Bart Ehrman...Jesus Existed

XJW4EVR

When the uber-liberal, agnostic Bart Ehrman says it...it must be true.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bart-d-ehrman/did-jesus-exist_b_1349544.html

"The alleged parallels between Jesus and the "pagan" savior-gods in most instances reside in the modern imagination: We do not have accounts of others who were born to virgin mothers and who died as an atonement for sin and then were raised from the dead (despite what the sensationalists claim ad nauseum in their propagandized versions)."

baltar447

He doesn't seem to make much of a case outside of the bible. article seems pretty weak, imo.

XJW4EVR

LOL!

botchtowersociety

He needs a better editor to review his work before publication:

Historical sources like that are is pretty astounding for an ancient figure of any kind.

dyakoub

I didn't read the article but I have read various of his books. As I did skim the article I know the argument much longer more complicated and far more substantiated that it (perhaps) was in the article. He does use several outside, Roman sources that mention things such as " a man that caused trouble amongst the jews" or "the man they follow which they call Cristus". Stuff like that.

As for only using the bible. That is not a problem from his view point. He does not see the bible as one book or the Inspired scriptures of God. He sees the New testament scriptures as mostly, apart from the synoptic Gospels, as independent accounts of the man, Jesus of Nazareth. To him all, accounts of Jesus are historical documents and he studies them as such. And through cross referencing many, many accounts of Jesus he comes to the lowest common denominator in the all hoo-haa: A preacher/prophet whom denounces the rigidity of his religious leaders and preaches a coming Judgement. He is an apocolyptic Prophet. And since this was one of the major flavors of Judaesim of the time, as Erhman argues, its not at all far fetched to believe in the this man Jehoshua.

slimboyfat

Which Jesus existed? The Jesus of the gospels? Unlikely.

dgp

It is not hard to argue that Jesus the man existed, without that being evidence that the religion preached on him is false. Muhammad existed, and so did Joseph Smith. But did an angel really talk to them? Was it really an angel that dictated stuff to Joseph Smith and gave him gold plates?

Did the Achaeans ever wage war against Trojans? Sure. Does that mean Achilles was a demi-god?

The message conveyed is that the historical figure existed. But we should not take it to mean anything else.

I expect lots of ink being spent on saying that "even Barth Ehrman says Jesus existed" and oceans of ink spent on denying the rest of what the man says.

leavingwt

dgp: Good points. Ehrman certainly doesn't believe that Jesus rose from the dead.

xchange

This is not a newly formed opinion from Ehrman. In several of his past books he has stated his confidence of the existence of a human (not divine) named Jesus.

Bart Ehrman...Jesus Existed

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