By Corinne Kelley
Whether there is secular proof for the historical Jesus revealed is a question that is often raised. Christian believers accept the accounts of His teachings and life in the New Testament. But others wonder if these texts have enough actual evidence. In fact, there are numerous secular texts that prove He was an actual man who once lived.
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.
Another famous historian is Josephus. A Jew by birth, Josephus was the official Roman historian in the first century A. D. His interest in his homeland caused him to write in detail about the people there. He cites Jesus as a good man, who did wonders, and who was alive again three days after being crucified. Josephus died in 97 A. D. But he wondered if this was possibly the long-awaited Jewish Messiah.
There was also another Roman historian, Thallus, who lived around 50 A. D. Also mentioned Him. He described how the noon day sun had darkened when He was crucified. Thallus stated that this occurrence was the result of an eclipse.
Then in 112 AD, a Roman administrator and author named Pliny the Younger wrote about Him as well. Pliny was governor of Phrygia in Asia Minor. In his book, he mentioned that the Christians in Phyrgia were worshiping Christ as a deity.
Another book that mentions Him is the Talmud, a Jewish holy book. It contains a reference to Yeshu, a man who was sentenced to death for apostasy and sorcery on the eve of Passover. Instead of being hanged according to Jewish custom, He was crucified which was the Roman form of execution. The Talmud also describes Yeshu as being about 34 years of age. Since the Jewish writers did not recognize His deity, they did not have anything to gain from writing about Him in the Talmud.
Archaeological discoveries continue to substantiate the people and events of His lifetime as well. One such person is Caiaphas, high priest in Jesus' time. For thousands of years, no one knew whether such a man had ever lived. But in 1990, construction workers stumbled on an ancient burial tomb. In the tomb was a coffin containing the body of an old man. The inscription on the coffin named as Caiaphas and provided solid evidence that Caiaphas was an actual person.
Solid evidence for the historical Jesus revealed (http://www.joshuatheodyssey.com) 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.
About the Author:
When you want to see information about the historical Jesus revealed, go to the links at www.joshuatheodyssey.com here. Details are available in the book described at http://www.joshuatheodyssey.com now.
Whether there is secular proof for the historical Jesus revealed is a question that is often raised. Christian believers accept the accounts of His teachings and life in the New Testament. But others wonder if these texts have enough actual evidence. In fact, there are numerous secular texts that prove He was an actual man who once lived.
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.
Another famous historian is Josephus. A Jew by birth, Josephus was the official Roman historian in the first century A. D. His interest in his homeland caused him to write in detail about the people there. He cites Jesus as a good man, who did wonders, and who was alive again three days after being crucified. Josephus died in 97 A. D. But he wondered if this was possibly the long-awaited Jewish Messiah.
There was also another Roman historian, Thallus, who lived around 50 A. D. Also mentioned Him. He described how the noon day sun had darkened when He was crucified. Thallus stated that this occurrence was the result of an eclipse.
Then in 112 AD, a Roman administrator and author named Pliny the Younger wrote about Him as well. Pliny was governor of Phrygia in Asia Minor. In his book, he mentioned that the Christians in Phyrgia were worshiping Christ as a deity.
Another book that mentions Him is the Talmud, a Jewish holy book. It contains a reference to Yeshu, a man who was sentenced to death for apostasy and sorcery on the eve of Passover. Instead of being hanged according to Jewish custom, He was crucified which was the Roman form of execution. The Talmud also describes Yeshu as being about 34 years of age. Since the Jewish writers did not recognize His deity, they did not have anything to gain from writing about Him in the Talmud.
Archaeological discoveries continue to substantiate the people and events of His lifetime as well. One such person is Caiaphas, high priest in Jesus' time. For thousands of years, no one knew whether such a man had ever lived. But in 1990, construction workers stumbled on an ancient burial tomb. In the tomb was a coffin containing the body of an old man. The inscription on the coffin named as Caiaphas and provided solid evidence that Caiaphas was an actual person.
Solid evidence for the historical Jesus revealed (http://www.joshuatheodyssey.com) 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.
About the Author:
When you want to see information about the historical Jesus revealed, go to the links at www.joshuatheodyssey.com here. Details are available in the book described at http://www.joshuatheodyssey.com now.