It has been written
A Collection of Apologetics
Tangible Evidence
For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2 Peter 1:16
In this section:
Even though there has been an ever-present force of skepticism for the belief of Jesus, the amount of evidence for Him, is impossible for anyone to hide. If you're curious, all you have to do is go look with an open mind and heart. Be willing and able to receive information peacefully, and rationally. You can even search as a skeptic like I once did, and find piles and piles of arguments against anything for that matter. I never found irrefutable facts, or convincing evidence that went past scratching the surface. They were always heavily laced with assumptions, or unbacked claims. We should always try searching out anything, as though it could be the truth, or it could not be. That is an open mind.
This is the only so called "Religion" where "Digging" brings you all the way back to the beginning of time with its origin, and actually has evidence for it all along the way. The evidence to support the Bible, is still being uncovered more, almost every day. "He" has left more than enough for you to come seeking him. He wants you to search, he wants you to find him, and his "hidden agenda", has always been love and purpose the entire time. We are here for only a short time, primarily to make a choice.
Biblical Archeology
These videos are absolutely packed with amazing and awesome information. They don't just verify a few stories of the Bible, but so many of them. This Tangible Evidence section is comparatively short compared to the rest of the sections, but that is because it's not really about writings. It is mostly about what we can pull out of the ground. Tangible evidence is the stuff we can see and touch, so the details are best just left in the amazing videos. Watch and enjoy, and by all means, go out and see the stuff for yourself.
"40 Archeology Bible Facts" 36:33
"Archaeology Discoveries That Prove The Bible Is True" 1:19:05
"A seal bearing a name that appears in the Bible was discovered in the City of David" 2:48
"Evidence of King David's Palace in the City of David" 5:30
"Inside Herodium, Ancient Palace of Herod the Great" 27:31
"Archaeology and the Bible: Saint Peter's House" 7:36
"JERUBBAAL: The Bible's Nickname for Gideon Has Been Unearthed! Prof. Yosef Garfinkel Explains" 30:04
Jericho Unearthed: The Archaeology of Jericho Explained 33:45
"Pontius Pilate's Report on JESUS to Caesar is SHOCKING!" 13:42
Exploring Joshua's altar in Israel 9:09
Belshazzar
The Bible speaks of Belshazzar, the king of Babylon killed by the Persians Daniel 5:30. The archeological evidence at the time had Nabonidus as the last king of Babylon. Critics of the Bible quickly jumped on this difference between the archeological record and the Bible. Belshazzar was actually the SON of Nabonidus. Nabonidus lived in Arabia, and Belshazzar was the acting king of Babylon who was killed by the Persians.
Seen in this photo is the Nabonidus Chronicle, an ancient Babylonian text which chronicles the reign of Belshazzar's father and also documents the period during which Belshazzar was regent in Babylon.
Mesha Stele
Moabite Stone
Discovering the MOABITE STONE...MATCHES the Bible! 18:09
The Mesha Stele, also known as the Moabite Stone, is a black basalt monument bearing an inscription by the ninth century B.C.E. Moabite King Mesha. Discovered in 1868 at Dhiban, Jordan (biblical "Dibon," the capital of Moab), the inscription of 34 lines is the most extensive document ever recovered referring contemporaneously to ancient Israel.
The inscription seems to parallel an episode in 2 Kings 3: Jehoram of Israel makes an alliance with Jehoshaphat king of Judah and an unnamed king of Edom (south of Judah) to put down his rebellious vassal Mesha; the three kings have the best of the campaign until Mesha, in desperation, sacrifices to his god Chemosh either his eldest son or the eldest son of the king of Edom; the sacrifice turns the tide, "there came great wrath against Israel", and Mesha apparently achieves victory. This apparent correspondence is the basis of the usual dating of the inscription to about 840 BCE, but André Lemaire has cautioned that the identification is not certain and the stele may be as late as 810 BCE.
The translation:
I am Mesha [1], son of Kemoshyat, king of Moab, the Daibonite.
My father ruled over Moab for thirty years.
But then I ruled after my father.
I made this shrine [2] for Kemosh in Qarḥoh.
(It is) a shr[ine of deli]verance, [3]
because he delivered me from every king (?),
and because he raised me above all my enemies. [4]
Omri was the king of Israel,
and he oppressed Moab for a long time,
because Kemosh was angry at his nation.
Then his son succeeded him,
and he declared, “I will oppress Moab,” too.
He said that during my reign,
but I rose above him and his family.
Israel was destroyed — completely destroyed! —
even though Omri had conquered the land as far as Mehadaba.
He stayed there through his reign and half his son’s reign,
forty years,
but Kemosh returned it during my reign.
I built Baalmaon,
and I made a reservoir in it,
and I built Qiryaten.
The population of Gad had always lived in the nation of Aṭarot,
and the king of Israel had built up Aṭarot.
But I attacked the city and seized it.
I killed the city’s entire population as tribute (?) for Kemosh and Moab;
I plundered the altar of its patron god [5],
and I relocated it (to be) before Kemosh in Qiryat.
I settled the populations of Sharon and Maḥarat in (Aṭarot).
Kemosh then said to me, “Go and seize Nabo from Israel.”
So I went out at night, and I fought with them
from the break of dawn until past noon.
