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| A List Of Extra-biblical Sources For The Biblical Jesus by OLAADEGBU(m): 10:50am On Sep 18, 2017 |
Here is a list of 19 sources we have for Jesus outside of the books in the Bible. The historical existence of Jesus is no longer debated among academic scholars: http://reasonsforjesus.com/a-list-of-extra-biblical-sources-for-the-historical-jesus/ 1 Like 2 Shares |
| Re: A List Of Extra-biblical Sources For The Biblical Jesus by OLAADEGBU(m): 3:24pm On Oct 05, 2017 |
OLAADEGBU: Jewish Sources 1. Josephus Flavius (95 AD) Perhaps the earliest non-Biblical account of Jesus comes from the 1st century historian Josephus Flavius. The Gospel of John, our latest Gospel coming in at +- 60 years after Jesus death (30 AD) comes very close to Flavius' account. Nevertheless, this great Jewish writer from the 1st century attests to an important fact that James, the brother of Jesus, was martyred. In his work Antiquities 20 v.9, we read: "…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 delivered them to be stoned." Now, before we look at the next reference we should note that the above reference to Jesus' brother is, according to the world's leading Josephus Flavius scholar, Louis Feldman "almost universally acknowledged," and thus beyond dispute. Here we have a legitimate reference to the historical Jesus and his brother. Now, the other reference we find in the Testimonium Flavium. Scholars have rightfully noted that the reference to Jesus in the text is suspicious since it mentions Jesus in a way that a Jew of the likes of Josephus, who was particularly unsympathetic towards Jesus or early Christianity, would never mention him. It is as if Josephus exalts Jesus more than he should, and the result is that scholars have questioned its authenticity, and thus concluded that it is a Christian interpolation. However, scholars unanimously agree that Josephus did mention Jesus in the original before altered copy. But fortunately scholars have managed to reconstruct what they think the original writing of the Testionium Flavium actually looked and read like, they suggest the following: "Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man. For he was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. And he gained a following both among many Jews and many of Greek origin. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day." According to another authoritative Jewish scholar, by the name of Geza Vermes, the reconstructed edition of the Testimonium provides Josephus' authentic portrayal of Jesus, depicting him as a wise teacher and miracle worker with an enthusiastic group of followers who remained faithful to him after his crucifixion by Pilate, up to the time of Josephus. According to scholar Michael Bird "Authors like Josephus, Pliny the Younger, Suetonius and Tacitus from the late first and early second century wrote about Jesus too… [which] sounds pretty early to me, as least in comparison to other historical figures." So, what facts can we get about Jesus from these two references? We find that Jesus lived in the first century, that he was an allegedly wise man, that he was a teacher and did startling and unusual deeds, that men believed that he taught the truth, that he gained a following of many Jews and many Greeks, that Pontius Pilate condemned him to the cross, that some were loyal to him and never forsook him, and that from him Christianity branched out and amassed a large following. That's at least 8 facts, most of which are reported and confirmed within the New Testament. |
| Re: A List Of Extra-biblical Sources For The Biblical Jesus by OLAADEGBU(m): 4:24pm On Oct 06, 2017 |
OLAADEGBU: 2. The Jewish Talmud (400 – 700 AD) The Talmud is an ancient record of Jewish history, laws, and rabbinic teachings compiled throughout the centuries, and makes several references to Jesus. As a rather hostile anti-Christian source it is no surprise that the Talmud rejects the divinity of Jesus, and rather attempts to attack his character. For example, we read in Sanhedrin 43a that: “Jesus the Nazarene practiced magic and deceived and led Israel astray.” In it we also read that: "Jesus the Nazarene was hanged and a herald went forth before him forty days heralding, Jesus the Nazarene is going forth to be stoned because he practiced sorcery and instigated and seduced Israel to idolatry. Whoever knows anything in defense may come and state it." But since they did not find anything in his defense they hanged him on (Sabbath eve and) the eve of Passover." In Sanhedrin 107 we are told that Jesus ('Yeshu') "offended his teacher by paying too much attention to the inn-keeper's wife. Jesus wished to be forgiven, but [his rabbi] was too slow to forgive him, and Jesus in despair went away and put up a brick [idol] and worshipped it.” The following verses refer to Jesus within the Talmud: • Jesus as a sorcerer with disciples (b Sanh 43a-b) • Healing in the name of Jesus (Hul 2:22f; AZ 2:22/12; y Shab 124:4/13; QohR 1:8; b AZ 27b) • As a torah teacher (b AZ 17a; Hul 2:24; QohR 1:8 ) • As a son or disciple that turned out badly (Sanh 103a/b; Ber 17b) • As a frivolous disciple who practiced magic and turned to idolatry (Sanh 107b; Sot 47a) • Jesus' punishment in afterlife (b Git 56b, 57a) • Jesus' execution (b Sanh 43a-b) • Jesus as the son of Mary (Shab 104b, Sanh 67a) To remain as objective as possible in our pursuit to know about Jesus from extra-Biblical sources I must note that many scholars do not look upon the Talmud as authoritative when trying to study the life of Jesus as they judge it far too late. For example, some scholars like Peter Schäfer think that the Talmud gets its information on Jesus from the Gospels, hence is not independent of them, while others like Paul Maier rejects accounts with no mention of the name Jesus. Maier also discounts those verses that do mention Jesus by name, such as Sanhedrin 43a and 107b, as later medieval changes. However, some scholars do think that information about Jesus can be drawn from the Talmud such as Joseph Klausner, Travers Herford, and Bernhard Pick. |
