Need historical documents for Jesus

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StephenL

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Hello, at my school there is a kid who asked where is this historical evidence of Jesus? I know there is such evidence. So could give me a link to some articles dealing on the subject?
Thank you and God Bless you.
 
the said:
All the historians mentioned in the video were writing 65-90 years after Jesus died.

Not really, its just an argument against some guys thoughts on what Paul wrote.
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FYI I am not trying to be a jerk but I am looking for answers supporting Jesus.
 
You could get a copy of the book written by Josephus from the Library (or borrow it via the Library of Congress). He was a Jew who wrote a History of the Jewish Wars – for the Romans. However, he seems to write about Jesus as an actual person, and even mentions His miracles, crucifixion and Resurrection as though they are factual. He wrote around the time the Romans finally destroyed Jerusalem and attacked the last Jews holding out at Masada. About 60 years, I think, after the Crucifixion, and he supposedly interviewed Jews who had witnessed these events. It’s translated to English, and although it may not be a great proof that Jesus was the Messiah and Son of God, it is a historical document which treats of Jesus and the events around Him as historical fact. Good luck!🙂
 
OP, I don’t see why we shouldn’t first start with the historical evidence of the bible:

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Author of Hebrews, James, Peter, and Jude.

So that’s 9 writers, and none of these sources would have come after 70AD, as they lack any mention of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem as a past fact, which would be absurd given the significance of the temple in both Judaism and Christianity.

And as for extra-biblical evidence, there’s Thallus, Josephus, Tacitus, Suetonius, Pliny the Younger, Mara Bar-Serapion, the Babylonian Talmud and Lucian. A google search would fill in some knowledge about these sources, although I would recommend researching this with a book on the subject from a good library.
the said:
All the historians mentioned in the video were writing 65-90 years after Jesus died.
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A pagan roman historian named Thallus makes reference to Christ, and most scholars date his writings to about 50 AD.

Of course I might have to wonder how it is you know when Jesus of Nazareth was crucified at all if your questioning the legitimacy of these historical writings. And perhaps I was wrong to respond at all since you didn’t make a point…
 
the said:
All the historians mentioned in the video were writing 65-90 years after Jesus died.
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And? If I wrote about World War 1 after talking to my great grandfather would it mean that WWI didn’t happen since I was writing about an event that happened 60 years before I was born? What if my writings were based on letters he had written that are now lost?

Yes, one might call into question the providence of the information, but it does not in of itself disprove that the event happened.
 
Usige said:
And? If I wrote about World War 1 after talking to my great grandfather would it mean that WWI didn’t happen since I was writing about an event that happened 60 years before I was born? What if my writings were based on letters he had written that are now lost?

Yes, one might call into question the providence of the information, but it does not in of itself disprove that the event happened.
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Sure it doesn’t disprove it but I would probably doubt there was a “World War” if the only source was one guy who claimed to have read letters from his great grandfather.
 
And now Caesar, upon hearing the death of Festus, sent Albinus into Judea, as procurator.
But the king deprived Joseph of the high priesthood , and bestowed the succession to that
dignity on the son of Ananus,who was also himself called Ananus…Festus was now dead,
and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the sanhedrin of judges, and brought
before them the brother of Jesus,who was called Christ,whose name was James,and some
others; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he de-
livered them to be stoned.
  • Flavius Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews Book 20, Chapter 9.1
Bit on John the Baptist
Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod’s army came from God, and that very justly,
as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod slew him, who was a
good man…Herod,who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his power
and inclination to raise a rebellion…Accordingly he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod’s suspicious temper,
to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was there put to death.
Flavius Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews Book 18.5.2 -

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 paradoxical works - a teacher of such men as take pleasure in receiving the truth. He
drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. “The Christ” was this man;
and when Pilate,at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us,had condemned him to the
cross, those that loved him at 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 con-
cerning him; and the tribe of “Christians” so named after him, are not extinct at this day.
  • Flavius Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews Book 18.3.3
 
Oh, and here’s a historical account
of the grandchildren of Saint Jude,
CLOSE RELATIVE of Jesus:

