Jesus Never Existed

My point in this debate was that Jesus was a real historical figure. The evidence for this is overwhelming. We have many accounts for the existence of Jesus outside the gospel accounts. The best source is Josephus, one of the most accurate and trustworthy sources of the time. "Now there arose about this time a source of further trouble in one Jesus, a wise man who performed surprising works, a teacher of men who gladly welcome strange things. He led away many Jews, and also many of the Gentiles. He was the so-called Christ. When Pilate, acting on information supplied by the chief men among us, condemned him to the cross, those who had attached themselves to him at first did not cease to cause trouble, and the tribe of Christians, which has taken this name from him, is not extinct even today." Unfortunately, some christian scholars interpolated pro-christian language into the account. The passage above is the account with possible christian interpolations removed. Here are some more accounts of jesus. Tacitus "Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular." Lucain "The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day"the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account".You see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them; and then it was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take quite on faith, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely as common property." (Lucian, The Death of Peregrine. 11-13) This passage shows that Romans acknowledged Jesus as a man and not a myth. Talmud "Jesus practiced magic and led Israel astray" (b. Sanhedrin 43a; cf. t. Shabbat 11.15; b. Shabbat 104b) "Rabbi Hisda (d. 309) said that Rabbi Jeremiah bar Abba said, "What is that which is written, "No evil will befall you, nor shall any plague come near your house"? (Psalm 91:10)" "No evil will befall you" (means) that evil dreams and evil thoughts will not tempt you; "nor shall any plague come near your house" (means) that you will not have a son or a disciple who burns his food like Jesus of Nazareth." (b. Sanhedrin 103a; cf. b. Berakhot 17b) "Our rabbis have taught that Jesus had five disciples: Matthai, Nakai, Nezer, Buni and Todah. They brought Matthai to (to trial). He said, "Must Matthai be killed? For it is written, "When (mathai) shall I come and appear before God?"" (Psalm 92:2) They said to him, "Yes Matthai must be killed, for it is written, "When (mathai) he dies his name will perish"" (Psalm 41:5). They brought Nakai. He said to them, "Must Nakai be killed? For it is written, "The innocent (naqi) and the righteous will not slay"" (Exodus 23:7). They said to him, "Yes, Nakai must be kille, for it is written, "In secret places he slays the innocent (naqi)"" (Psalm 10:8). (b. Sanhedrin 43a; the passage continues in a similar way for Nezer, Buni and Todah) "It was taught: On the day before the Passover they hanged Jesus. A herald went before him for forty days (proclaiming), "He will be stoned, because he practiced magic and enticed Israel to go astray. Let anyone who knows anything in his favor come forward and plead for him." But nothing was found in his favor, and they hanged him on the day before the Passover. (b. Sanhedrin 43a) How do you respond to these accounts of the life of Jesus? Don't forget that we have the Gospel accounts which have shown themselves to be very reliable.