The Historical Jesus
I was watching (a secular Archeologist’s TV program) a few days ago. He said, not once, but several times, and seemed to emphasize it each time, that the only secular reference to Jesus as a real, historical person, is found in the works of Josephus. Are there no others of the time who wrote about Jesus?
Q. I was watching (a secular Archeologist’s TV program) a few days ago. He said, not once, but several times, and seemed to emphasize it each time, that the only secular reference to Jesus as a real, historical person, is found in the works of Josephus.
I don’t believe that is so, but I find it difficult to think that a man of his public stature and profession would make so great a blunder. So, please tell me the facts. How could this man interpret or ignore other secular references to our Lord so as to make such a statement “true”? Or, is he right? Are there no others of the time who wrote about Jesus?
A. I don’t know if he’s right or not. In my experience non-believers make outrageous claims about Christianity without backing them up and no one ever questions them. If you search the web, the secular sites all seem to agree with his claim.
But even if he’s right, why is that important? Do you really believe that historical accounts are pure and unbiased? It’s really not in the best interests of the secular world to offer proof that someone they’ve always denied actually existed. The fact that Josephus even mentioned Jesus is remarkable. He had two very good reasons not two. One, he was Jewish, and two he was writing for the Romans.
When we look to the secular world to confirm the Bible’s claims, we’re asking the rebellious creation to testify to the existence of it’s rejected creator. Where the Bible and secular history disagree, it’s always secular history that’s been proven wrong.
To me the most convincing non-Biblical testimony to the historical Jesus is his appearance in the Jewish Talmud as the illegitimate son of Mary. If ever there was a group that should have been opposed to documenting the existence of someone they denied it’s the Jewish scholars of His time.