I seized it, and I killed everyone —
seven thousand male citizens, male immigrants,
female citizens, female immigrants, and fertile girls — [6]
because I had devoted them to destruction for Ashtar-Kemosh. [7]
Then I took the vessels of YHWH from there,
and I relocated them (to be) before Kemosh.
The king of Israel had built Yahaṣ,
and he stayed there while he was fighting with me.
But Kemosh drove him out for me.
I took two hundred men from Moab — their entire unit.
I brought (the unit) up to Yahaṣ,
and I seized it to enrich Daibon.
I am the one who built up Qarḥoh, [8]
the garden’s walls and the citadel’s walls.
I am the one who built its gates,
and I am the one who built its towers.
I am the one who built the palace,
and I am the one who made the retaining walls of the reservoir
for the spring in the city center.
(There had been no cistern in the city center of Qarḥoh,
so I told all the people,
“Each household should make their own cistern.”)
I am the one who dug ditches for Qarḥoh,
using the captives from Israel.
I am the one who built Aro’er,
and I am the one who made the road by the Arnon River,
and I am the one who built up Bet Bamot after it was destroyed.
I am the one who built Beṣer back from rubble,
using the population of Daibon —
for everyone in Daibon obeyed me.
I am the one who ruled over hundreds
in the cities I added to the nation.
I am the one who built Mehadaba, Bet Diblaten, and Bet Baalmaon,
and I brought up there the l[ambs? …]
[…] sheep (?) of the nation.
(As for) Ḥawronen, the House of David had lived in [it …]
Then Kemosh told me, “Go out to fight Hawronen.”
So I went out and [attacked the city, and I seized it,
and it was restored by] Kemosh during my reign.
[The remaining couple of lines are very fragmentary.]
Posted by:
CURSED! The Mount Ebal Curse Tablet (Part One): Digging for Truth Episode 200 25:31
CURSED! The Mount Ebal Curse Tablet (Part Two): Digging for Truth Episode 201 25:37
El Arish and The Exodus
In the tiny museum of Isma’ilya, northeast of Cairo, is an artifact that corroborates the Biblical Exodus.. It’s known as the “El Arish Stone”. It is a piece of black granite weighing two tons, measuring 4 feet in length, and 2.5 feet in width. It was found in 1887 on a farm at El Arish, lying on its side. At the time, it was being used as a water trough for cattle. When archaeologist Frances Llewellyn Griffith found the slab of granite, his clue to its value was the hieroglyphics. By the writing, he dated the object to the Ptolemaic period, specifically the 30th Dynasty (380-360 BC), when it was probably used as a shrine. The inscriptions seem to refer to events some 1200 years earlier (c. 1500 BC) and appear to tell the story of the Exodus, but with a twist: this story is told from Pharaoh’s point of view.
The black granite inscription corroborates the story of the parting of the sea, as told in Exodus 14. There is a unique hieroglyph on it: three waves and two knives. Egyptologist James Hoffmeier has suggested that we look at the hieroglyphic literally. Seen in this way, the obvious translation is the “parting of the sea” or the “parted sea”.
The El Arish stone was being used for water for cattle, some of the inscriptions have been eroded, leaving the ones on the right and back sides of the monument mostly intact. In all, 74 lines are still legible. One line seems to be referencing Moses: he is referred to as the “Prince of the Desert” and his Israelite followers are called the “evil ones” or “evil-doers”. The Egyptian text also tells about how Pharaoh chased the Queen Mother, Tefnut, presumably the royal princess that once raised Moses, as she was leaving with the departing Israelites. This corroborates the Talmud (Sotah 12a) which states that the princess left on the Exodus, marrying the Israelite leader, Caleb son of Yefuneh.
The stone also seems to be reporting some of the Biblical plagues, including prolonged darkness and a terrible tempest. Furthermore, it mentions a specific location next to where the sea parted. The place is called “Pekharti”. Remarkably, this exact place is mentioned in Exodus 14:2,9 as the location where the Israelites camped just prior to the parting of the sea. In the Book of Exodus, it is called “Pi-hahiroth”.
If all this is not enough the Torah states that, as he was dying, the Biblical patriarch Jacob/Israel blessed his son Joseph wishing for Joseph’s children to “fishify” i.e., that they ”increase in the land like fish”. For this blessing, he made up a new word; “fishify”, “Idgu” in Hebrew (Genesis 48:16). Later, when the Israelites are leaving on the Exodus they take the bones of Joseph with them to the Promised Land (Exodus 13:19). Shockingly, the El Arish stone says that when the “evildoers” left Egypt, they took “Dagai” with them. The exact nickname given by the Torah to Joseph!
Isn’t is curious how academics can ignore inconvenient archaeology... That proves the Bible? Post by : https://www.facebook.com/1mill.creationist
Read what the stone says and more about it here
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/decoding-the-el-arish-stone-blog-entry-1/
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/decoding-the-el-arish-stone-blog-entry-2/
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/decoding-the-el-arish-stone-blog-entry-3/
Merneptah Stele
The Merneptah Stele, also known as the Israel Stele is an inscription by Merneptah, a pharaoh in ancient Egypt who reigned from 1213 to 1203 BCE. It is now housed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The text describes Merneptah's victory over the ancient Libyans and their allies, but the last three of the 28 lines deal with a separate campaign in Canaan, then part of Egypt's colonial conquest. Israel is mentioned by name. It is one of four known inscriptions from the Iron Age that mention Israel by name, with the others being the Mesha Stele, the Tel Dan Stele, and the Kurkh Monoliths.
