Typically, when this question is asked, it is considered an “extra-biblical” question.
We do not accept the idea that the Bible cannot be a source of evidence for the existence of Jesus. There are hundreds of references to Jesus Christ in the New Testament. There are those who date the writing of the Gospels to the second century, which is 100 (AD) years after the death of Jesus. As for ancient evidence, even if there were such things (which we vehemently dispute), writings less than 200 years after the events are considered to be the most reliable evidence. Furthermore, a large number of scholars (Christian and non-Christian) believe that Paul’s epistles were actually written by Paul himself in the middle of the first century, which is about 40 years after the death of Jesus. Regarding the evidence of ancient manuscripts,
It is also important to know that in 70 AD, the Romans attacked and destroyed Jerusalem and most of Israel, killing its inhabitants. Entire cities were physically destroyed by fire. Therefore, we should not be surprised that many evidences of Jesus’ existence have been destroyed. Many who saw Jesus were killed. These realities limited the number of living eyewitnesses to Jesus.
Because Jesus’ ministry was largely confined to a particularly insignificant area in a small part of the Roman Empire, a surprising amount of information about Jesus can be gleaned from external historical sources. Some of the more important historical evidence for Jesus includes the following:
The first-century Roman Tacitus, considered one of the most accurate historians of the ancient world, mentions superstitious “Christians” (Christus, which is the Latin word for Christ), who suffered under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius. Emperor Hadrian’s chief secretary Suetonius wrote that there was a man named Christus (or Christ) who lived in the first century (Annals 15.44).
Flavius Josephus is the most famous historian. He mentions in his ancient book James, who was the brother of Christ called Jesus. There is a controversial verse (18:3) that says, “Now at that time there was a wise man, Jesus, if he were properly called a man. For he was a man who did wonderful works…. [He] was the Christ…. He appeared to them alive again on the third day, just as the heavenly prophets had prophesied these things and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. did.” One version reads, “At that time there was a wise man named Jesus. His conduct was good and he was known as virtuous. And many from among the Jews and from the Gentiles became his disciples. Pilate left him to be crucified and die. But those who were his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They said that he appeared to them on the third day after his crucifixion, and that he was alive; Accordingly, he was probably the Messiah in connection with the miracles described by the prophets.” In a discussion of the darkness after the crucifixion, Julius Africanus cites Histories and Thales (Extended Writings, 18).
The young Pauline, in his epistle, Letters 10:96, records early Christian practice with the reality of Christian worship of Jesus as God, which was highly ethical, and includes references to the Love Supper and the Lord’s Supper.
The Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 43a) confirms the crucifixion of Jesus on the evening before the Passover and the accusations against Christ that he provoked and encouraged anti-Semitism.
Lucian of Samosata was a second-century Greek writer who believed that Jesus was worshiped by Christians, who initiated new teachings, and was crucified for them. He said that Jesus’ teachings included the brotherly love of believers, the importance of conversion, and the importance of rejection of other gods. Christians lived according to the law of Jesus, believed themselves to be immortal, and were known for their contempt for death, voluntary self-devotion, and renunciation of material things.
Mara Bar-Sirpion affirms that Jesus was thought of as a wise and virtuous man, considered by many to be the King of Israel, killed by the Jews, and living on in the teachings of his disciples.
Then we have all the theistic Gnostic writings (The Gospel of Truth, The Apocryphon of John, The Gospel of Thomas, The Treatise on Resurrection, etc.), which mention Jesus.
In fact, we find that Jesus was called the Christ (Josephus), performed “miracles”, taught the Israelites a new teaching, and was hanged for them at the Passover in Judea (Tacitus) (Babylonian Talmud), but claimed to be God and would return (Eleazar), which We can often reconstruct the gospel from early non-Christian sources such as his disciples worshiping him as a god (John Palni).
There is compelling evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ in both secular and biblical history. Perhaps the greatest proof of Jesus’ existence is the fact that thousands of first-century Christians, along with the twelve disciples, voluntarily gave their lives as martyrs for Jesus Christ. Men will die for what they believe to be true, but no one will die for what they know to be false.
