming the Biblical account as well.
Tacitus
Cornelius Tacitus was a Roman Historian who lived from 55-120AD. In 115 Advert, P. Cornelius Tacitus wrote the post-obit passage that refers to Jesus (chosen "Christus," which means "The Messiah") in book 15, affiliate 44 of The Annals after a 6-twenty-four hours burn down burned much of Rome:
"Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the almost exquisite tortures 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 easily of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a near mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again bankrupt out not just in Judaea, the offset source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every office of the globe find their middle and become pop. Accordingly, an arrest was commencement made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was bedevilled, not and then much of the crime of firing the metropolis, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired." (source)
Despite the fact the clearly despised Christianity as a "mischievous superstition", Tacitus no less confirms once again the existence of Jesus and His crucifixion on the cross, it besides states Pontius Pilate equally the procurator who oversaw the crucifixion over again giving not-Biblical proof of Jesus' being as recorded in the Bible.
Pliny The Younger
Pliny The Younger wrote of his persecution of Christians.
Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, (61 AD – ca. 112 Advert) : "better known as Pliny the Younger, was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. According to Wikipedia: "Pliny is known for his hundreds of surviving letters, which are an invaluable historical source for the time period. Many are addressed to reigning emperors or to notables such equally the historian, Tacitus. Pliny himself was a notable figure, serving as an majestic magistrate under Trajan (reigned AD 98–117). Pliny was considered an honest and moderate man, consequent in his pursuit of suspected Christian members according to Roman police, and rose through a series of Royal ceremonious and armed services offices, the cursus honorum."
In his correspondence with the emperor Trajan (Epistulae X.96) he reported on his actions confronting the followers of Christ. He asks the Emperor for instructions dealing with Christians and explained that he forced Christians to expletive Christ under painful torturous inquisition:
"They were accustomed to see on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ equally to a god, and bound themselves to a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, only never to commit whatsoever fraud, theft, adultery, never to falsify their word, not to deny a trust when they should be called upon to evangelize it up. When this was over, information technology was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of a meal–but ordinary and innocent food." (source)
So not only was Pliny aware of Jesus Christ, he also provides description of the activities of the early church. In a afterwards writing he details persecution against Christians:
"Even this practice, however, they had abased after the publication of my edict, by which, according to your orders, I had forbidden political associations. I therefore judged it and so much more the necessary to extract the real truth, with the assistance of torture, from 2 female slaves, who were styled deaconesses: just I could notice zip more depraved and excessive superstition.
In the meanwhile, the method I take observed towards those who have denounced to me as Christians is this: I interrogated them whether they were Christians; if they confessed it I repeated the question twice again, calculation the threat of capital punishment; if they nonetheless persevered, I ordered them to be executed. For whatever the nature of their creed might be, I could at least feel not uncertainty that contumacy and inflexible obstinacy deserved chastisement. There were others possessed of the aforementioned folly; only because they were Roman citizens, I signed an guild for them to be transferred to Rome." (source)
So here we see that non but did Pliny not follow the Christian faith, he was torturing Christians and threatening decease against them. And he even records that under threat of execution (just for assertive in Jesus Christ as God) the early on church members refused to deny their organized religion in Jesus. This is remarkable evidence of Jesus' being exterior of the Bible.
Julius Africanus and Tallus
Sextus Julius Africanus (c.160 – c.240) was a Christian traveller and historian of the late 2nd and early 3rd century Advertizement. He is important chiefly because of his influence on Eusebius, on all the after writers of Church building history among the Fathers, and on the whole Greek schoolhouse of chroniclers
Julius Africanus quotes the writings of Tallus, who was a outset century non-Christian historian. In his Chronicles, Africanus quoting the historian Tallus, explains the reason for information technology beingness then dark during the day time on the day of crucifixion of Jesus Christ:
"An eclipse of the sun'unreasonably, every bit information technology seems to me (unreasonably of grade, considering a solar eclipse could not have place at the time of the full moon, and it was at the season of the Paschal full moon that Christ died." Julius Africanus, Chronography, 18.
The importance of this quote is 2 fold as it shows: 1) non-Christian proof of Jesus' existence and 2) yet another confirmation of the Bible'south account of Jesus' crucifixion. The Bible states in reference to the fourth dimension Jesus was put on the cross: "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour" The "sixth hour" is noon and the 9th 60 minutes is 3:00PM. Thus nosotros meet that the historian Thallus was trying to explicate the odd occurrence of the sky being dark at apex during the crucifxion of Jesus equally an eclipse. Africanus likewise quotes the secular scholar Phlegon, a Greek Historian who lived in the 2nd century Ad and likewise wrote of an eclipse occuring on the day Jesus was crucified. This once more provides proof from a non-Christian source that confirms the account of Jesus being a real person who lived as well as confirming the account of His crucifixion straight from the Bible.
Lucian of Samosate
Lucian (Born 115 Advertisement) was a well-known Greek satirist and traveling lecturer. More than than eighty works bear his name. He mocked Christians in his writing, but at the same time provided evidence that Jesus actually did be:
"He was second just to that i whom they still worship today, the man in Palestine who was crucified because he brought this new course of initiation into the globe."
"Having convinced themselves that they are immortal and will live forever, the poor wretches despise death and most willingly give themselves to information technology. Moreover, that first lawgiver of theirs persuaded them that they are all brothers the moment they transgress and deny the Greek gods and begin worshiping that crucified sophist and living by his laws."
"They scorn all possessions without distinction and treat them as customs holding. They have such things on faith lonely, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes amidst them, he can make himself rich in a brusk fourth dimension."
