Is there any proof that Jesus truly existed?

by Krrust

I've been interested in religion recently, and have found conflicting views about the existence of Jesus. Christopher Hitchens says that we do not know if he existed, as all of the writings about him occurred hundreds of years after his death. However, other, less opinionated intellectuals, will say that we do know that he existed. Untainted by ideology, what are the facts?

Gankom

There's always more that can be said, but we have a pretty good sized chunk of the FAQ about this. You can find it here.