{"id":2069,"date":"2015-11-18T14:57:01","date_gmt":"2015-11-18T20:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/smmcroberts.net\/blog\/?p=2069"},"modified":"2015-11-18T14:57:01","modified_gmt":"2015-11-18T20:57:01","slug":"did-jesus-exist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.watchtowerhelp.club\/blog\/2015\/11\/18\/did-jesus-exist\/","title":{"rendered":"Did Jesus Exist?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"didjesusexist\"<\/a>The question never entered my mind as a Witness (or as a Catholic, for that matter.) It seemed it was a given — just as the divine inspiration of the Bible and the existence of our god was a given: Jesus existed.<\/p>\n

Even since leaving all organized religion, I have been told again and again (even by ex-JWs) that Jesus really did exist, and that such is the consensus of biblical scholars and historians. One frequent commentator on JWB has, in fact, repeatedly told us that only idiots question this.<\/p>\n

In spite of all this, and at the risk of being accused of further idiocy, I’m going to pose the question: Did Jesus exist?<\/p>\n

Like all good philosophers, we must start with defining our terms. What exactly does the question mean? You see, depending on what we take the question to mean, I could happily and honestly answer it either Yes or No.<\/p>\n

YES!<\/h2>\n

“Jesus” is the latinized form of Yeshua<\/em> (just as Jehovah is the latinized form of Yahweh<\/em> — with the addition of some creative arbitrary vowels.) It turns out that Yeshua was a common enough name at that particular time and place, so that we can say with a reasonable degree of certainty that there were one or more guys named Yeshua running around Palestine in the first century.<\/p>\n

Given the plethora of preachers, prophets, visionaries, magicians, and con-men prevalent at any moment in history (but especially so in first century Palestine) it is not especially improbable that one of these Yeshua’s may have been engaged in such a livelihood.<\/p>\n

So then, in this sense, I would not object to the statement that Jesus existed.<\/p>\n

Case closed?<\/p>\n

NO!<\/h2>\n

When people want to know if Jesus existed, I think they won’t be satisfied with my Yes<\/em> answer as given above. I’m not satisfied with it myself. You see, what we all really want to know is not whether someone named Yeshua who might’ve been a preacher existed, but rather: did Jesus the miracle-worker<\/em> exist? Or at the very least: was there a Jesus of Nazareth who was an executed preacher upon whom miraculous legends were eventually foisted and a religion was founded?<\/p>\n

My answer to this is a resounding No!<\/em><\/p>\n

Let me explain why.<\/p>\n

Historical persons have a time and place of birth. They have a genealogy, a timeline of events in their life, and [eventually] a death date and cause of death. Finally, if they did anything newsworthy and there were journalists or historians extant during their life, they have\u00a0a contemporaneous written record of their actions. For individuals who were obscure during their lifetime we may not have all<\/em> of these pieces of information, but for important public figures we will have most of it.<\/p>\n

In the case of Jesus there have been attempts to provide these things. However, as we’ll see, there are major problems with what has been provided — so much so that in some cases it would’ve been better not to have made the attempt.<\/p>\n

Year of birth<\/h3>\n

When I was a Catholic kid I thought it was a well-established fact that Jesus was born on December 25th, of the year zero: neatly dividing BC from AD. But there is no evidence for this. In fact, the gospel accounts rule out a winter birth, and there was no year zero.<\/p>\n

Without a birth certificate, or any other secular documents, we are left with our only two sources: the Bible books called Matthew and Luke. But these accounts contradict each other.<\/p>\n

The account in Matthew relates that Jesus was born prior to the death of Herod (up to 2 years before Herod’s death, because in seeking to kill Jesus, he allegedly ordered the slaughter of babies up to 2 years old.) We know that\u00a0 Herod <\/a>died in 4 B.C.E.<\/p>\n