One of the most important discoveries that relate to the time of the Exodus is the Merneptah stele which dates to about 1210 BC. Merneptah, the king of Egypt, boasts that he has destroyed his enemies in Canaan. The black granite stele primarily commemorates a victory in a campaign as he states: Plundered is the Canaan with every evil; Carried off is Ashkelon; seized upon is Gezer; Yanoam is made as that which does not exist; Israel is laid waste, his seed is not; The word "Israel" here is written in Egyptian with the determinative for people rather than land. This implies that Israel did not have a king or kingdom at this time. This would be the time of the judges. The text also implies that Israel was as strong as the other cities mentioned, and not just a small tribe.
In 1896 W. M. Flinders Petrie discovered the Merneptah Stele -- also known as the Israel Stele or Victory Stele of Merneptah -- in the first court of Merneptah's mortuary temple at Thebes.
It is inscribed on the reverse of a large granite stele originally erected by the Ancient Egyptian king Amenhotep III, but later inscribed by Merneptah who ruled Egypt from 1213 to 1203 BC.
https://answersingenesis.org/archaeology/merneptah-stele/
Evidence for Ancient Israel Discovered in Egypt 6:16
The Curse Tablet
In March of 2022, a lead curse tablet was deciphered to be the oldest mention of YHWH, the name revealed by God to Moses himself. It happened to be found at the excavated location of Joshua's altar on Mt. Ebal. Joshua's altar has been dated to 1406 BC, EXACTLY 40 years after the Exodus from Egypt, and lines up with the crossing of the Jordan.
Mt. Ebal was called the mountain of curses in Deuteronomy 27. This is another reason the tablet is a remarkable find. It may be connected with the renewal of the covenant (Joshua 8:30-35)
The tablet reads:
"Cursed, cursed, cursed – cursed by the God YHW.
You will die cursed.
Cursed you will surely die.
Cursed by YHW – cursed, cursed, cursed."
The Egyptian Scarab of Thutmoses III, believed by many to be the pharaoh during the Exodus, is dated to the time period as well (It all lines up)
Last but not least, this is direct evidence that the Bible was written when It was purported to be, not centuries later as it is often asserted by critics and naysayers.
Patterns of Evidence
These videos are from a man who found himself in the same situation as many of us have, a crisis of faith. A place when you reach a point in your life, where you think quite possibly, there may not be anything holding up what you have put your faith into. A time to see if there is any real evidence to support what the Bible says.
The people who made these videos happen, did a phenomenal job, and I truly believe God was behind them every step of the way. When I first saw these I really didn't expect much substance. I certainly did not expect them to be so well organized, produced, or massively in depth as the are. Of course, there is only one way to find out, so I bought them.
Let me say, I was clapping with amazement and joy with the home runs that these videos hit. I was VERY pleasantly surprised. He had explained all of the same strange things I had found with my personal search. Before watching these, I had already previously gone down the trail of who the pharaoh of exodus was, and I came to the literary conclusion it was not the supposed rameses people have claimed it to be, from a time period that didn't make any sense. There was another Rameses, who had lived earlier and fit the mold very well. However, the trail I went down was very long, and had many tangents, with sparse evidence shared. It was not something I could easily post, or put my finger on. These videos explain it all SO well and this man went there, and got those answers himself.
I cannot condone these videos enough. Go to the site and download or buy these videos, for a great, in-depth study of each topic.
"Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus - Full Trailer" 3:39
Amenhotep II as Pharaoh of the Exodus (Part One): Digging for Truth Episode 146 25:41
Exodus Pharaoh EXPLAINED! 22:13
We Have An Absolute Date For The Exodus.
In this next video, archeologists have determined an exact date, and point of reference for other biblical dates including the Exodus! This is one of the most amazing finds in our lifetime. It confirms that the Biblical timeline for the Exodus is indeed the correct one, and not the commonly accepted timeline concerning the pharaoh of the exodus.
How we KNOW the dates for the Old Testament! 27:11
Literary Evidence Outside of The Bible
Tacitus
Josephus
Pliny The Younger
Lucian of Samosata
Babylonian Talmud
This article is directly quoted from and printed at https://www.uncover.org.uk/questions/whats-the-evidence-outside-the-bible-for-jesus-life-and-teaching/?fbclid=IwAR00oBt9plTDMARpK1kmMtRU8NIssUuEe19DWfWptPUgRLu6RLGSg76VZt4
Introduction
Although there is overwhelming evidence that the New Testament is an accurate and trustworthy historical document, many people are still reluctant to believe what it says unless there is also some independent, non-biblical testimony that corroborates its statements. In the introduction to one of his books, F.F. Bruce tells about a Christian correspondent who was told by an agnostic friend that "apart from obscure references in Josephus and the like," there was no historical evidence for the life of Jesus outside the Bible.[1] This, he wrote to Bruce, had caused him "great concern and some little upset in [his] spiritual life."[2] He concludes his letter by asking, "Is such collateral proof available, and if not, are there reasons for the lack of it?"[3] The answer to this question is, "Yes, such collateral proof is available," and we will be looking at some of it in this article.
