NO HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF JESUS

Edited By Hugh Fogelman & John Stone

There is no historical reference to Jesus’ life, death or the crucifixion―nothing at all. John E. Remsburg, in his classic book The Christ: A Critical Review and Analysis of the Evidence of His Existence ¹ lists the following contemporary historians/writers who lived during the time, or within a century after the time, that Jesus was supposed to have lived:

Apollonius Persius Appian Petronius
Arrian Phaedrus Aulus Gellius Philo-Judaeus
Columella Phlegon Damis Pliny the Elder
Dio Chrysostom Pliny the Younger Dion Pruseus Plutarch
Epictetus Pompon Mela Favorinus Ptolemy
Florus Lucius Quintilian Hermogones Quintius Curtius
Josephus Seneca Justus of Tiberius Silius Italicus
Juvenal Statius Lucanus Suetonius
Lucian Tacitus Lysias Theon of Smyran
Martial Valerius Flaccus Paterculus Valerius Maximus
Pausanias

According to Remsburg, “Enough of the writings of the authors named in the foregoing list remains to form a library. Yet in this mass of Jewish and Pagan literature, aside from two forged passages in the works of a Jewish author, and two disputed passages in the works of Roman writers, there is to be found no mention of Jesus Christ.” Nor, we may add, do any of these authors make note of the Disciples or Apostles; increasing the embarrassment from the silence of history concerning the foundation of Christianity. In other words, the only information of the life of Jesus comes from Christian believers.

Logic would dictate that if all the miracles which Jesus performed or surrounded him:

1. Being born of a virgin mother;

2. Three Magi following the brightest star forever to see the demigod;

3. The slaying of the innocent babies;

4. Raising the dead, healing the blind and lame;

4. Having the sky turn to blackness when Jesus died;

5. Earthquakes in the region;

6. The dead Jewish saints coming out of their graves going to Jerusalem; and

7. The Resurrection.

that at least one of these world headline news events would have at least a small mention by at least one of the foregoing historian and writers. But, NO, they are totally silent! 

Only Christian writers wrote about this. Do you think they were biased? Were the stories true or did these writers just continue the myth? Were they trying to promote a new religion, based upon Paul using the Jesus’ myth? 

And so the fiction continues to this day. Christian apologist Josh McDowell, in his book, Evidence That Demands a Verdict is a book full of falsehoods, which attempts to masquerade as “documented historical fact” and rumors are passed off as “Bible Truth.” McDowell had to revise his thesis several times before publishing it.  It seems some of his “Evidence” was not of good report. His arguments were weak, at best. So many Christians, especially pastors and ministers will make the claim that Jesus was either a “liar, lunatic or lord. Unfortunately that list ignores the most likely possibility ―”Fictional Character.”

Pastors today, quote that statement whenever they talk to a person who disbelieves in Jesus. Once I remember that my wife’s pastor made the same assertion, “Was Jesus a fraud, a liar, a lunatic?” Isn’t it strange that they all forget that even Jesus’ direct family thought Jesus was mad? And Mary, his mother never thought of him as “devine.” 

ABC News, and Peter Jennngs could not go far enough in their presentation a few years ago of the Historical Jesus. Jennings presentation did not convince his audience without any benefit of doubt that Jesus existed, other than in mythical form.  Dr. James Kennedy, of Orlando, Fla. (The famous Presbyterian minister who several Doctorate degrees in Theology and former aid to Billy Grahams) also, could not come up with any real evidence on his TV show to refute Peter Jennings...or others from Oxford University on the lack of historical evidence.   

Evangelical Christians will not accept real proof, for they feel the professors at Oxford and anywhere else who claim Jesus did not exist are liberals or an atheist of sorts.

The reasoning of the Jew is that given the complete lack of historical evidence for Jesus he most probably did not exist. Christians have said, ‘OK...let’s see how consistent you are in the application of that reasoning.” They will then ask the Jew to provide for him historical evidence for the existence of selected characters in the Hebrew Scriptures.

In the above scenario, the Christian hasn’t denied anything hence hasn’t compromised their position, but only tries to show that the argument of the Jew compromises his position or commits him to a logical fallacy. Consider these 2 claims – either:

1. The Jew is able to provide historical evidence for the existence of those selected characters in his Bible. OR,
2. The Jew is unable to provide historical evidence for the existence of those selected characters in his Bible.

If (1) then the Jew’s position remains strong.
If (2) then the Jew must concede that by the self same reasoning he applied to Jesus those selected characters also most probably did not exist.

Ah, but Christians forget that they have already agreed with the Hebrew Bible that the episodes, which are told in Hebrew Bible, actually happened. That is why an interpreted version of the Hebrew Bible is located at the front of their bible for reference and authority. So the Hebrew Bible is immune to certain counter arguments that their Bible is still subject to. In other words, Jews do not have to defend their Bible because Christianity has already said it is Holy. It cannot be partly Holy – if so, which parts are holy and which parts are fiction? And who decides? No, it is all Holy, from God.

Those 21 great writers of the Greco-Roman world, whose combined work would fill a library did not write or allude to any thesis that god became man, walked the earth, died and was resurrected, and etc. There is not a single third party historical witness for confirmation, and not one single mention of a god walking the earth in any of the volumes of the combined work from the great writers of the period.  

Again, I restate the obvious, yet in this mass of literature, “aside from two forged passages in the works of a Jewish author, and two disputed passages in the works of Roman writers, there is to be found no mention of Jesus Christ.” Nor, do any of these authors make note of the Disciples or Apostles; increasing the embarrassment from the silence of history concerning the foundation of Christianity. In other words, the only information on the life of Jesus comes from Christian believers.

This alone should make anyone think twice before swallowing―hook, line and sinker―the Christian dead-man god myth.

 FOOTNOTE:

1. The Christ: A Critical Review and Analysis of the Evidence of His Existence, John E. Remsburg, The Truth Seeker Company, NY, pp. 24-25),

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