I'm so so sos so so
glad that this is QOTW.

I had to go to a Christian dinner on Friday night. Very nice it was up until the point the 'special guest' got up to preach to us about why he's a Christian.

He asserted that there is historical evidence that Jesus existed. I almost left there and then. Sadly everyone else seemed to lap it up.

Sometimes I feel isolated in my Atheism, but this QOTW has reaffirmed my belief that there are lots of people out there with sensible opinions.

Thank you b3tans.
(jackhiggs no longer a v!rgin as of..., Tue 24 Mar 2009, 15:39, 7 replies)

did he give any idea as to what this historical evidence is?

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 24 Mar 2009, 16:37, closed)

Um, but surely...
there is plenty of historical evidence that Jesus really did exist?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_Jesus

Doesn't necessarily make him the son of God, of course, but the man did exist. The Romans did too, in case you're wondering.
(Seebeedee, Tue 24 Mar 2009, 16:53, closed)

I was just about to say that
There was a man called Jesus Christ who had disciples and some various other followers. The Roman's were very good at writing things down.

The rest of the book is probably full of crap though.
( gareth_alien will be human again at, Tue 24 Mar 2009, 17:15, closed)

ITYM
There was a man called Jesus. Whether or not he was teh Christ is what all the knicker-twisting is about...
(Vice Admiral Sir Charles Cockbrush KCB MBE DSO, who is finding it increasingly difficult to log into b3ta.com wants to duck your aunt and kick your puppy, Tue 24 Mar 2009, 18:05, closed)

Who wrote and supported that
Wikipedia article?

There are no contemporary accounts of Jesus. The first 'source' we see is the writing of Paul some 15 - 25 years after the death of Jesus. The 'special guest' framed that as contemporary evidence. I think not. Even later Roman writing cannot be isolated from religious conviction.

For example. There is contemporary evidence that Julius Ceasar existed. Lots of contemporary sources that can be cross-referenced etc in addition to archaeological evidence of events he was involved in.

For sure no one can say History proves Jesus doesn't exist. But if you really apply proper historical method the evidence is meagre at best.

Bible scholars are not historians. Bible scholars are responsible for most of that Wikipedia article.

Please enlighten me if I'm wrong.
(jackhiggs no longer a v!rgin as of..., Tue 24 Mar 2009, 17:29, closed)

You are wrong in saying that Bible scholars are not historians.
Email any New Testament scholar (atheist or otherwise) and 99.9% of them will tell you that Jesus existed as a historical person.
Try the Oxford or Cambridge schools of theology. They probably won't reply, but it's worth a shot.
I don't really know what kind of evidence you're looking for, other than biblical accounts or the hardly-refuted sources in that Wiki article. What are you thinking of? A carbon-dated cape with a golden nametag saying 'Jesus of Nazareth (yeah, that one)' on it?
( Christian Bale of Hay in a field, Tue 24 Mar 2009, 17:49, closed)

No no no
Oxford and Cambridge schools of Theology?

Erm...that's not the Oxford and Cambridge schools of History is it?

I think you'd get a wildly different answers if you rang up the two schools.

What type of evidence am I looking for? Well some contemporary records of Jesus or any of the major events associated with Jesus in the New Testament would be nice. Contemporary meaning writing during the life of or immediately (within a few years, not 15) the death of Jesus. Prefereably something that you could cross-reference to add weight.
(jackhiggs no longer a v!rgin as of..., Tue 24 Mar 2009, 18:07, closed)