The account in Luke relates that Jesus was born during the census of Cyrenius [aka Quirinius<\/a>]\u00a0(Luke 2:1-7<\/a>). We know that this census took place during the second term of Cyrenius, between 6-9 CE.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So, we don’t know when Jesus was born. Worse: we have two contradictory stories about when he was born!<\/p>\n

Place of birth<\/h3>\n

Here again we have no secular documentation. All we have is the Bible’s statement that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It seems he was assigned this birthplace in an attempt to “fulfill” a prophecy. However, it seems this was based on a mistake: the prophesy was actually that the Messiah would be of the clan<\/em> of Bethlehem, not born in that city<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The account in Luke, however, shows that Bethlehem was not Jesus’ hometown: Mary just happened to be in that town when she gave birth. Their hometown was actually Nazareth:<\/p>\n

So when they had carried out all the things according to the Law of Jehovah,\u00a0they went back into Galilee to their own city, Nazareth. —Luke 2:39<\/a><\/p>\n

And he came and settled in a city named Nazareth,\u00a0in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets:\u201cHe will be called a Nazarene.\u201d —Matthew 2:23<\/a>\u00a0(There is no such prophecy in the Bible.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nazareth is not mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures. Josephus, who wrote extensively about Galilee and named 45 of its cities and villages (including nearby\u00a0Japha) never mentioned Nazareth. The Talmud never mentions Nazareth, though it names 63 Galilean towns. No secular mention is made of it prior to the fourth century. Despite extensive archaeological digging in the area, no evidence has been found of the existence of this city in the first century. This has led archaeologists to conclude\u00a0that:<\/p>\n

No evidence of human habitation at Nazareth is extant from c. 730 bce \u2013 ca. 70 ce. —\u00a0Ren\u00e9 Salm<\/a>\u00a0<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The assigning of Jesus’ hometown to Nazareth may be another instance of the gospel writers’ misunderstanding of prophecy\/tradition and their tendency to commit anachronisms in their writings. A Nazarene would be someone belonging to the order\u00a0of the Nazarites<\/a> (e.g. Samson<\/a>) not an inhabitant of a city not yet in existence.<\/p>\n

So we don’t know when<\/em> Jesus was born and we don’t know where<\/em> he was raised.<\/p>\n

Genealogy<\/h3>\n

There are no genealogical records for Jesus except for those in Matthew (chapter one) and Luke (chapter three.) Once again, these accounts\u00a0contradict each other, as highlighted below:<\/p>\n

\"GenealogyComparison\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Christian apologists attempt to reconcile the genealogies by claiming that one of them traces the maternal line, and the other the paternal line. So, when one account tells us that Joseph’s father was Heli, and the other tells us that Joseph’s father was Jacob, one of these really means “father-in-law.” However, the exact same phrases of descent are used throughout: both where the genealogies agree and where they disagree. You can see this for yourself from the following images of an interlinear Greek translation of Luke <\/a>and Matthew<\/a>\u00a0— you don’t need to know Greek to see that there is no differentiation between the way David is called the son of Jesse, and the way Joseph is called the son of both Jacob and Heli. So, the apologists’ rationalization is not credible.<\/p>\n

\"Matthew's<\/a>
Matthew’s genealogy<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Luke's<\/a>
Luke’s genealogy<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So, we don’t know Jesus’ genealogy. Worse: we have contradictory genealogies!<\/p>\n

Summing up what we know so far: We don’t know when Jesus was born, or where he was raised, and we don’t know his genealogy. Attempts to fill in this missing information are based on misunderstandings and anachronisms, and they contradict themselves as well as\u00a0the evidence.<\/p>\n

Death<\/h3>\n

Just as we don’t have a birth certificate for Jesus, we don’t have a death certificate either.
\nAccording to the Bible, he was tried and condemned in the court of Pilate after Roman-hating Jews cried “we have no king but Cesar!” Even though we have Pilate’s court records, they do not mention this trial.<\/p>\n

