SUBJECT:  God and Christ

QUESTION:  What information and proof do we have from secular history that would support that God and/or Jesus ever existed?  What proof do we have that would support events in the Bible?

ANSWER:

There are many such sources, both in print and on the Internet that will provide information and proof that Jesus Christ walked this earth in human form.  These and other sources also support many of the events recorded in the Bible.

Note:  In no way are we implying that each and every item you read in these sources is absolutely accurate.  They are listed simply as sources of information for you to study and to formulate your own conclusions.

Internet sources change URLs too often for us to list here.  Go to Google.com and type in “Jesus + History” and you will get a number of sites to explore.  Some will be grossly inaccurate and others will be more factual.

HARDCOPY SOURCES

Biblical Background by J. McKee Adams

Archaeology of Palestine and the Bible by W. F. Albright

History of Egypt by James Baikie

Bible and Spade by E. J. Banks

Archaeology and the Bible by G.A. Barton

“Oriental Institute” and “History of Egypt” by J. H. Breasted

Bible and Spade by S. L. Caiger

The Cambridge Ancient History

Light on the Old Testament from Babel by A. T. Clay

New Archaeological Discoveries by C. M. Cobern

Religion of Ancient Palestine by S. A. Cook

“Digging up Biblical History” and  “Accuracy of the Old Testament” by J. G. Duncan

Bible Lands Today by W. T. Ellis

Field Museum-Oxford Expedition to Kish by Henry Field

Exploration of Armageddon by C. S. Fisher

Archaeology and Bible History by J. P. Free

History and Monuments of Ur by C. J. Gadd

Story of Jericho by John Garstang

Haverford Symposium on Archaeology and Bible by Elihu Grant

New Light form Armageddon by P. L. O. Guy

Ancient History of the Near East by H. R. Hall

Wonders of the Past by J. A. Hammarton

Exploration of Bible Lands by H. V. Hilprecht

The Bible, the Scholar and the Spade by C. H. Irwin

Civilization of Babylonia and Assyria by Morris Jastrow

History of Sumer and Akkad by L. W. King

Explorations at Sodom by M. G. Kyler

Semitic Mythology by Stephen Langdon

Bible Sidelights from Gezer by R. A Macalester

New bible Evidence by Charles Marston

Dawn of Civilization by G. C. Maspero

Short History of Egypt by Newberry and Garstang

History of Assyria and History of Egypt by A. T. Olmstead

History of Palestine and Syria by A. T. Olmstead

The Flood by Harold Peake

“History of Egypt” and “Palestine and Israel” by Flinders Petrie

The Monuments and the Old Testament by Ira M. Price

Bearing of Archaeolgy on Old Testament by George L. Robinson

Ancient Empires of the East by A. H. Sayce

Fresh Light from the Ancient Monuments by A. H. Sayce

Chaldean Account of Genesis by G. Smith and A. H. Sayce

New Discoveries about Genesis by P. J. Wiseman

“Ur of the Chaldees” and “Ur Excavations” by C. L. Woolley

The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary.

BIBLE HELPS

These sources will have reference to various secular proofs for God, Jesus Christ and the Bible

Halley’s Bible Handbook by Henry H. Halley

Buckland’s Bible Dictionary

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Clarke’s Commentary

The Companion Bible with appendices

Davis’ Bible Dictionary

Dummelow’s Commentary

Eiselen’s Abingdon Commentary

Elliott’s Commentary

Expositor’s Bible

Gore’s Commentary

Gray’s Commentary

Hasting’s Bible Dictionary

International Critical Commentary

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Jacobus’ Bible Dictionary

Jamieson, Faussett and Brown’s Commentary

McClintock and Strong’s Encyclopaedia

Moulton’s Modern Reader’s Bible

Peake’s Commentary

Peloubet’s Bible Dictionary

Piercy’s Bible Dictionary

Pulpit commentary

Schaff’s Bible Dictionary

Schaff-Herzog’s Encyclopaedia

Schaff-Lange’s Commentary

Speaker’s Commentary

SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS REFERRING TO CHRIST AS A HISTORICAL FIGURE
The New Testament contains twenty-seven separate documents, which were written in the first century A.D. These writings contain the story of the life of Jesus and the beginnings of the Christian church from about 4 B. C. until the decade of the A.D. nineties.

The facts were recorded by eyewitnesses, who gave firsthand testimony to what they had seen and heard. "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life" (1 John 1:1, NASB).

