Historical Jesus

Historical Jesus. Randall Niles investigates the evidence for Jesus outside the Bible.

Visit http://www.allaboutthejourney.org/historical-jesus.htm for more extra-biblical accounts of Jesus of Nazareth.

Also, go to http://www.RandallNiles.com/videos.htm to watch more videos about the historical Jesus!

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Jesus Christ
• Historical Jesus
• Jesus of Nazareth
• Sources for Jesus
• Jesus and the Bible
• Randall Niles
• Gospel Accounts

[reflect7]

Hey Johny --

Thanks again for the post -- See my other response below. Curious, why do you trust Wikipedia's version of Philo, but reject the surviving accounts of Josephus, Tacitus, Seutonius, etc.? Just curious...

[johnycannuk]

What about Philo of Alexandria? He didn't mention any thing and he was contemporaneous. And a historian. And the originator of 'Logos' that was co-opted in the book of John?

Sorry, none of you sources hold up to scrutiny - either hte passages were faked (Josephus, Tacticus, Suetonius and possibly Pliny) or not contemporaneous - Lucian et al.

Sorry, not evidence.

[reflect7]

Thanks Johny --

Where did you get that notion that Philo originated the concept of Logos contemporaneous with John? Logos was circulating through Greek thought for centuries prior to Philo -- He just adopted the concept in his writings related to Judaism -- Actually, Philo makes my point -- Heraclitus probably established the term in Western philosophy as meaning both the source and fundamental order of the cosmos. The sophists, stoics, and Hellenists used the term. Even Aristotle.

[reflect7]

The non-Christian historical accounts of Cornelius Tacitus, Flavius Josephus, Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, Mara Bar-Serapion, Lucan of Samosata, and even the writings of the extremely biased Jewish Sanhedrin all vindicate the Biblical accounts of the life and death of Jesus Christ in the first century AD.

[reflect7]

In addition to the nine New Testament authors who wrote about Jesus in separate accounts, I found at least twenty additional early Christian authors, four heretical writings, and seven non-Christian sources that make explicit mention of Jesus in their writings within 150 years of his life. This amounts to a minimum of 40 authors, all of whom explicitly mention Jesus and the expansion of a spiritual movement in his name.

[tjhartinger]

does any of this prove that he was the son of god? no.

[harsectinal]

check your sources guy pliny the younger and the other greco-roman sources you mention all reference early christians not a historical jesus as a person. Just because early sources mention christians does not mean jesus existed in a historical sense. The other faiths that you mention(aside from islam) don't mention jesus the person at all and i'm sure that your not hoping to mention other myths as corroborative evidence of a real person.

[topher1184]

jancoetzer12, you are willfully ignorant, and an idiot... Grow some balls and think for yourself, creationism is proven false, the bible has been shown to be rubbish, and Jesus never really existed... Grow up

[jancoetzer12]

You don't need proof of the Lord Jesus Christ's existance. I rely entirely on faith! I am a firm beliver!

[martin2088]

smal brain

[Jeanmarie63126]

Did this guy you saw have a huge following? I'm not saying this is all out and out proof of his divinity, I'm just saying it is quite interesting to say the least.

[bsmahoney]

Even if "Jesus" did exist, is their any extra biblical proof of divinity. So what if a guy who fits the description of the man in the N.T. existed. That doesn't prove he wasn't just a wandering loon saying he was the "Messiah". Lots of false assumptions have caught on and assumed the identity of truth over the years. Theres no reason Christianity didn't start in such a way. I actually met a guy like that in central park last year, and I didn't believe him anymore than I believe the bible.

[99minerkc]

Jesus may well have existed and if he did, so what? It's the PROOF of his divinity that I want to see!! That's where the religious authorities shy away from making claims as they know it's ALL BASED ON FAITH then(this clown included)!!!!

[trehansen]

Where is it physically documented? There are not writings by him, no first hand accounts. All there is is second hand accounts by people who DID NOT live during his time, compiled hundreds years after he died.

We know Julius Ceasar existed because there are actual documents we have that are written by his hand. There are first hand accounts of people who lived during the same time as Ceasar, who wrote about him. That is the difference.

Jesus may have existed, but it is not conclusive.

[jcwatch23]

Jesus existed period. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. You say that the history recorded about him is false. Then why isn't the history recorded about other men thousands of years ago (including the same time as Jesus) false also? You believe in some history writings that have the same amount of "proof" but not others? How does that even make sense? Not to mention Jesus's existence is physically documented in Israel. People give up the ignorance and lies they don't look good on you.