The details of his death are contradictory in the gospels, as are the details of what happened before and after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nMatthew<\/span><\/td>\nMark<\/span><\/td>\nLuke<\/span><\/td>\nJohn<\/span><\/td>\nActs<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jesus would rise:<\/td>\non<\/span> the 3rd day (17:22)<\/td>\n<\/td>\nafter<\/span> 3 days (8:31)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peter would deny Jesus:<\/td>\n3 times before the cock crowed (26:34)<\/td>\n3 times before the cock crowed twice<\/span> (14:72)<\/td>\n3 times before the cock crowed (22:34)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Judas:<\/td>\nHanged himself (27:3-5)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nFell and burst asunder (1:16-18)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Who purchased a field with the 30 pieces of silver?<\/td>\nThe chief priests (27:6)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nJudas (1:16-18)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Why was it called “the field of blood”?<\/td>\nIt was purchased with blood money (27:6-8)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nJudas bled out there (1:18-19)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
When was the robe put on Jesus?<\/td>\nAfter the trial (27:26-28)<\/td>\nAfter the trial (15:15-17)<\/td>\n<\/td>\nDuring<\/span> the trial (19:2-5)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What color was the robe?<\/td>\nScarlet (27:28)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nPurple (19:2)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Who carried Jesus’ cross?<\/td>\nSimon (27:32)<\/td>\nSimon (15:21)<\/td>\nSimon (23:26)<\/td>\nJesus alone, the whole way(19:17)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What was he given to drink?<\/td>\nVinegar mixed with gall (27:34)<\/td>\n<\/td>\nWine mixed with myrrh (15:23)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What time did this take place?<\/td>\n<\/td>\nThe third hour (15:25)<\/td>\n<\/td>\nAfter the sixth hour ((19:14-16)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What was written over his head?<\/td>\nThis is Jesus the king of the Jews (27:37)<\/td>\nThe king of the Jews (15:26)<\/td>\nThis is the king of the Jews (23:38)<\/td>\nJesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews (19:19)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The two “thieves” crucified next to Jesus:<\/td>\nBoth reviled him (27:38-44)<\/td>\nBoth reviled him — and they are called “rebels” rather than thieves. (15:27,32)<\/td>\nOne reviled and one defended him and was saved. (23:39-43)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Where were the women who watched?<\/td>\nFar away. (27:55)<\/td>\nFar away. (15:40)<\/td>\nFar away. (23:49)<\/td>\nUp close, next to the cross. (19:25-26)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What were Jesus’ last words?<\/td>\nMy God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (27:46-50)<\/td>\nMy God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (15:34)<\/td>\nFather, into thy hands I commit my spirit. (23:46)<\/td>\nIt is finished. (19:30)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What did the Centurions say?<\/td>\nTruly this was the son of God (27:54)<\/td>\nTruly this man was the son of God (15:39)<\/td>\nTruly this man was innocent. (23:47<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Who were the women who first visited the tomb the next day?<\/td>\nMary Magdalene and “the other Mary” (28:1)<\/td>\nMary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. (16:1)<\/td>\nMary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, and other women (24:1,10)<\/td>\nMary Magdalene alone (20:1)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Where was the stone?<\/td>\nIn front of the door of the tomb (28:2)<\/td>\nRolled away from the tomb. (16:4)<\/td>\nRolled away from the tomb. (24:1-2)<\/td>\nRolled away from the tomb. (20:1)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What did she\/they witness at the tomb?<\/td>\nA great earthquake; an angel descending from heaven and rolling away the stone and then sitting on it. (28:2)<\/td>\nA young man dressed in a white robe. (16:5)<\/td>\nTwo men in shining garments. (24:4)<\/td>\nNothing at first. Later — after Peter et al. see the strips of linen and cloth, and leave — she sees two angels in the tomb, and then Jesus outside the tomb. (20:1-17)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Whom did she\/they tell about this?<\/td>\n“His disciples.” (28:9)<\/td>\nNo one, because they were afraid. (16:8)<\/td>\n“The apostles.” (24:10)<\/td>\nMary Magdalene told “The disciples” (20:18)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The resurrected Jesus appeared:<\/td>\nFirst to the women on the way from the tomb. (28:9)<\/td>\nFirst to Mary Magdalene, then two disciples in the country, then all 11 apostles as they were eating. (16:9-14)<\/td>\nFirst to Cleopas and another on their way to Emmaus. Then to the 11. (24:13-15)<\/td>\nFirst to Mary Magdalene at the tomb, then the disciples (minus Thomas) in a locked room, then Thomas a week later.” (20:14,19,26)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Did the resurrected Jesus invite\/permit people to touch him?<\/td>\nYes<\/span>; the women held his feet when he appeared to them (28:9)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\nNo<\/span>; he forbade Mary Magdalene from touching him because he had not yet ascended to his father (20:1-17)
\nYes<\/span>; he invited Thomas to touch his wounds. (20:26-27)<\/td>\n		<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jesus ascended into heaven:<\/td>\n<\/td>\nWhile the apostles “sat at meat” (16:14-19)<\/td>\nAfter leading the apostles out “as far as Bethany” (24:50-51)<\/td>\n<\/td>\nFrom the Mount of Olives (1:9-12)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

