The purpose of this research is to refute John Meier’s “Minor Figure jesus” claims and excuses, attempting to explain away the fact that nobody in Early Antiquity, mentioned jesus.
See our related papers: http://tmblr.co/ZkpfQtnIWMxg
~66 Famous Historians and Writers From The 1st and 2nd Century, Who Never Mentioned Fictional jesus – The Screaming Silence of Real History
In the first century, jesus was a walking Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Macy’s Day Parade, rolled into one event.
The Gospel of John states that Jesus did so many things that it would fill many books:
John 21:25 “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”
Yet, all of these things that Jesus was supposed to have done didn’t fill any books except the New Testament.
~How Many Jews Followed Jesus: “Many Thousands” or “Many Tens of Thousands”?
David Bivin, editor of JerusalemPerspective.com, discusses the Greek word for “tens of thousands” found in Acts 21:20 and explains why most English versions have decided to render the Greek word as “thousands,” without even a footnote noting that the original Greek translation says “tens of thousands.”
The original Greek New Testaments use the word muriadeV or `myriads,’ translating to tens of thousands.
Christian exegetes and translators cannot imagine that there could have been tens of thousands of Jewish followers of Jesus in the city of Jerusalem in the mid-first century A.D. So, they purposely mistranslated the word and refused to mention it in any footnotes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKvP1mWO2Vg
First, let’s look at the 2 separate food miracles of fictional jesus, where the bible claims he fed 5,000 and then 4,000 people using magic. None of the “claimed” thousands of witnesses independently wrote about it.
~Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand (4 accounts)
~Matthew 14:13-21
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.
14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Matthew 14:19 - King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.) And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
~Mark 6:31-44
31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” 32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”
39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.
40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.
41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.
44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
~Luke 9:10-17
10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida,
11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”
13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.”
14 (About five thousand men were there.)
But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
~John 6:5-15
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,
9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).
11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
~Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand (2 accounts)
~Mark 8:1-9
1 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said,
2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” 4 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” 5 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. 6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
9 About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away,
~Matthew 15:32-39
32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” 35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children.
39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
***As we can see from the previous passages, 4-5,000 people are referred to as “large crowds” or “great crowds”. There are dozens of other passages mentioning many other separate “great crowds”.
~Here are some specific verses that give you an idea of how many followers and general witnesses that the bible claims that jesus really had.
~Note: some bible versions explain them as “large crowds” while others are more detailed by saying “multitudes.”
***Remember, in the Greek language that the NT was written, “multitudes,” means tens of thousands.
~Acts 21:20 - When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.
~In the following 2 versions of the next verse, we see the words “many thousands”, used synonymously with “multitude of people”.
Luke 12:1
New International Version (©1984)
Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Acts 13:45
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And when the Jews saw the great crowds, they were filled with anger, and they were opposing the words which Paulus was speaking and they were blaspheming.
Acts 2:47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 11:24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
Luke 4:14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
Luke 4:37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.
Luke 5:1 One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.
Luke 5:14-15
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
14 And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number,
15 But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)
15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
Luke 5:17 New Living Translation (©2007)
One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.
Luke 6:17 English Standard Version (©2001)
And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon,
Luke 7:17 This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
Luke 8:4 English Standard Version (©2001)
And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable:
John 6:2
New Living Translation (©2007)
A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick.
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
Mark 1:28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
Mark 1:45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
Mark 2:2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them,
Mark 2:13
GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Jesus went to the seashore again. Large crowds came to him, and he taught them.
King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude came unto him, and he taught them.
Mark 3:7
English Standard Version (©2001)
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea,
Mark 3:20
New Living Translation (©2007)
One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat.
King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
Mark 4:1
New International Version (©1984)
Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge.
English Standard Version (©2001)
Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
Mark 5:21
Weymouth New Testament
When Jesus had re-crossed in the boat to the other side, a vast multitude came crowding to Him; and He was on the shore of the Lake,
Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And after Yeshua had crossed in the ship to the other side, great crowds were again assembled unto him while he was on the seaside.