Evidence from Tacitus
Let's begin our inquiry with a passage that historian Edwin Yamauchi calls "probably the most important reference to Jesus outside the New Testament."[4] Reporting on Emperor Nero's decision to blame the Christians for the fire that had destroyed Rome in A.D. 64, the Roman historian Tacitus wrote:
Nero fastened the guilt ... on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of ... Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome....[5]
What can we learn from this ancient (and rather unsympathetic) reference to Jesus and the early Christians? Notice, first, that Tacitus reports Christians derived their name from a historical person called Christus (from the Latin), or Christ. He is said to have "suffered the extreme penalty,"obviously alluding to the Roman method of execution known as crucifixion. This is said to have occurred during the reign of Tiberius and by the sentence of Pontius Pilatus. This confirms much of what the Gospels tell us about the death of Jesus.
But what are we to make of Tacitus' rather enigmatic statement that Christ's death briefly checked "a most mischievous superstition," which subsequently arose not only in Judaea, but also in Rome? One historian suggests that Tacitus is here "bearing indirect ... testimony to the conviction of the early church that the Christ who had been crucified had risen from the grave."[6] While this interpretation is admittedly speculative, it does help explain the otherwise bizarre occurrence of a rapidly growing religion based on the worship of a man who had been crucified as a criminal.[7] How else might one explain that?
Evidence from Pliny the Younger
Another important source of evidence about Jesus and early Christianity can be found in the letters of Pliny the Younger to Emperor Trajan. Pliny was the Roman governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor. In one of his letters, dated around A.D. 112, he asks Trajan's advice about the appropriate way to conduct legal proceedings against those accused of being Christians.[8] Pliny says that he needed to consult the emperor about this issue because a great multitude of every age, class, and sex stood accused of Christianity.[9]
At one point in his letter, Pliny relates some of the information he has learned about these Christians:
They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food – but food of an ordinary and innocent kind.[10]
This passage provides us with a number of interesting insights into the beliefs and practices of early Christians. First, we see that Christians regularly met on a certain fixed day for worship. Second, their worship was directed to Christ, demonstrating that they firmly believed in His divinity. Furthermore, one scholar interprets Pliny's statement that hymns were sung to Christ, "as to a god", as a reference to the rather distinctive fact that, "unlike other gods who were worshipped, Christ was a person who had lived on earth."[11] If this interpretation is correct, Pliny understood that Christians were worshipping an actual historical person as God! Of course, this agrees perfectly with the New Testament doctrine that Jesus was both God and man.
Not only does Pliny's letter help us understand what early Christians believed about Jesus' person, it also reveals the high esteem to which they held His teachings. For instance, Pliny notes that Christians "bound themselves by a solemn oath" not to violate various moral standards, which find their source in the ethical teachings of Jesus. In addition, Pliny's reference to the Christian custom of sharing a common meal likely alludes to their observance of communion and the "love feast."[12] This interpretation helps explain the Christian claim that the meal was merely "food of an ordinary and innocent kind". They were attempting to counter the charge, sometimes made by non-Christians, of practicing "ritual cannibalism."[13] The Christians of that day humbly repudiated such slanderous attacks on Jesus' teachings. We must sometimes do the same today.
Evidence from Josephus
Perhaps the most remarkable reference to Jesus outside the Bible can be found in the writings of Josephus, a first century Jewish historian. On two occasions, in his Jewish Antiquities, he mentions Jesus. The second, less revealing, reference describes the condemnation of one "James" by the Jewish Sanhedrin. This James, says Josephus, was "the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ."[14] F.F. Bruce points out how this agrees with Paul's description of James in Galatians 1:19 as "the Lord's brother."[15] And Edwin Yamauchi informs us that "few scholars have questioned" that Josephus actually penned this passage.[16]
As interesting as this brief reference is, there is an earlier one, which is truly astonishing. Called the "Testimonium Flavianum," the relevant portion declares:
About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he ... wrought surprising feats.... He was the Christ. When Pilate ...condemned him to be crucified, those who had . . . come to love him did not give up their affection for him. On the third day he appeared ... restored to life.... And the tribe of Christians ... has ... not disappeared.[17]
Did Josephus really write this? Most scholars think the core of the passage originated with Josephus, but that it was later altered by a Christian editor, possibly between the third and fourth century A.D.[18] But why do they think it was altered? Josephus was not a Christian, and it is difficult to believe that anyone but a Christian would have made some of these statements.[19]
For instance, the claim that Jesus was a wise man seems authentic, but the qualifying phrase, "if indeed one ought to call him a man," is suspect. It implies that Jesus was more than human, and it is quite unlikely that Josephus would have said that! It is also difficult to believe he would have flatly asserted that Jesus was the Christ, especially when he later refers to Jesus as "the so-called" Christ. Finally, the claim that on the third day Jesus appeared to His disciples restored to life, inasmuch as it affirms Jesus' resurrection, is quite unlikely to come from a non-Christian!
But even if we disregard the questionable parts of this passage, we are still left with a good deal of corroborating information about the biblical Jesus. We read that he was a wise man who performed surprising feats. And although He was crucified under Pilate, His followers continued their discipleship and became known as Christians. When we combine these statements with Josephus' later reference to Jesus as "the so-called Christ," a rather detailed picture emerges which harmonizes quite well with the biblical record. It increasingly appears that the "biblical Jesus" and the "historical Jesus" are one and the same!