So we don’t know when or how Jesus died. Worse: we have contradictory accounts of his death!<\/p>\n

So we don’t know when Jesus was born, or where he was raised, we don’t know his genealogy, and we don’t know how or when he died. In short we don’t know anything about Jesus that we know about real historical persons.<\/p>\n

The Missing Written Record<\/h3>\n

Nothing was written about Jesus during his alleged life, or immediately after.<\/p>\n

There is a common misconception that the gospels were written by his disciples shortly after his death. This is not true. First of all, we don’t know who wrote these works. The designations of them as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were made long after they were written. \u00a0They were originally untitled, and only one of the works even makes a claim as to authorship (John) the rest are completely anonymous. In the work we call Matthew<\/a>, for instance, the author never identifies himself in its pages. It wasn’t called Matthew until sometime in the second century. The same is true for Mark and Luke. John is also anonymous other than its claim to have been written by “the apostle whom Jesus loved,” but reputable scholars dismiss this as fiction and see the hand of several authors.<\/p>\n

Secondly, the evidence indicates that these works were written decades after the supposed death of Jesus.
\nDespite their placement in the Bible, the letters of Paul were written first: after Saul had his epileptic fit and imagined the voice he heard in his head was that of a dead man [there are three contradictory accounts of this incident in the Bible.] Saul then changed his name to Paul and created Christianity<\/a> by merging the Gnostic ideas with the mystery religions of the time.<\/p>\n

So much for the gospels. But what of secular historians? If there really was a man who walked on water; magically healed the blind and lame; resurrected the dead; fed 5,000 people on two loaves and five fish; whose death coincided with “darkness falling all over the land” at midday, an earthquake, and the resurrection of “many\u00a0people”; who came back to life days after dying, and flew up into the sky — don’t you think someone<\/em> would’ve thought these things noteworthy enough to write them down at the time?<\/p>\n

But no one did write them down at the time.<\/p>\n

I used to think that such lack of evidence was simply due to having very few documents that dated back so far. I was wrong. Even Christian apologists admit that this period of time is one of the best documented in history.<\/p>\n

Philo, for instance, was a philosopher and historian of the Jews. He lived 20 BCE – 50 CE, so his life spanned the purported time of Jesus. He wrote some 50 works that still survive on: history, philosophy, and religion. He wrote a lot about Pontius Pilate, yet he was totally silent about this wonder-worker Jesus who supposedly appeared before Pilate!<\/p>\n

Here are some other historians of that period whom we could safely assume would have written about a miracle-worker in Judea at the time Jesus supposedly lived:<\/p>\n