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Naganami

Member
I honestly don't know and there are so many sources/people saying different things. Is there any archaeological evidence that Jesus the Christ existed? I just want to settle this once and for all.
 

allfoak

Alchemist
In all likely hood he did exist.
What did he do is the question.
His most important moments in life, including the crucifixion and the resurrection are only recorded in the Bible, no where else.
 

EmperorSwordMan

A Fantasy turned Real
I believe there was once a man named Jesus during the roman empire. While he most likely wasn't the "son of god", he was probably a very wise and spiritual person, similar to a buddhist monk.
 

lostwanderingsoul

Well-Known Member
Sorry, but you will not settle it once and for all. People have been trying to settle it for hundreds of years. Those who believe Jesus existed will continue to believe and those who do not believe will continue to not believe. Some parts of religion are based more on faith and less on absolute proof.
 

buddhist

Well-Known Member
@Naganami , are you looking for evidence, or proof?

Remember that evidence can be interpreted by different people in different ways.

For example, the existence of Earth itself is interpreted by Christians as evidence for Jesus. The existence of Earth is interpreted by Buddhists like myself as evidence - and proof - for the existence of Earth.

A Christian archaeologist can find a pottery fragment in Palestine under 3 meters of sediment with the words "Yeshua" and interpret it as evidence for Jesus. Someone else can see that same evidence, and interpret it as evidence for an ordinary boy with the fairly common name "Yeshua" practicing his writing skills.

In conclusion - evidence, on its own, essentially means nothing, except as proof for the piece of evidence itself.
 

allfoak

Alchemist
What is at question here is the roots of Christianity.
What are the original teachings?
Was Jesus God and someone to be worshiped or was he our brother?
Should we simply be doing what he did in order to become like him?

If all i have to do is believe in the Jesus God to assure my passage into heaven then morality has no meaning.
If on the other hand Jesus was just like us and came to show us who we are by his example, then modern Christianity is a farce.

The Bible is not a history book it is one of the many life manuals that everyone says doesn't exist.
 

Sapiens

Polymathematician
I honestly don't know and there are so many sources/people saying different things. Is there any archaeological evidence that Jesus the Christ existed? I just want to settle this once and for all.
There is no archaeological or historical evidence that Jesus ever existed. There are fragmentary and debatable mentions of Jesus and Christians in writings dating from well after his alleged death.
 

Neo Deist

Th.D. & D.Div. h.c.
It is necessary.
New people means lots of repeat.
You should be good at this by now.
Use your experience to help not disparage.

The forums have this nifty little feature called "Search." They should start there. Chances are, half a dozen people have already asked the question.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
I honestly don't know and there are so many sources/people saying different things. Is there any archaeological evidence that Jesus the Christ existed? I just want to settle this once and for all.
I doubt he ever existed.

Josephus and Pliny points to a referencing of a Christian cult and their belief in Christ.
It seems Christianity really wasn't anything worth concidering until Constantine made it bigger than it really was. People like it and it stuck as it is today. It's a dying out religion anyways going slowly back to the days before Constantine when Christianity was nothing more than a fleeting thought about a small yet loud group of people.

I'm pretty assured that Christ was just a character of legend, and not any real person in perticular prompted up by it's leaders like any other messianic cult.
 

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
I honestly don't know and there are so many sources/people saying different things. Is there any archaeological evidence that Jesus the Christ existed? I just want to settle this once and for all.

As already mentioned, you won't settle this. The evidence is scant, but not non-existent, and the interpretation of it (as mentioned) is where the rubber hits the road anyway.

But if I could suggest this...

Jesus existed, in so far as there were people called 'Jesus'. Whether one was the Christ becomes more a question of religious belief than factual dissertation, regardless of the historicity of the 'guy on the cross'.
 

arthra

Baha'i
I honestly don't know and there are so many sources/people saying different things. Is there any archaeological evidence that Jesus the Christ existed? I just want to settle this once and for all.

You could ask the same question of anyone living two thousand years ago ... Is there any archeological evidence that Appolonius of Tyana existed? Appolonius lived after Jesus and there's only one major source for his life.. Philostratus and he wrote about Appolonius over a hundred years after Appolonius lived.

There are some archeological evidences of Pilate
Pilate Stone 1961 - Bing images

but he was a Roman governor of Judea and not an itenerent wandering preacher.... awhile ago there was an interesting program about the supposed tomb of Jesus...Talpiot Tomb - Wikipedia

Honestly I don't know.. but there are several reasons to believe it is more likely there is no trace of any evidence to be found for the existence of Jesus in terms of archeology. (1) Jerusalem was destroyed in or around 70 CE.. there was also (2) a subsequent diaspora.. How likely do you suppose it is that there can be any archeological evidence after these events?

There is I believe fairly strong circumstantial evidence that Jesus was a historical person in my view... there are many sources in different languages such as Coptic, Greek and Hebrew ... fragmented though they be that suggest Jesus was a real person. Historical Jesus - Wikipedia

Do you believe that Prophet Muhammad was a historical figure? I do.

Baha'is accept that the Bab and Baha'u'llah lived as "real" persons.. We have Their direct Writings and there are descendents walking around to day but that was around only a hundred and seventy years ago.
 

ShivaFan

Satyameva Jayate
Premium Member
You could ask the same question of anyone living two thousand years ago ... Is there any archeological evidence that Appolonius of Tyana existed? Appolonius lived after Jesus and there's only one major source for his life.. Philostratus and he wrote about Appolonius over a hundred years after Appolonius lived.

There are some archeological evidences of Pilate
Pilate Stone 1961 - Bing images

but he was a Roman governor of Judea and not an itenerent wandering preacher.... awhile ago there was an interesting program about the supposed tomb of Jesus...Talpiot Tomb - Wikipedia

Honestly I don't know.. but there are several reasons to believe it is more likely there is no trace of any evidence to be found for the existence of Jesus in terms of archeology. (1) Jerusalem was destroyed in or around 70 CE.. there was also (2) a subsequent diaspora.. How likely do you suppose it is that there can be any archeological evidence after these events?

There is I believe fairly strong circumstantial evidence that Jesus was a historical person in my view... there are many sources in different languages such as Coptic, Greek and Hebrew ... fragmented though they be that suggest Jesus was a real person. Historical Jesus - Wikipedia

Do you believe that Prophet Muhammad was a historical figure? I do.

Baha'is accept that the Bab and Baha'u'llah lived as "real" persons.. We have Their direct Writings and there are descendents walking around to day but that was around only a hundred and seventy years ago.

Very informative, thanks!
 
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