The Basics About Jesus


Scholar Bart Ehrman has combed ancient literature for decades. So have other scholars and researchers. Ehrman summarized what they have found about the Bible's star: In the entire first Christian century Jesus is not mentioned by a single Greek or Roman history or religion scholar, politician, philosopher or poet. His name never occurs in a single inscription and it is never found in a single piece of private correspondence. Zero, zip references. 

When it comes to atheists, they have the upper hand in the argument of whether Jesus was some powering force at the time he was supposed to have lived. Except for the Bible's story tellers, there is not evidence of an important historical character. 

This is a separate issue from whether there ever was a "Jesus." There is evidence of many characters roaming around preaching about this god or that impending doom. Probably some of them were killed by the Romans. 

Ehrman believes there was a Jesus. But from what he has pieced together that Jesus was a small-time or relative unimportant holy figure. That fits with the lack of evidence he describes. There were such minor gods according to literature that has survived. Maybe there was a god of good crops that was looked to for help during the farming season or a god of curing some physical ailment. Jesus, Ehrman concludes, was that kind on minor league god.

What promoted Jesus to be a major league god was a tale that Jesus had been dead and come back to life. Ehrman does not believe such a thing ever happened. He surmises someone had a dream or vision they had seen the alive Jesus after he was dead. This story was needed or somehow got caught up in other things going on during that period and became popular. 

After a period of time, writers started putting the story on paper. The story was read aloud to audiences and passed along to others. Even that wonderful tale would not have put Jesus into the big leagues were it not for a dictator who, for purposes not yet fully understood, endorsed the story and said he was a believer.

I don't need to remind anyone that the unfounded story of coming alive after being day remains believed by millions today.












Comments

  1. tsmNovember 28, 2021 at 3:19 PM

    cave ab homine unius llibri/timeo hominen unius libre

    ReplyDelete

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