(From Wikipedia)**
Descendants of Saint Jude
**
Hegesippus, a 2nd-century Christian writer, mentions descendants
of Jude living in the reign of Domitian ( 81-96 ). Eusebius relates in
his Historia Ecclesiae ( Book III, ch. 19-20 ): "But when this same Domitian had commanded that the descendants of David should be slain, an ancient tradition says that some of the heretics brought accusation against the descendants of Jude (said to have been a brother of the Saviour according to the flesh), on the ground that they were of the lineage of David and were related to Christ himself. Hegesippus relates these facts in the following words.
"Of the family of the Lord there were still living the grandchildren of Jude, who is said to have been the Lord’s brother according to the flesh.“Information was given that they belonged to the family of David, and they were brought to the Emperor Domitian by the Evocatus. For Domitian feared the coming of Christ as Herod also had feared it. And he asked them if they were descendants of David, and they confessed that they were. Then he asked them how much property they had, or how much money they owned. And both of them answered that they had only nine thousand denarii, half of which belonged to each of them;and this property did not consist of silver, but of a piece of land which contained only thirty-nine acres, and from which they raised their taxes and supported themselves by their own labor.”
Then they showed their hands, exhibiting the hardness of their bodies and the callousness produced upon their hands by continuous toil as evidence of their own labor. And when they were asked concerning Christ and his kingdom, of what sort it was and where and when it was to appear, they answered that it was not a temporal nor an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly and angelic one, which would appear at the end of the world, when he should come in glory to judge the quick and the dead, and to give unto every one according to his works. Upon hearing this, Domitian did not pass judgment against them, but, despising them as of no account, he let them go, and by a decree put a stop to the persecution of the Church.
But when they were released they ruled the churches because they were witnesses and were also relatives of the Lord. And peace being established, they lived until the time of Trajan. These things are related by Hegesippus.[6]
​
Eusebius also relates (in Book III, ch. 32,5f.), that they suffered martyrdom under the Emperor Trajan.
Epiphanius of Salamis, in his Panarion, mentions a Judah Kyriakos, great grandson of Jude, as last
Jewish Bishop of Jerusalem, that lived beyond Bar Kokhba’s revolt.
 
Josephus wrote against Apion “I have written concerning the antiquity of our nation, while they take it for plain sign that our nation is of a late date because they are not so much vouchsafed a bare mention by the most famous historiographers among the Grecians…”

So the question is does the lack of historical evidence from certain classes of historians, invalidate history? In the case of the Jews it was expected from Greek historians, but this did not invalidate the antiquity of the Jews. In the case of Jesus Christ the expectation is that there should be historical evidence from the Roman historians, but this does not invalidate the existence of Jesus, especially as one has pointed out, we have a vast amount of proof in the Gospels written by people who were recording events to vouchsafe.

If they had printing presses in those days they would be able to propagate (spread seed) information as we can today, through media, but I thank God they didn’t have it because it would be the Jewish authorities that controlled that with their propaganda, instead of the Word communicated through the people.

The information we know about Medes and Persians is primarily derived from one source, Herodotus. But we believe his history, though he had never been there and only got his information third hand, and I do find some of it suspect, but we have no choice but to believe him.

Josephus is an historian, who had to validate the antiquity of the Jews, because the Greeks had no reference in their histories.

And Josephus also says Antiquities Book 18 3:3 “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 receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him many of the Jews, and Gentiles. He was Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal 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.”
 
Non Christian Jewish evidence that mentions Jesus within 150 years of his death
Extra Biblical Christian evidence that mentions Jesus within 150 years of his death
Secular or pagan sources that mention Jesus within 150 years of his death
New Testament books that mention Jesus
 
Non Christian Jewish evidence that mentions Jesus within 150 years of his death
Extra Biblical Christian evidence that mentions Jesus within 150 years of his death
Secular or pagan sources that mention Jesus within 150 years of his death
New Testament books that mention Jesus
 
Non Christian Jewish evidence that mentions Jesus within 150 years of his death
Extra Biblical Christian evidence that mentions Jesus within 150 years of his death
Secular or pagan sources that mention Jesus within 150 years of his death
New Testament books that mention Jesus
 
Non Christian Jewish evidence that mentions Jesus within 150 years of his death
Extra Biblical Christian evidence that mentions Jesus within 150 years of his death
Secular or pagan sources that mention Jesus within 150 years of his death
New Testament books that mention Jesus
 
Non Christian Jewish evidence that mentions Jesus within 150 years of his death
Extra Biblical Christian evidence that mentions Jesus within 150 years of his death
Secular or pagan sources that mention Jesus within 150 years of his death
New Testament books that mention Jesus
 
Non Christian Jewish evidence that mentions Jesus within 150 years of his death
Extra Biblical Christian evidence that mentions Jesus within 150 years of his death
Secular or pagan sources that mention Jesus within 150 years of his death
New Testament books that mention Jesus
 
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