Evidence from the Babylonian Talmud
There are only a few clear references to Jesus in the Babylonian Talmud, a collection of Jewish rabbinical writings compiled between approximately A.D. 70-500. Given this time frame, it is naturally supposed that earlier references to Jesus are more likely to be historically reliable than later ones. In the case of the Talmud, the earliest period of compilation occurred between A.D. 70-200.[20] The most significant reference to Jesus from this period states:
On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald ... cried, "He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy."[21]
Let's examine this passage. You may have noticed that it refers to someone named "Yeshu." So why do we think this is Jesus? Actually, "Yeshu" (or "Yeshua") is how Jesus' name is pronounced in Hebrew. But what does the passage mean by saying that Jesus "was hanged"? Doesn't the New Testament say he was crucified? Indeed it does. But the term "hanged" can function as a synonym for "crucified." For instance, Galatians 3:13 declares that Christ was "hanged", and Luke 23:39 applies this term to the criminals who were crucified with Jesus.[22] So the Talmud declares that Jesus was crucified on the eve of Passover. But what of the cry of the herald that Jesus was to be stoned? This may simply indicate what the Jewish leaders were planning to do.[23] If so, Roman involvement changed their plans![24]
The passage also tells us why Jesus was crucified. It claims He practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy! Since this accusation comes from a rather hostile source, we should not be too surprised if Jesus is described somewhat differently than in the New Testament. But if we make allowances for this, what might such charges imply about Jesus?
Interestingly, both accusations have close parallels in the canonical gospels. For instance, the charge of sorcery is similar to the Pharisees' accusation that Jesus cast out demons "by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons."[25] But notice this: such a charge actually tends to confirm the New Testament claim that Jesus performed miraculous feats. Apparently Jesus' miracles were too well attested to deny. The only alternative was to ascribe them to sorcery! Likewise, the charge of enticing Israel to apostasy parallels Luke's account of the Jewish leaders who accused Jesus of misleading the nation with his teaching.[26]Such a charge tends to corroborate the New Testament record of Jesus' powerful teaching ministry. Thus, if read carefully, this passage from the Talmud confirms much of our knowledge about Jesus from the New Testament.
Evidence from Lucian
Lucian of Samosata was a second century Greek satirist. In one of his works, he wrote of the early Christians as follows:
The Christians ... worship a man to this day – the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account.... [It] was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws.[27]
Although Lucian is jesting here at the early Christians, he does make some significant comments about their founder. For instance, he says the Christians worshipped a man, "who introduced their novel rites." And though this man's followers clearly thought quite highly of Him, He so angered many of His contemporaries with His teaching that He "was crucified on that account."
Although Lucian does not mention his name, he is clearly referring to Jesus. But what did Jesus teach to arouse such wrath? According to Lucian, he taught that all men are brothers from the moment of their conversion. That's harmless enough. But what did this conversion involve? It involved denying the Greek gods, worshipping Jesus, and living according to His teachings. It's not too difficult to imagine someone being killed for teaching that. Though Lucian doesn't say so explicitly, the Christian denial of other gods combined with their worship of Jesus implies the belief that Jesus was more than human. Since they denied other gods in order to worship Him, they apparently thought Jesus a greater God than any that Greece had to offer!
Conclusion
Let's summarize what we've learned about Jesus from this examination of ancient non-Christian sources. First, both Josephus and Lucian indicate that Jesus was regarded as wise. Second, Pliny, the Talmud, and Lucian imply He was a powerful and revered teacher. Third, both Josephus and the Talmud indicate He performed miraculous feats. Fourth, Tacitus, Josephus, the Talmud, and Lucian all mention that He was crucified. Tacitus and Josephus say this occurred under Pontius Pilate. And the Talmud declares it happened on the eve of Passover. Fifth, there are possible references to the Christian belief in Jesus' resurrection in both Tacitus and Josephus. Sixth, Josephus records that Jesus' followers believed He was the Christ, or Messiah. And finally, both Pliny and Lucian indicate that Christians worshipped Jesus as God!
I hope you see how this small selection of ancient non-Christian sources helps corroborate our knowledge of Jesus from the gospels. Of course, there are many ancient Christian sources of information about Jesus as well. But since the historical reliability of the canonical gospels is so well established, I invite you to read those for an authoritative "life of Jesus!"
This article was taken from bethinking.org - visit bethinking.org for more articles, talks and videos that engage with this and other relevant topics.
Notes
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F. F. Bruce, Jesus and Christian Origins Outside the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974), 13.
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Ibid.
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Ibid.
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Edwin Yamauchi, quoted in Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998), 82.
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Tacitus, Annals 15.44, cited in Strobel, The Case for Christ, 82.
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N.D. Anderson, Christianity: The Witness of History (London: Tyndale, 1969), 19, cited in Gary R. Habermas, The Historical Jesus (Joplin, Missouri: College Press Publishing Company, 1996), 189-190.
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Edwin Yamauchi, cited in Strobel, The Case for Christ, 82.
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Pliny, Epistles x. 96, cited in Bruce, Christian Origins, 25; Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 198.
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Ibid., 27.
