Is there any evidence (other than religious texts) of the existence of historical Jesus?

by Mrminecrafthimself

I've read that the academic world's accepted position on Jesus is that he did exist, though his divinity is is not accepted. What records, if any, exist to support the claim that historical Jesus existed, preached, and was crucified?

thejukeboxhero

This question has been covered extensively in the FAQ; you'll find the answers there. But to be brief, yes, we have a handful of references to Jesus from various non-Christian authors, including Josephus, Tacitus, and probably/possibly Suetonius.

However, the Pauline Epistles and Gospel accounts are still positive evidence for the existence of Jesus. Claims to divinity aside, they represent relatively early rememberings (within one to two generations after the event) of the life of Jesus as a real individual at a specific time and place in history. We shouldn't throw out the baby with the bathwater simply because it makes claims about the divinity of Jesus.