Mark 7:17 Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
But when Yeshua entered the house from the crowds, his disciples asked him about that parable.
Mark 7:36 New Living Translation (©2007)
Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news.
Mark 10:1
American Standard Version
And he arose from thence and cometh into the borders of Judaea and beyond the Jordan: and multitudes come together unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And he arose from there and came to the borders of Judea to the crossing of the Jordan, and great crowds went there to join him, and he taught them again as he had been accustomed.
Mark 14:43
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
Darby Bible Translation
And immediately, while he was yet speaking, Judas comes up, being one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd, with swords and sticks, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
Matthew 4:23-25
English Standard Version (©2001)
23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them.
25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
Matthew 5:1
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
Matthew 8:18
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
International Standard Version (©2008)
When Jesus saw the large crowds around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
Matthew 9:26
New Living Translation (©2007)
The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.
American King James Version
And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
Matthew 9:31 But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region.
Matthew 9:36
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
New International Version (©1984)
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 13:2
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.
The bible even claims that King Herod the Great heard of jesus. But history does not document any of those claims.
http://www.livius.org/he-hg/herodians/herod_the_great01.html
Mark 6:14
New Living Translation (©2007)
Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because everyone was talking about him. Some were saying, "This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why he can do such miracles.”
International Standard Version (©2008)
King Herod heard about this, because Jesus’ name had become well-known. He was saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead! That’s why he is able to do these miracles.”
Matthew 14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus,
Matthew 15:30
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
And large crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and He healed them.
Matthew 19:2
New International Version (©1984)
Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
Matthew 21:9
King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
International Standard Version (©2008)
Both the crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed him kept shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! How blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Matthew 26:55
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me.
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.
Matthew 26:47
English Standard Version (©2001)
While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
Matthew 28:15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
Matthew 24:14 - And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
~500 More claimed witnesses:
In the christian apologist efforts to provide bible "evidence” for the Resurrection, they cling to these passages:
*1 Corinthians 15:4-8
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
***Note: The claimed writer of these passages, Paul, never met jesus in person. So how does he know there were 500 people? Who were they? Why don’t we have any testimony from any of these five hundred people? Why didn’t any of them, independently write about this? It sure is easy to pen “500 anonymous witnesses” with unsourced hearsay and have each mystery person count as a first hand witness in the mind of Christian apologists.
~A little off topic:
Christians claim: In any court of law, witnesses are invaluable. In the whole of Judea and Samaria, there were several hundred of witnesses who saw Jesus before and after His crucifixion.
They use these passages as evidence as well:
Act 1:3
After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
Acts 2:32
God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.
1 Corinthians 15:6 (NLT)
After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.
One of the world’s foremost experts in lines of evidence was Simon Greenleaf, an American attorney, jurist and christian apologist (1783-1853). In his book the “Testimony of the Evangelists”, he views the multiple eye-witness accounts of Jesus and His death and resurrection (in the New Testament) as valid lines of evidence that would be admissible in a court of law. They meet or exceed evidential requirements, so much so that Greenleaf saw the “martyrdoms, exponential church growth and the persistent-through-persecution faith of the believers (often, even up to death), as solid as evidence that there can possibly be. And in the legal process, there is no statute of limitations for murder.
The jesus Birther Movement (jBM) Research Database Directory
The Official jesus Challenge: http://tmblr.co/ZkpfQtlwRJgf
https://www.facebook.com/JesusBirtherMovement
http://www.facebook.com/JesusBirtherMovement/info
Debunking the Fraudulent christian Apologist List of Extra-biblical but non-contemporary, claimed “sources” used as jesus “evidence.” (Jewish, “Pagan,” Non-christian, “Secular”)
Research Articles, Evidence and Videos that Prove a Historical jesus, NEVER Existed
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