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Pliny, Letters, transl. by William Melmoth, rev. by W.M.L. Hutchinson (Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1935), vol. II, X:96, cited in Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 199.
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M. Harris, "References to Jesus in Early Classical Authors," in Gospel Perspectives V, 354-55, cited in E. Yamauchi, "Jesus Outside the New Testament: What is the Evidence?", in Jesus Under Fire, ed. by Michael J. Wilkins and J.P. Moreland (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995), p. 227, note 66.
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Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 199.
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Bruce, Christian Origins, 28.
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Josephus, Antiquities xx. 200, cited in Bruce, Christian Origins, 36.
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Ibid.
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Yamauchi, "Jesus Outside the New Testament", 212.
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Josephus, Antiquities 18.63-64, cited in Yamauchi, "Jesus Outside the New Testament", 212.
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Ibid.
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Another version of Josephus' "Testimonium Flavianum" survives in a tenth-century Arabic version (Bruce, Christian Origins, 41). In 1971, Professor Schlomo Pines published a study on this passage. The passage is interesting because it lacks most of the questionable elements that many scholars believe to be Christian interpolations. Indeed, "as Schlomo Pines and David Flusser...stated, it is quite plausible that none of the arguments against Josephus writing the original words even applies to the Arabic text, especially since the latter would have had less chance of being censored by the church" (Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 194). The passage reads as follows: "At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. His conduct was good and (he) was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. But those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion, and that he was alive; accordingly he was perhaps the Messiah, concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders." (Quoted in James H. Charlesworth, Jesus Within Judaism, (Garden City: Doubleday, 1988), 95, cited in Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 194).
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Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 202-03.
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The Babylonian Talmud, transl. by I. Epstein (London: Soncino, 1935), vol. III, Sanhedrin 43a, 281, cited in Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 203.
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Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 203.
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See John 8:58-59 and 10:31-33.
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Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 204. See also John 18:31-32.
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Matthew 12:24. I gleaned this observation from Bruce, Christian Origins, 56.
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Luke 23:2, 5.
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Lucian, "The Death of Peregrine", 11-13, in The Works of Lucian of Samosata, transl. by H.W. Fowler and F.G. Fowler, 4 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon, 1949), vol. 4., cited in Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 206.
©2001 Probe Ministries
Jesus' Tomb & The Shroud
Where Jesus Was Crucified: The archaeological evidence! 25:08
The Shroud of Turin is indeed something that commands attention. Shroud expert Russ Breault said it best, when he said, I cannot prove this is the shroud of Jesus, but I also can't ignore all of these remarkably precise details, that are very consistent with the unusual events in the scriptures, of Jesus's crucifixion.
Watching the receipt of the resurrection really ought to get your attention. He has made several other videos and materials, which can be obtained at his website if you'd like to see more.
https://shroudencounter.com/shroud-store/
The other video is the very interesting story of the photographer who was there when they inspected the shroud. He gives a lot of amazing details and back stories of what happened during the scientific inspection. As always, there is a lot that was found during the inspection, but because people get so uncomfortable about this topic, there is a lot they don't want to talk about. He also has a very detailed website with all of his findings at this site:
The shroud of Turin - the official documenting photographer tells the inside story 1:19:14
Eventually, you may begin to wonder about the data. What facts do we have surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus? Take a look at this next link for that. Each topic can be researched to your own desire, but it goes over the usual topics of evidence, like the huge stone that was moved, the empty, tomb, the Roman seal that was broken, the roman watch guards, and more.
http://www.israeljerusalem.com/jesus-tomb.htm
We know there is plenty of evidence to prove that Jesus did indeed exist, as well as others who have attested that he made the claims the Bible says he made. Even those who aren't Christians admit that, but are there any witnesses who can attest to the events not only during his life before the crucifixion, but also after it? Including his reappearance after death. Yes! There are many who have!
http://www.bible.ca/d-resurrection-evidence-Josh-McDowell.htm
The Shroud of Turin
Russ Breault: The Receipt Of The Resurrection 28:31
"The new astonishing phenomenon detected on the Shroud" 53:29
"Jesus Was NOT A Myth (15 minutes Of Evidence)" 15:44
The evidence for Jesus outside of the bible is absolutely fascinating!
http://coldcasechristianity.com/2014/is-there-any-evidence-for-jesus-outside-the-bible/
Eye witness accounts of Jesus recorded outside of the Bible
https://www.bethinking.org/jesus/ancient-evidence-for-jesus-from-non-christian-sources
The Red Sea Crossing & Mount Sinai
"Beware the sound of one hand Clapping."
Preconceived bias is an issue that applies to every group on the planet. The phrase "Beware the sound of one hand clapping", is referring to that problem, and not one person is immune to it. All Christians should admit that they are sinners who believe, and try to follow Christ, and even though we should always be trying to do the right thing, not one person follows Christ as much as we wish we could have. What this phrase is saying, is that you need to hear both sides of an argument, before a reasonable conclusion can be made. Proverbs eighteen:seventeen speaks to this,
"The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him."
