Did Jesus of Nazareth actually exist?

Before asking whether Jesus was God, performed miracles, or rose from the dead, we have to answer a simpler question: Was Jesus a real historical person?

In this episode, we examine the historical evidence for the existence of Jesus using the same standards historians apply to other ancient figures. We look at ancient non-Christian sources such as Tacitus, Josephus, Pliny the Younger, and Lucian of Samosata, along with the early writings of the Apostle Paul.

We also consider the consensus of modern historians and scholars across ideological lines, including Bart D. Ehrman, James D. G. Dunn, Rudolf Bultmann, E. P. Sanders, Michael Grant, and Maurice Casey.

When the ordinary standards of ancient history are applied consistently, the conclusion is clear: the existence of Jesus of Nazareth is beyond reasonable dispute.

Sources referenced in this episode include:

Ancient sources -

Annals by Tacitus, Book 15, Chapter 44.

Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus, Book 20, Section 200, and Book 18, Sections 63–64.

Letters by Pliny the Younger, Book 10, Letter 96.

The Death of Peregrinus by Lucian of Samosata.

From modern scholars -

Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth by Bart D. Ehrman.

Jesus and the Word by Rudolf Bultmann.

The Historical Figure of Jesus by E. P. Sanders.

Jesus: An Historian’s Review of the Gospels by Michael Grant.

Jesus: Evidence and Argument or Mythicist Myths? by Maurice Casey.