| Re: A List Of Extra-biblical Sources For The Biblical Jesus by UnchangeableGod: 9:09pm On Oct 06, 2017 |
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| Re: A List Of Extra-biblical Sources For The Biblical Jesus by OLAADEGBU(m): 6:49pm On Oct 10, 2017 |
OLAADEGBU: 3. Historian Cornelius Tacitus (116 AD) Tacitus is a significant Roman historian of whom scholars have learnt much from, we also find that he refers to Jesus in his writing. Tacitus refers to Jesus, Pontius Pilate, Jesus’ execution, and the existence of early Christians in Rome in his final work, Annals (written 116 AD). In Annals Book 15, Chapter 44 Tacitus writes "… CALLED CHRISTIANS BY THE POPULACE. CHRISTUS, FROM WHOM THE NAME HAD ITS ORIGIN …" Tacitus, along with Josephus, writes about Pilate (the prefect that judged Jesus). However, particularly significant for our cause is that Jesus is mentioned by a hostile and independent source within 100 years of his existence (roughly 80 to 85 years). Even though the majority of historians believe that Tacitus provides a unique account of Jesus some do still debate it. However, what has convinced some of his significance is that Tacitus was a member of the Quindecimviri sacris faciundis, a council of priests whose duty it was to supervise foreign religious cults in Rome. According to Van Voorst this makes it reasonable to suppose that he would have acquired knowledge of Christian origins through his work with that body, and not based off hearsay and gossip. According to the prominent historian John Crossan "That he was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be, since both Josephus and Tacitus… agree with the Christian accounts on at least that basic fact." However, the full passage reads: "Christus, the founder of the [Christian] name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius. But the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time, broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, by through the city of Rome also." We find that it confirms Jesus’ existence, that Jesus was the founder of Christianity, that there was a Roman called Pilate of whom put Jesus to death, that the Christian religion originated in Judea, and thus later spread to Rome. Thus, from Tacitus alone we can get at least six facts that back up the veracity of the New Testament epistles. |
| Re: A List Of Extra-biblical Sources For The Biblical Jesus by OLAADEGBU(m): 1:48pm On Oct 12, 2017 |
OLAADEGBU: Roman Sources 3. Historian Cornelius Tacitus (116 AD) Tacitus is a significant Roman historian of whom scholars have learnt much from, we also find that he refers to Jesus in his writing. Tacitus refers to Jesus, Pontius Pilate, Jesus' execution, and the existence of early Christians in Rome in his final work, Annals (written 116 AD). In Annals Book 15, Chapter 44 Tacitus writes "… CALLED CHRISTIANS BY THE POPULACE. CHRISTUS, FROM WHOM THE NAME HAD ITS ORIGIN …" Tacitus, along with Josephus, writes about Pilate (the prefect that judged Jesus). However, particularly significant for our cause is that Jesus is mentioned by a hostile and independent source within 100 years of his existence (roughly 80 to 85 years). Even though the majority of historians believe that Tacitus provides a unique account of Jesus some do still debate it. However, what has convinced some of his significance is that Tacitus was a member of the Quindecimviri sacris faciundis, a council of priests whose duty it was to supervise foreign religious cults in Rome. According to Van Voorst this makes it reasonable to suppose that he would have acquired knowledge of Christian origins through his work with that body, and not based off hearsay and gossip. According to the prominent historian John Crossan "That he was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be, since both Josephus and Tacitus… agree with the Christian accounts on at least that basic fact." However, the full passage reads: "Christus, the founder of the [Christian] name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius. But the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time, broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, by through the city of Rome also." We find that it confirms Jesus' existence, that Jesus was the founder of Christianity, that there was a Roman called Pilate of whom put Jesus to death, that the Christian religion originated in Judea, and thus later spread to Rome. Thus, from Tacitus alone we can get at least six facts that back up the veracity of the New Testament epistles. 1 Share
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| Re: A List Of Extra-biblical Sources For The Biblical Jesus by OLAADEGBU(m): 1:55pm On Oct 18, 2017 |