We should all know by now that for any voice that speaks up, there is always someone else out there to tell you they are wrong, or lying. The entire battle creationists fight, is because the scientific community will only hear arguments from one "hand". To be honest, the same can often be said for those who have been raised to believe in God, never listening to what evolutionists believe. Not that this is war, but how can one defeat the opposition, if they don't understand their enemy? So we need to rise up and try to cross examine the evidence, learn the material, and check to see what all of the data presents for every possible hypothesis on the table. There are many evolutionist's who have become creationists simply because they have spotted that people are not doing honest science. They aren't acknowledging all of the data at hand, or even considering it. They are deliberately ignoring what is going against their preconceived bias, and this because they don't want that result for whatever personal reason they may have against the opposition. In other words, they are forcing the data to fit what they want to be true. They often openly admit, that they hate the idea of answering to a higher moral power.
Many of us have seen more than enough evidence for the Bible outside of Ron Wyatt's work to be very strong in our faith. Be that as it may, when it comes to looking for supporting evidence, it is extremely important to be as truthful as we can. Imagine if someone has shown countless proofs of evidence on a matter during a court case, but the jury is still undecided, because they are a biased jury. The defendant can see that they almost have them convinced of their claims, but they are tired, they don't like what you are, and they just want to be done. In a moment of weakness the defendant decides, I'll just tell a quick lie, that will shut them up, and we can all just be done with it. Imagine what will happen when that lie is exposed, it will shake how they feel about the credibility of all the other valid proofs of evidence that they have presented, even though massive amounts of evidence are all still there and valid. It would make them feel as though they need to go back through all of it again, because they no longer trust the defendant. How many other lies did you get past us? Everyone is already tired of dealing with the matter, and they certainly don't want to go through it all over again. They will just make up their mind, and forget everything else presented. They will take that one lie and shout it from the roof tops to drag your name through the mud. They don't want your God, and they never wanted your evidence in the first place.
Never forget, we are usually talking to people who already have a bias. On top of that, people have been taught Darwin's evolution from a very young age in our own public schools, and it is harped on in nearly every documentary on television. They almost always enter the conversation convinced that creationists are the type of people who are wishfully thinking, or must be easily fooled.
In the case of Ron Wyatt and his findings, many people have come against him. They call him, his family, and any of his crew, liars. That has happened even in the Christian creationist community. Ron Wyatt is a man and he is completely capable of lying about his findings or doing the same thing evolutionists do and send in whatever they want to be tested. Ron has brought forth a lot of very good evidence, and even sent it off for 3rd party testing, of course we have no way of knowing what he sent off. If he is lying, he carried his lies to the grave, and his family is keeping them going. Much of what he found in Saudi Arabia, people already knew all about it, he just went and showed the western culture, because we didn't know about it. Many people have even gone out to see if it's true. Other people have indeed found these sulphur balls, thermal ionization, monument towers at the Sodom and Gomorrah site, and a lot of proof of the Jewish people around the proposed Mount Sinai. Even photos of these unusual coral structures have surfaced, and they are clearly in very unnatural shapes. Shapes that very closely resembling the shapes of Egyptian chariot wheels, and they are being found at the bottom of the proposed "Sea of reeds".
Many others have visited this ark site as well, and said there is no evidence to be found, but I have yet to see anyone who has called him a liar, provide evidence to show that the ark site is a lie either. I have only seen the occasional article saying that there is nothing there, and with absolutely no evidence provided themselves. Maybe they don't want to stop people reaching faith, if this is how they came to faith? However, that is wrong too. Lying for the right reasons is still wrong. When the lie gets found out, it shakes the foundations of faith for the overall truth that they are trying to support. Especially, if other people came to find faith through that lie. They will feel betrayed and fooled, and probably question everything once they learn that.
The Ark site is a good example of incomplete data from both sides of the argument. There is definitely good reason to examine this, but we always have to be careful with it, maintaining a strict basis of support. There will always be matters out there, that are not yet settled. If you aren't comfortable making up your mind on a topic, then don't settle on a conclusion. Let the case remain open, and go digging until you are satisfied. Some of the places I have found the deepest faith, are the places where I thought I was going to expose false claims. Claims that just seemed too fantastic to be true. When people are already bias, they tend to be apprehensive to take that step to find out if it is true, or not. That is because they want the beliefs they have settled on to be true, they don't want to see anything that is going to mess with it. However, if all you want is the truth, then great! That is the beginning to finding some real answers. Just remember to be as thorough as you can, and don't throw down your shovel after two digs. Go see what you can find, and cross examine it when you find it. If it is the truth, it is bound to leave some patterns of evidence.
When people do science they should actually follow the scientific method, and be sure to include an honest control group, and provide their data and exact methods. For example, with the ark site, we don't all have ground penetrating scanners, or have a clue what normal ground should look like, when using one of these devices. How are we to know what common occurrences are that show up in normal ground, beyond them just telling us that it is unique? . This is the time where the control group is that little extra step that is meant to solidify our faith in their findings, by offering closed and controlled examples to compare it to. Wouldn't it be nice if each burden of proof presented was obtained by following the scientific method. Of course we are still reliant to trust the material that came from the site, and that the methods of testing are truthful. The hard truth is, sometimes we may just have to go and see it for ourselves.
