Did Jesus Actually Exist?

[pretty_snowdrop]

I realise that the facts surrounding his birth and death are open to debate, however did he ever exist?

[guilliebrougues]

I believe Jesus did exist. So did St.Nicholas (santa Claus

[Baldric]

///I realise that the facts surrounding his birth and death are open to debate///
Think you may have answered your own question!

[jomifl]

There is no proof that he didn't which will be good enough for some.

[2sp_]

Jordy, Nessie does exist, and has been known to frequent this very site.

[pastafreak]

I'm sure he exsist,and was quite charismatic. But any thing else...no. He's simply another figure in history.

[westwelshbantam]

A good book is "The Bible Fraud" by Tony Bushby you may get your answer here.

[grasscarp]

A good book. Really?
Bushby simply did not prove his case. The majority of his evidence is based on speculation, linguistic games, bogus 
references, and terribly misquoted sources. Bushby has not sufficiently provided any kind of sound proof that should cause us to dismiss 
known history and accept his claims. A pope never admitted to Christ being a fable, the Jesus twins never existed, and Christianity was not 
based on pagan myths.

[jno]

it seems highly unlikely that anyone would have gone to the trouble of inventing Jesus; there were plenty of prophets and preachers around in those days. If for some reason you wanted to create a religion it would make more sense to start with a man who existed rather than one who didn't.

[naomi24]

No one knows.

Grasscarp, //Bushby has not sufficiently provided any kind of sound proof that should cause us to dismiss known history and accept his claims.//

I haven't read the book. What 'known history' does he encourage us to dismiss?

[Buenchico]

A person called 'Jesus' certainly existed around that time (which is unsurprising, as it was a fairly common name anyway). However nearly all of the 'Jesus story' had existed for several centuries before.

[modeller]

He was only 'known ' for ' about 2 years from the age of thirty but he impressed enough people that a few establised a group who passed it on orally to others some of whom 30 or 40 years later started to make notes.
Only one author of the gospels Mark actually spoke to one of the disciples Peter, several years later. All the rest was hearsay. copying Mark and generally embelishing, what little they heard and trying to make it fit
OT prophesies.

[birdie1971]

It's highly likely that a man called Jesus existed at that time and that he may have commanded a small audience when he spoke and an even smaller number of acolytes – not unlike a great many other 'Prophets' who it seems were ten-a-penny in those superstitious and credulous times. As for him being the literal son of God, that seems highly improbable for an extraordinary number of reasons.

[cupid04]

He lives, he lives
Christ Jesus lives today
He walks with me, he talks with me
Along life's narrow way
He lives, he lives
Salvation to impart
You ask me how I know he lives?
He lives within my heart.

[baza]

Q. did he ever exist?
A. Yes He does.
No further comment required.

[birdie1971]

Cupid04 -

Verse and repetition does not equal a rational argument let alone a description of reality.

[birdie1971]

Baza - “... Q. did he ever exist? A. Yes He does. No further comment required...”

Oh dear.

[Hypognosis]

That is one of those questions which can only be responded to with the answer "it is purely academic".

I find the possibility of his existence -virtually indistinguishable- from the possibility of his non-existence, on the basis that the amount of physical evidence amenable to present-day analysis is identical in both cases.

That amount is, approximately, nil. To the best of my understanding.

If I recall rightly, the Romans believed that a potential rebellion was afoot and that the leader needed to be not merely executed but any possible post-mortem rallying point obliterated: - tomb, bones, robes, spouse & offspring (if applicable), household, handiwork, letters (if he was even literate).

If it took 40+ years for a 'movement' concerning his life to get underway (and the business of putting two and two together to make things fit with OT prophecy), then their efforts to recover traces could only ever be retro-active. The gospels describe how his body was spirited away and entombed at a location unknown to the Roman occupiers. How very convenient. ;-)

I would argue that the Romans would have patrolled the crucifixion site, knowing how many days it usually took for prisoners to die and that they wouldn't have let this would-be-King's body out of their sight, for as long as it took to complete the task of desecrating and/or incinerating it.

It's grotesque, I know, but the idea is to put on an exhibition for any other aspiring rebel leaders to get the message.

[RATTER15]

Yes, I saw him riding a unicorn down the street just a few days ago.

[FredPuli43]

That the man existed seems beyond doubt; there would be no need to invent some fictional character to create stories around, a place him a hundred years or so in the past. You'd use a real person and exaggerate his powers, tell stories about him.

I think that he was a Jewish Luther. He was against much of the practice and belief of established Judaism, which was bound to make him unpopular. The rest, and the myths, followed.