Moreover, the existence of Jesus is recorded by the Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, who was born in A.D. 37, "Now there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works—a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles.

"He was (the) Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those who loved him at the firs did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day" (Antiquities, XVIII, III).

Although this passage has been contested because of the reference to Jesus being the Christ and rising from the dead, the fact of His existence is not in question.

Cornelius Tacitus (A.D. 112), a Roman historian, writing about the reign of Nero, refers to Jesus Christ and the existence of Christians in Rome (Annals, XV, 44). Tacitus, elsewhere in his Histories, refers to Christianity when alluding to the burning of the temple of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. This has been preserved by Sulpicius Severus (Chronicles 30:6).

There are other references to Jesus or His followers, such as the Roman historian, Seutonius (A.D. 120) in Life of Claudius, 25.4, and Lives of the Caesars, 26.2, and Pliny the younger (A.D. 112) in his Epistles, X. 96.

This testimony, both Christian and non-Christian, is more than sufficient to lay to rest any idea that Jesus, in fact, never existed. In light of the evidence, it is absurd to hold such a view. We know more about the life of Jesus than just about any other figure in the ancient world. His birth, life, and death are revealed in much more detail than most ancient figures whose existence is taken for granted by historians.

After examining the evidence about the life of Christ from contemporary sources apart from the New Testament, Roderic Dunkerley concluded, "In none of these various testimonies to the fact of Christ is there any slightest hint or idea that he was not a real historical person.

"Indeed it has been argued—and I think very rightly—that myth theories of the beginnings of Christianity are modern speculative hypotheses motivated by unreasoning prejudice and dislike. ‘It would never enter anyone’s head,’ says Merezhovsky, ‘to ask whether Jesus had lived, unless before asking the question the mind had been darkened by the wish that he had not lived’" (Roderic Dunkerley, Beyond the Gospels, pp. 29, 30).

- Exerted from Josh McDowell, Answers to tough questions: Skeptics ask about the Christian faith [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1993 by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart.

---END---

Here is another article showing sources on Jesus:

How do we know Jesus existed?

The Bible tells us of a man named Jesus who existed about 2000 years ago.  If we look at the "evidence" for Jesus existence, I believe that it is without a doubt that this man lived.  Josh McDowell in his book, A Ready Defense states:

“An incontrovertible reference to Jesus would first of all have to be from an eyewitness.  But outside of Christian testimony, no surviving historical literature could even be expected to contain eyewitness references to Him.  So the modern historian must seek non-Christian evidence for Jesus the same way he does for every other person of antiquity who was considered insignificant by the authorities of his day.  He must analyze the credibility of secondhand reports.

“Combine secondhand reports of Jesus (both non-Christian and Christian) with the eyewitness accounts recorded in the Gospels, and you will find that Jesus compares extremely favorably with other people in history whose historicity in not doubted.

“This being known allow me to list a few of the non-Christian authors who did make mention of Jesus to help you see the evidence.  Cornelius Tacitus (born A.D. 52-54) was a Roman historian, in A.D. 112.  In his writings he alludes to the death of Jesus and to the existence of Christians at Rome.  Lucian of Samosata was a satirist of the second century.  He scornfully spoke of Christ and Christians.  He also alluded to Christ as ‘the man who was crucified in Palestine because He introduced this new cult into the world.’  Flavius Josephus (born A.D. 37) was a Jewish historian, and became a Pharisee at age 19; in A.D. 66.  He mentions the man of Jesus as well as His death and resurrection and that He appeared to His disciples.  He also makes a reference to James the brother of Jesus.  Suetonius (A.D. 120) was a Roman historian who mentioned the Jews being disturbed at the ‘instigation’ of Christ.  Plinius Secundus, Pliny The Younger was the governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor (A.D. 112), he mentioned he killed many Christians.

“There are also other men who mentioned Jesus and Christians whom I will list off: Tertullian was a Jurist - theologian of Carthage, Thallus was a Samaritan-born historian, Phlegon was a first century historian, and the Letter of Mara Bar-Serapion.

“As you can see there is more than just the Bible that talks about Jesus and what He did.  The evidence to support His existence if far greater than some other men who are believed to have existed, leading to the conclusion that Jesus was a real person.”

---END---

For all the sources, historical facts and archaeological evidence, understand that there are individuals and groups who attempt to refute every source and fact about Jesus Christ, the Bible and God.  We are left to the power of the Holy Spirit and Faith to know, absolutely, that these two beings and that book are real.