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Apr 12, 2018 · 2. Tacitus (A.D. 56-120) Scholars point to the Roman historian Tacitus for confirmation that the crucifixion of Jesus actually took place. Writing in his Annals, he records the death of Jesus at ...
- Paul doesn’t refer to it. The apostle Paul, who was chronologically the first author of the New Testament (his letters predate the gospels), was apparently unaware of the virgin birth or even of Mary’s name.
- Only two gospels do mention it. (And None of the Rest of the New Testament Does) Mark, which most scholars agree is the earliest of the gospels, makes no mention of Jesus’ birth and is apparently unaware or at the very least indifferent (not important enough to be included in his account) to the idea of a virgin birth.
- The existence of early rumors about Jesus’ “illegitimate” birth. The early church theologian Origen (d. 251 CE) has a polemical tract in which he writes an apologetic for Jesus’ virgin birth against Celsus, a pagan skeptic of Christianity (around 178 CE).
- The presence of other stories of virgin births of heroic figures in history. An argument often raised as evidence against the virgin birth of Jesus is that virgin births were a common trope and polemic device in ancient mythology.
Apr 1, 2012 · Some claim that Jesus is a myth, created for nefarious or altruistic purposes. Some truly believed that Jesus lived and breathed. But did he really? Is there any historical evidence?
Dec 23, 2021 · Perhaps only 49 per cent of Australians reckon “Jesus was a real person”, but I wager that 99 per cent of professional ancient historians — atheist, Christian, Jewish, or whatever — would ...
- Appeal to ‘Christian’ Scholarship
- Birthplace vs. Hometown
- Disparate Fictional Accounts
- What Does ‘Of Nazareth’ Prove?
- Elementary Errors
- Sidebar: Further Reading
It’s standard practice among atheists, Muslims, and heretics such as Jehovah’s Witnesses to cite theologically liberal self-identified “Christian” scholarship, because the latter no longer adheres to traditional orthodox interpretation. Pearce writes: Actually, it is also mentioned in John 7:42: “Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descen...
This information proves nothing whatsoever. Mark starts out when Jesus was 30 years old. He’s simply saying that before his ministry began (initiated by his baptism), he lived in Nazareth; therefore, that’s where he “came from.” He went to John in the wilderness, from Nazareth; he was from Nazareth. That was his hometown. He never lived in Bethlehe...
We now move on to Loftus’s article. He writes: Obviously, there must have been some necessity for Mary to also be present. But that makes no sense to Loftus; he would rather impugn the character of the Gospel writers by having them drum up an account with a nearly-due pregnant wife subject to grueling discomforts that he can discount as implausible...
We are told that the title “Jesus of Nazareth” somehow suggests that Jesus was not born in Bethlehem because he was raised in Nazareth. That clearly in itself is a false premise. But the extensive biblical use of “Jesus of Nazareth” actually works against Loftus’s argument because if the writers of the New Testament “were intent on making Jesus’ bi...
Many examples of this sort of nonsense can easily be located in the usual laundry lists of alleged biblical contradictions that appear in skeptical and atheist literature, often exhibiting the most elementary errors of fact or logic. Fair- and open-minded folks should be able to easily see through the shallowness of such alleged “proofs.” When Chri...
For extensive scholarly commentary on the question of Christ’s birthplace, see Christology of the Old Testament and a Commentary on the Messianic Predictions, by E. W. Hengstenberg (translated by Theodore Myer; Edinburgh: T & T Clark, vol. 1 of 4, second edition, 1868). It’s available online at Gutenberg.org.
Dec 24, 2018 · “There is no archaeological evidence directly for Jesus. Non-textual evidence begins around the year AD 200,” says Gathercole. Leaving aside the archaeology referring to episodes in the life of Jesus, the veracity of which is questioned, there are various physical artefacts associated with the crucifixion.
Dec 25, 2015 · Researchers have come up with several intriguing—if improbable—scientific explanations for the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. ... Poythress doesn't have proof that God went about Christ's ...
