Jesus probably did not exist

I ask, How do we know that my opponents whole argument is just not a whim of his own imagination? He offers not one reputable source or reference at all. Well, let's take a look at his argument. Rebuttal My opponent commented that most historical figures leave artifacts of themselves. These artifacts he mentions are mostly of famous ruling class, in fact, kings, caesars and emperors. Was Jesus either of these? Jesus was virtually unknown for thirty years of His life and only in the last three years of His life was He a public figure. My opponent also brings up gospel's of Thomas, Judas and the acts of Pilate. None of these are canon in any way. There would be a number of reasons why these writings would contradict actual canon scripture. This does not help my opponents case. This in fact help's my case because most of these record's note a man named Jesus of Biblical record. Giving creditability that He actually existed. The following link take's you to the act's of Pilate. --> . http://www.gnosis.org... Then my opponent say's there are just a few recording's of the Biblical Jesus. Well, Jesus did live in Judea. Judea was just a small providence. This would be like us not knowing and hearing about some tribesman king or ruler in the bush of Africa or Australia. Chances are we would not hear much about him. Jesus in fact flies in the face of that though. As we know, Jesus is known world-wide to this very day. Q: Matthew 1:17 and Matthew 1:2 - is it 41 or 42 generations? Well, Matthew never made the statement that there were a total of 42 generations. My opponent, mistakenly missed that David was listed twice in the account in Mat. 1:17. Q: 2 Timothy 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 7:12 - one says all scripture is of God, the other that some was written by the author (apparently Paul) and is not of God. My opponent should explain his interpretation here. In no way does scripture suggest this. Q: Acts 20:35 - references a passage that does not exist Again, my opponent is making his own interpretations that He should explain. Q: Luke 4:29 - Nazareth is not on a mountain but in a depression There are two mentions of acient Nazareth. The canonical texts and the noncanonical texts. Are we suppose to take the noncanon over the actual canon? The Nazareth Range, in which the town lies, is east-west hill ranges that are elevated. Q: Matthew 14 - John the Baptist was beheaded 5 years later according to Roman records My opponent really should supply these records. If not then this means nothing. Q: Luke 2:1 - The census actually took place a decade after Herod's death My opponent must show that there could have never been a census before the one He mentions. Q: Judas' ending - contradicts Gethsemene story My opponent again provides no sources here, He should elaberate. This also, is suggesting that we should take the Gethsemene story over canon scriptures. Q: Thomas 42 and Luke 10:25-37 - conflicting advice of Jesus We have already determined that the book of Thomas is not canon scripture and is not comparable to actual canon scripture. My opponent then offers us other characters that have similar stories as the Biblical Jesus but this in no way prove's Jesus never existed. Is my opponent going to suggest that all these people never existed also? Argument I will offer in this round, as many recording's of the Biblical Jesus of Nazareth as room permit's. I, different that my opponent will go by historians from during or just after Jesus's time. We know about the Biblical account, well, let's look at other accounts. " About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had first come to love him did not cease. " (Josephus ben Mattathias)Antiquities, XVIII, 33 . http://www.josephus.org... "And so he convened the judges of the Sanhedrin, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, the one called Christ, whose name was James, and certain others, and accusing them of having transgressed the law delivered them up to be stoned. " (Jewish Antiquities 20:29- Flavius Josephus) . http://www.sacred-texts.com... Cornelius Tacitus (AD55-120) Roman historian: Most acclaimed works are the Annals and the Histories. See Annals XV,44: "Hence to suppress the rumor, he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished with most exquisite tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius. " . http://classics.mit.edu... Suetonius : Roman historian and court official wrote in his Life of Claudius: "As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome. " (Life of Claudius 25.4). . http://penelope.uchicago.edu...*.html Pliny the Younger : Recounts that he had been killing Christian men, women, and children. He is concerned that so many have chosen death over simply bowing down to a statue of the emperor or being made to "curse Christ, which a genuine Christian cannot be induced to do. " (Epistles X, 96) . http://www.ancient-literature.com... Julius Africanus, who wrote around AD221. He quotes Tallus' comments about the darkness that enveloped the land during the late afternoon hours when Jesus died on the cross. Julius wrote: Tallus, in the third book of his histories, explains away this darkness as an eclipse of the sun'unreasonably, as it seems to me (unreasonably of course, because a solar eclipse could not take place at the time of the full moon, and it was at the season of the Paschal full moon that Christ died. " Julius Africanus, Chronography, 18.1 . http://mb-soft.com... The Babylonian Talmud :"It has been taught: On the eve of Passover they hanged Yeshu. And an announcer went out, in front of him, for 40 days (saying): 'He is going to be stoned, because he practiced sorcery and enticed and led Israel astray. Anyone who knows anything in his favor, let him come and plead in his behalf. ' But, not having found anything in his favor, they hanged him on the eve of Passover. " . http://www.sacred-texts.com... ("Hanged" is another way of referring to a crucifixion. ),"Yeshu the Nazarene. " Let's remind readers that a few names are used for Jesus Christ of Nazareth from the Bible. They spread many cultures and tongues. We have the Hebrew, "Yehoshua", in Aramaic, "Yeshu", in Greek and Roman, "Chrestus or Christus". . http://de.wikipedia.org... . http://www.tektonics.org... . http://en.wikipedia.org... . http://en.wikipedia.org... Conclusion My opponent never gave us one reference. I provided many. I will offer this before I turn it back. The scriptures have been scrutinized for over two thousand years with minimal if any errors found. They remain some of the most well documented recording's in history. If my opponent's case be true, then He must show how canon scripture are with the hugh error's he claims, when not even Historians can claim this. I have alot of argument left that I just could not fit in this round. So, I await till next round. I turn back over to Pro.