OLAADEGBU: 4. Historian Gaius Suetonius (121 AD) Suetonius is another significant writer from the early 2nd century who gives historians useful information about Roman society. He records the lives of the Roman Caesars and the historical events surrounding their reigns, and in his work the 'Lives of the Twelve Caesars' we see a reference to Jesus, as well as the early Christians: "He expelled from Rome the Jews constantly making disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus…" Why does Suetonius call Jesus, Chrestus? Historian Louis Feldman informs us that most scholars assume that in the reference Jesus is meant and that the disturbances mentioned were due to the spread of Christianity in Rome. According to historian James Dunn "Suetonius misheard the name 'Christus' (referring to Jesus as Christ) as 'Chrestus'" and also misunderstood the report and assumed that the followers of someone called Chrestus were causing disturbances within the Jewish community based on his instigation." According to Professor Robert Van Voorst there is "near-unanimous" agreement among scholars that the use of Chrestus refers to Christ. In hindsight of this, what facts do we get from Seutonius? Remarkably we get corroboration of events described in the New Testament book of Acts 18:2 where Christian Jews were reported to have been expelled from Rome, thus lending some credence to the historical nature of the early Christian New Testament literature. Jesus is also, arguably, referred to by Suetonius although he misspelled his name Christus as Chestus. |
| Re: A List Of Extra-biblical Sources For The Biblical Jesus by OLAADEGBU(m): 5:19pm On Nov 14, 2017 |
OLAADEGBU: 5. Philosopher Mara Serapion (73 – 200 AD) Serapion was a stoic philosopher from the Roman province of Syria, and in a letter (70 – 200 AD) he authored from prison to his son arguably refers to Jesus, indirectly. It's worth quoting in full: "What advantage did the Athenians gain from murdering Socrates? Famine and plague came upon them as a punishment for their crime. What advantage did the men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? In a moment their land was covered with sand. WHAT ADVANTAGE DID THE JEWS GAIN FROM EXECUTING THEIR WISE KING? It was just after that their kingdom was abolished. God justly avenged these three wise men: the Athenians died of hunger; the Samians were overwhelmed by the sea and the Jews, desolate and driven from their own kingdom, live in complete dispersion. But Socrates is not dead, because of Plato; neither is Pythagoras, because of the statue of Juno; nor is the wise king, because of the "new law" he laid down." (emphasis added) According to Robert Van Voorst most scholars date the letter shortly after 73 AD, and he sees little doubt that the reference to the execution of the "king of the Jews" is about the death of Jesus. Bruce Chilton, a scholar of early Christianity and Judaism states that Bar-Serapion reference to the "king of Jews" may be related to the inscription on the cross of Jesus’ crucifixion, as recorded in the Gospel of Mark (15:26). Also, Serapion mentions the "new law" of which might refer to Jesus' resurrection after his crucifixion, whether Serapion believed in Jesus or not is unknown. We also know that it is more likely that Jesus is being referred to here as opposed to someone else as Serapion specifically states "just after that their kingdom was abolished," and only Jesus fits into the appropriate timeline as Titus destroyed Jerusalem a some 36 years after Jesus' death. The other likely figures are argued to have lived approximately 170-250 years prior to the desolation. However, what facts can we glean from this letter? We find that Jesus was Jewish, that he was thought to be a wise king, that he was executed, that he was a teacher, and that his teachings were influencing many after his death. |
| Re: A List Of Extra-biblical Sources For The Biblical Jesus by OLAADEGBU(m): 2:10pm On Nov 24, 2017 |
OLAADEGBU: 6. Governor Pliny the Younger (112 AD) Pliny was a Roman governor of Bithynia-Pontus which is modern Turkey, and he wrote a letter (Epistulae X.96) to Emperor Trajan around 112 AD asking for advice on how to deal with Christians: "They affirmed, however, that the whole of their guilt, or their error, was, that they were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verse a hymn to Christ as to a god, and bound themselves to a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft, adultery, never to falsify their word, not to deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up." (emphasis added) According to Robert Van Voorst the "style matches that of the other letters" in the same book, and the letters "were known already by the time of Tertullian (196-212 AD)." For this reason the genuineness of the passage is accepted. Pliny also informs his reader that Christians were being persecuted for their faith. What facts do we get from this passage? We learn that Jesus was worshiped, and that believers were persecuted for their belief in Him in the early 2nd century. We also find that Christians worshiped on a fixed day before day time, sang hymns to Jesus as if he was God, and that because of Jesus' teachings they were not to perform any wicked deeds such as fraud, theft, adultery, as well as to never to falsify their word. |
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