The Search for Mount Sinai
The search for Mount Sinai hinges on where the Jewish people crossed the Red Sea, or Sea of Reeds. There is debate between which of those words are the accurate choice, as you will see when you watch the amazing "Patterns of Evidence" movies. One thing is for certain, a whole bunch of very interesting evidence has been found in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Arabian Government has put very solid, high, and barbed wire fences all around these sites with threats of death if you cross them without permission. There are a lot of petroglyphs etched into the surrounding rocks. The images carved into these rocks, are all images that indicate the Jewish people have been there. Such as menorahs, Proto-Sinaitic script reading "Yahweh", Jewish head stones, there are also sacrificial alters, images of a bull, water wells matching the exact numbers and locations of the Bible, etc. There is clearly too much there to brush off. Just take a look at this video provided by:
The Red Sea Crossing
The Bible has some of the most amazing events ever written about. The Red Sea Crossing, Sodom and Gomorrah, Noah's Ark and the Great Flood, The Walls of Jericho, etc, etc... The consequences of these stories, leaves one thinking, "There would have to be some sort of evidence for at least one of them. Where is it all?"
As you have seen by now in this section, there is so much evidence, it is overwhelming. Picking which examples to put on this site was tricky, because there is so much, keep reading and watching, because there is still more exciting stuff.
The Bible says an entire army got trapped under a sea, we know what sea it is, and nobody has ever found anything??
Quite the contrary, here are few links all about it.
http://www.wnd.com/2012/06/chariots-in-red-sea-irrefutable-evidence/
Mount Sinai location, mountain of Moses, altar, golden calf, Exodus, Ten Commandments, Midian, Arabia 29:15
If you clicked on those links above and explored the websites, you can see there are some very interesting shapes in the reef, that reefs aren't ever in the shape of, especially in that sea where reefs don't get very big. As well as the obvious wagon wheel as shown in the top left. These again are taken from Ron Wyatt's website.
They have superimposed the computer image inside the reef to show you what is believed to be inside the protected reef. If you question whether or not Ron Wyatt is lying about this, there is a factor to help us consider that. He found these things before the days of superior video imaging programs. Everything he found is on actual "Tape", it isn't digital and they didn't have the ability to create realistic false images like they do now. His findings have been well documented.
"Noah's Flood vs the Epic of Gilgamesh" 14:10
Occasionally someone is bound to bring up what they have heard, about the epic of Gilgamesh. Some had thought to believe that cuneiform was an earlier for of writing, but that isn't the case as seen in the Patterns of Evidence films. Those films show proof that there are forms of ancient Hebrew writing that predate cuneiform. Often these comments come from folks who haven't read the Bible, or the Epic, but they are just running off hearsay from some show on tv, but that is where vast forms interpretation and rumors come from isn't it.
There is nothing wrong with buckling down and reading things for yourself. It sure does make things a lot easier when the time comes to make a decision between a lie, or a life changing truth. This video "Noah's Flood vs the Epic of Gilgamesh", does a fantastic job of hitting this giant right between the eyes. It also goes into a very fascinating topic, on how many ancient, and still currently used, Chinese characters were formed by the stories of the Bible.
God has done amazing things throughout every aspect of life, don't be a surface scratcher who never digs down deep enough to have some serious faith. This stuff is everywhere, if you're willing to go get it.
https://genesisapologetics.com
This site has more topics, than any one person has questions.
They do an amazing job, and I highly recommend going through it.
Sodom and Gomorrah
Two entire cities have been burnt to the ground by burning sulfur (brimstone). Not everybody has an understanding of chemistry in the back of their mind, but when sulfur is burnt, it gets extremely hot and can melt rock burning at upwards of 2,750 Degrees Fahrenheit. Needless to say, that story would leave a mark for sure! So where is it? We should definitely be able to find it considering the amount of maps and literature about the layout of the land in those days.
Genesis 19:23-28
By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.
"Amazing Sulfur Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah Discovered!" 15:26
Here they are at the southern end of the Dead Sea. How do we know that these are in fact the spots? They're location is well documented biblically and again in Flavious Josephus' book, and they are covered in white ash and almost pure sulfur, and there are very cooked, man-made formations in the cities, including ziggurats, sphinxes, windows, arched doorways, and walls, we have seen before, known as the "Double Canaanite city walls."
There are swirl patterns on the rock walls indicating an extremely hot fire had burnt the faces of the rocks, due to the thermal ionization that has occurred to achieve this known effect. There are also thousands, and thousands, of little pellets melted into the rock in this area with burn rings around them in the land. When you crack the pellets open, they have pure unburnt sulfur inside them.
Visit Joel Kramer's YouTube Chanel, and website for more great stuff!
How to get ETERNAL LIFE
according to the Bible
Believe in your heart Jesus is The Lord, and that God raised him from the dead.
Declare it with your mouth, and you will be saved.
If you believe Jesus is your savior, be thankful! We're going home to place where 1 Corinthians 2:9 happens!
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
If you aren't quite sure Jesus is your savior, put your heart out on a limb. Nobody even needs to know you said it, God knows. It doesn't cost you anything, it is very easy, the reward is eternal life, just take a moment to believe,
Jesus is who he said he is.
Even if nothing happened, you are still in the same place you were before. The risk vs. reward here is an easy decision.
John 3: 12-21
If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall you believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are worked in God.
Acts 11: 16-18
Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
Acts 19:1-5
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Romans 10:9-10
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 1:13-14
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
What is the will of The Father?
John 6:39-40
“And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
If you want mercy, show mercy.