Despite being considered as the central figure for one of the world's major religions, the actual historical evidence that Jesus Christ existed is actually quite thin. While there is a historical Jesus revealed by scholarly study, the facts as they stand at the moment are beguiling enigmatic. Nevertheless, examining Jesus in this way is illuminating on several levels.
One of the best places to start looking for the historical Christ is actually in the Bible, in the New Testament. It should be noted, though, that methods of historical analysis must be applied to these sources in the same way that they would with other documents. For that reason, the New Testament must be approached with caution.
It is also worth remembering that the New Testament was not established as the Bible of Christianity until 150 years after Christ had been executed. The Septuagint, or Greek Old Testament, was used up until that point. As for the authors of the New Testament, many had never seen Jesus, and certainly never met him either.
Any decent historian should approach the study of the New Testament with extreme caution, not least because of its clear partiality. Much of the writing in it was composed with the intention of making Christ seem great, and even divine. Much of it was also written down many years after Christ's death, largely by people who had no direct experience of the man.
Anyone who wants to study the New Testament as a historian also needs to be aware of several other issues which pertain the credibility of the texts. The early years of Christianity were marked by much dissension, and it took quite a while until the New Testament took the form we know today. Much of it was also written by non-Jews, who lived outside the region where the events had taken place.
This article is not here to debate the theological origins of Christianity, but it is wise to remember that the New Testament must be studied as a historical, rather than theological, document in this context. Other sources can be used to back up its study, though. Many of these were written by Romans, whose Empire was the main source of massive power at the time of Christ's existence.
Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus is one writer who makes direct reference to Christ in his writings, when he describes the persecution of early Christians in Rome, during the reign of the Emperor Nero. Another historian who refers to Christ directly is Thallus, who in 52AD mentioned Christ's crucifixion and a possible simultaneous eclipse. Christ was not actually proclaimed a deity until the fourth century AD.
When studying to find the real-life Christ who existed in history, there are a number of sources which offer good leads. Whether they are Biblical writings or documents from other traditions, though, they need to be treated with the same level of caution. The historical Jesus revealed by such a study therefore becomes an even more arresting and intriguing figure, even though the details available from sources is tantalisingly slight.
One of the best places to start looking for the historical Christ is actually in the Bible, in the New Testament. It should be noted, though, that methods of historical analysis must be applied to these sources in the same way that they would with other documents. For that reason, the New Testament must be approached with caution.
It is also worth remembering that the New Testament was not established as the Bible of Christianity until 150 years after Christ had been executed. The Septuagint, or Greek Old Testament, was used up until that point. As for the authors of the New Testament, many had never seen Jesus, and certainly never met him either.
Any decent historian should approach the study of the New Testament with extreme caution, not least because of its clear partiality. Much of the writing in it was composed with the intention of making Christ seem great, and even divine. Much of it was also written down many years after Christ's death, largely by people who had no direct experience of the man.
Anyone who wants to study the New Testament as a historian also needs to be aware of several other issues which pertain the credibility of the texts. The early years of Christianity were marked by much dissension, and it took quite a while until the New Testament took the form we know today. Much of it was also written by non-Jews, who lived outside the region where the events had taken place.
This article is not here to debate the theological origins of Christianity, but it is wise to remember that the New Testament must be studied as a historical, rather than theological, document in this context. Other sources can be used to back up its study, though. Many of these were written by Romans, whose Empire was the main source of massive power at the time of Christ's existence.
Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus is one writer who makes direct reference to Christ in his writings, when he describes the persecution of early Christians in Rome, during the reign of the Emperor Nero. Another historian who refers to Christ directly is Thallus, who in 52AD mentioned Christ's crucifixion and a possible simultaneous eclipse. Christ was not actually proclaimed a deity until the fourth century AD.
When studying to find the real-life Christ who existed in history, there are a number of sources which offer good leads. Whether they are Biblical writings or documents from other traditions, though, they need to be treated with the same level of caution. The historical Jesus revealed by such a study therefore becomes an even more arresting and intriguing figure, even though the details available from sources is tantalisingly slight.
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