Many people wonder if there is evidence outside of the Bible for the historical Jesus revealed. They argue about whether He ever actually even lived. Although the New Testament accounts describe His life and teachings in detail, they do not provide a lot of historical proof. Fortunately, there are plenty of such secular sources available as well as archaeological evidence.
Historic accounts of His day are the primary place to search for evidence. There are numerous historians who describe Him and some of the events of His life. One of these is Tacitus, a Roman historian who wrote in 115 A. D. About the terrible fire that engulfed Rome. When explaining that Nero blamed the fire on the early Christians, Tacitus explained that they followed, Christos, a man who had been crucified by Pontius Pilate. Tacitus might have had access to official reports, even those sent by Pontius Pilate, on which to base his writings.
The Roman Emperor Vespasian had a court historian named Josephus. Josephus was Jewish and his history contains a lot about the events and people who lived in Palestine during the first century A. D. He mentioned a godly man named Jesus who could do wonders and who also rose from the dead. Josephus postulated that perhaps this was the Messiah foretold by the Old Testament prophets.
Another historian who wrote about Him was a Roman named Thallus. Thallus lived around 50 A. D. And recorded the fact of His crucifixion. He wrote that a great darkness fell at the same time of the crucifixion, around noon time, which he felt was due to an eclipse.
Pliny the Younger was a Roman official who wrote about Him. As governor of Phrygia, a region of Asia Minor, he knew all about the people and customs there. In 112 A. D., the Christians had begun worshiping Him as a deity and Pliny mentioned that fact in his writings.
The Talmud, a highly venerated book of the Jewish religion, also mentions Him. The Talmud states that on the eve of Passover, Yeshu was hanged because he had practiced sorcery and apostasy. Instead of being hanged, though, he was crucified which shows that the Romans carried out the execution. Another Talmudic reference states that he was around 33 years old when he died. The Jews do not accept His deity and did not have anything to gain from writing about Him in their holy books, which makes the Talmud a very reliable source of proof that Jesus was alive.
Until recently, historians could not prove whether the chief priest mentioned in the Gospels, Caiaphas, ever existed. Then in the late 1990s, an ancient burial tomb was unearthed by construction workers. Engravings over the burial tomb showed that it was owned by the Caiaphas family. The remains of an old man in a coffin were also found inside the tomb. The name on the coffin included the name, Caiaphas, and gave him a title suitable for a high priest.
Solid evidence for the historical Jesus revealed is substantiated in numerous historical records. These include Jewish as well as Roman historians. It can also be supported by archaeological evidence such as the burial tomb of Caiaphas. This is plenty of secular proof for those who feel the Gospels are lacking in historical evidence.
Historic accounts of His day are the primary place to search for evidence. There are numerous historians who describe Him and some of the events of His life. One of these is Tacitus, a Roman historian who wrote in 115 A. D. About the terrible fire that engulfed Rome. When explaining that Nero blamed the fire on the early Christians, Tacitus explained that they followed, Christos, a man who had been crucified by Pontius Pilate. Tacitus might have had access to official reports, even those sent by Pontius Pilate, on which to base his writings.
The Roman Emperor Vespasian had a court historian named Josephus. Josephus was Jewish and his history contains a lot about the events and people who lived in Palestine during the first century A. D. He mentioned a godly man named Jesus who could do wonders and who also rose from the dead. Josephus postulated that perhaps this was the Messiah foretold by the Old Testament prophets.
Another historian who wrote about Him was a Roman named Thallus. Thallus lived around 50 A. D. And recorded the fact of His crucifixion. He wrote that a great darkness fell at the same time of the crucifixion, around noon time, which he felt was due to an eclipse.
Pliny the Younger was a Roman official who wrote about Him. As governor of Phrygia, a region of Asia Minor, he knew all about the people and customs there. In 112 A. D., the Christians had begun worshiping Him as a deity and Pliny mentioned that fact in his writings.
The Talmud, a highly venerated book of the Jewish religion, also mentions Him. The Talmud states that on the eve of Passover, Yeshu was hanged because he had practiced sorcery and apostasy. Instead of being hanged, though, he was crucified which shows that the Romans carried out the execution. Another Talmudic reference states that he was around 33 years old when he died. The Jews do not accept His deity and did not have anything to gain from writing about Him in their holy books, which makes the Talmud a very reliable source of proof that Jesus was alive.
Until recently, historians could not prove whether the chief priest mentioned in the Gospels, Caiaphas, ever existed. Then in the late 1990s, an ancient burial tomb was unearthed by construction workers. Engravings over the burial tomb showed that it was owned by the Caiaphas family. The remains of an old man in a coffin were also found inside the tomb. The name on the coffin included the name, Caiaphas, and gave him a title suitable for a high priest.
Solid evidence for the historical Jesus revealed is substantiated in numerous historical records. These include Jewish as well as Roman historians. It can also be supported by archaeological evidence such as the burial tomb of Caiaphas. This is plenty of secular proof for those who feel the Gospels are lacking in historical evidence.
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