Well, it’s almost 11:30 and I’m ready to begin writing the post I promised earlier today. There’s so much material, we’ll probably break this post up in the name of brevity. Before we get into the topic of the post, let’s talk a little bit about what history is. Actually, let’s talk about what history isn’t. Despite what you’ve probably been taught your entire life, history isn’t a series of facts. You know, George Washington took a boat across the frozen Delaware River in the middle of the night. Abraham Lincoln put an end to slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation. A happened, then B happened, which lead to C. Stuff like that. The problem is, the study of history is filled with more theories than facts. Just like any other scientist, historians can only take parts of the puzzle and put it together as well as they can. Unfortunately, unlike other sciences, sometimes we only have one or two corner pieces to work with. This means that almost no two historians agree on any given arrangement.

If this is how history works, why are there so many documentaries, books, etc. that present all their data as fact? Most of these types of media aren’t created by people who devote their lives to professionally studying history. Any historian worth their library card tells the audience up front that there are competing theories. That theirs isn’t the only interpretation. Again, like any scientist, historians are supposed to be unbiased. The people who publish these documentaries, movies, etc. are looking to sell a point of view. They have an agenda. And they don’t mind twisting the facts, or theories, to push it. The next time you watch a piece of historical media, whether it be on the History Channel, National Geographic or the Discovery Channel, ask yourself: “What agenda are they working towards?”

Well, now that you know every historian’s pet peeve, the first thing I want to do is give a list of extra-biblical evidence of Jesus’ existence. (Don’t be scared, extra-biblical is just a fancy historian word meaning outside the Bible.) Remember, we aren’t talking about the historical accuracy of anything except the simple fact that Jesus did exist.

  • Tacitus - You can read more about his work here.
  • Josephus - ditto.
  • Letters of Pliny the Younger to the Emperor Trajan - here.

Alright, take a look at those sources and we’ll delve into them in our next discussion of the topic. And, remember, I definitely have an agenda, but I’m also interested in the truth. I encourage you to always take a look at my sources and check my logic. Let’s find the correct theory together.