So once again, fifty-fifty though Lucian does not mention Jesus by proper name, there is no dubiousness he is speaking of the Jesus equally he confirms: i) that he was crucified in "Palestine" (the proper noun of Israel at that time), 2) had followers who believed in eternal life and 3) that they were all equal in Jesus Christ. Lucian even mentions that Christians deny all other gods and believe on "religion alone." This once again is all in accordance with the Bible'southward articulate statements nigh the Christian religion and provides even more evidence from exterior of the Bible that Jesus, the "man in Palestine" did actually exist.
Seutonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus ordinarily known as Suetonius (ca. 69/75 – after 130), was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian society in the early Purple era. His nigh important surviving work is a set of biographies of twelve successive Roman rulers, from Julius Caesar to Domitian, entitled De Vita Caesarum. The description of his writings states:
The emperor Claudius reigned 41 to 54 AD. Suetonius reports his dealings with the eastern Roman Empire, that is, with Greece and Republic of macedonia, and with the Lycians, Rhodians, and Trojans. He so reports that the emperor expelled the Jews from Rome, since they "constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Christ" (Judaeos impulsore Chresto assidue tumultuantis Roma expulit). The proper noun appears in manuscripts of Suetonius as Chrestus, a course likewise used by the Roman historian Tacitus to refer to Chrestiani. (source)
Skeptics will bespeak to the different spelling to say "that's not Jesus he's talking about!" but again, with the totality of testify, it'due south very obvious that followers of Jesus in the Roman Empire were persecuted by Roman authorities. So it certainly falls in line with the other historical accounts. And there are a number of sources the support the history of Christians in the Roman empire who followed Jesus Christ and being punished for it.
The Bible is Historical Proof That Jesus Existed
The amount of New Attestation manuscript prove of Jesus Christ is greater than whatever other figure in artifact.
There is a bang-up logical fallacy among Bible skeptics, atheists and those who like to challenge Christianity that says when discussing the historical aspects of the Bible "yous can't utilise the Bible as proof that Jesus existed. You must use not-Bible sources!!" To which this writer says, "why not?" The four Gospels of the Bible are bibliographical accounts of the life of Jesus. The normal objective measure of the reliability of historical documents is: i) The number of bachelor copies of ancient manuscripts and two) the fourth dimension span between the original version and the date of those copies still in existence today. When examined under this standard, the Bible proves to provide a treasure trove of proof and bear witness that Jesus really existed.
Some of the earliest manuscript fragments of the New Attestation are the John Rylands Fragment, Chester Beatty Papyrus and the Bodmer Papyrus which were written between l-100AD. Copies of these papyri were reproduced in 125-200AD, meaning that the fourth dimension span between the originals and the copies still in being today is 29 years to 130 years, putting all these manuscripts beings written anywhere from fifty-100 years after the death of Jesus Christ. Now some may object and say "Hold on! These manuscripts were written years later on Jesus died. At that place's no way they could be reliable!" Just any expert on ancient documents would disagree.
Let's await at some of the more famous and universally accepted historical documents and see how they match upwardly with the Bible:
Plato — Plato wrote his works from 427-347 BC. The earliest manuscript re-create of Plato'southward writing in being today was written in 900 AD. That is 1,200 years later Plato's death! And at that place are only 2 copies of these manuscripts in existence. (source)
Julius Caesar — Ane of the most historic and trusted historical figures. Caesar lived from 100-44 BC and the earliest manuscript re-create of his writings dates back to 900 AD, putting our best evidence of Caesar ever existing ane,000 years after his decease. And there are ten copies of ancient manuscripts of Caesar's Gallic Wars. (source) Then if you question the Bible based on when information technology was written, being "translated so many times" (it was non – we still have the same Greek manuscripts today) and nevertheless question whether Jesus existed, then you must also be really certain that Julius Caesar and Plato were completely fictional characters and never actually existed.
Homer — Homer, who historians are not fifty-fifty certain ever really existed even today, is credited with writing the Iliad in ca 900 BC. The primeval manuscript copy of the Iliad dates to 400 BC. Meaning the only proof of Homer or the Iliad existence accurate is from 500 years after the death of Homer. Additionally there are 643 copies of ancient manuscripts of the Iliad written over the centuries that when compared against each other by experts accept a 95.iii consistency and accurateness, making it i of the most reliable and proven documents of antiquity. (source)
That is of course, until you compare it to the New Testament. The New Testament manuscripts date to less than 100 years after the death of Christ. Additionally there are over 5,600 ancient manuscript copies of the New Testament giving it more copies to a caste that dwarfs any other figure of aboriginal history (to view actual copies of some of these ancient manuscripts, see hither). And they have a 99% accurateness when compared to each other. The evidence is not even comparable. And it all points to Jesus Christ. The record of the life, ministry building, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has more than evidence and proof than whatsoever other person from antiquity.
The Proof and Evidence is Clear – Jesus Christ Really Existed
The most amazing conclusion in all of this is not that Jesus really existed — it is that He even so exists. And He sits in Heaven at the right hand of God offer forgiveness to those who will not just believe He was a regular man, but that He as the Son of God, gave His life on that same cross that so many historians knew most, to take the punishment for sins that all of humanity has committed. It just takes faith and trust in that sacrifice to receive him. Jesus said: Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open up the door, I volition come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set downwards with my Father in his throne. – Revelation iii:20-21.
Jesus wants us to believe in Him so we can be freely forgiven of the sins we have committed in our lives, accept eternal life and reign with Him. So now that information technology is established that He existed, why not take the time to become to know Jesus Christ and who He said He is from His historically-verifiable perspective? Your eternal life may depend on information technology.
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Source: https://beginningandend.com/jesus-exist-historical-evidence-jesus-christ/
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