Marcus Johnson wrote:
Sorry about the confusion on the age of Moses. I was at work at the time (on break)
I must have been thinking of Noah, he was supposedly 900 years old.
. As I already stated any accounting from Tacitus was well after the supposed crucifixion of the alleged Christ.
I would think that if he (Jesus ) was real there would be a contemporary account of his life by someone not associated with Christianity.
Tacitus was not even born during the time of Jesus.
We can learn quite a bit about Jesus from Tacitus and Josephus, two famous historians who were not Christian. Almost all the following statements about Jesus, which are asserted in the New Testament, are corroborated or confirmed by the relevant passages in Tacitus and Josephus. These independent historical sourcesone a non-Christian Roman and the other Jewishconfirm what we are told in the Gospels:
1. He existed as a man. The historian Josephus grew up in a priestly family in first-century Palestine and wrote only decades after Jesus death. Jesus known associates, such as Jesus brother James, were his contemporaries. The historical and cultural context was second nature to Josephus. If any Jewish writer were ever in a position to know about the non-existence of Jesus, it would have been Josephus. His implicit affirmation of the existence of Jesus has been, and still is, the most significant obstacle for those who argue that the extra-Biblical evidence is not probative on this point, Robert Van Voorst observes. And Tacitus was careful enough not to report real executions of nonexistent people.
2. His personal name was Jesus, as Josephus informs us.
3. He was called Christos in Greek, which is a t***slation of the Hebrew word Messiah, both of which mean anointed or (the) anointed one, as Josephus states and Tacitus implies, unaware, by reporting, as Romans thought, that his name was Christus.
4. He had a brother named James (Jacob), as Josephus reports.
5. He won over both Jews and Greeks (i.e., Gentiles of Hellenistic culture), according to Josephus, although it is anachronistic to say that they were many at the end of his life. Large growth
in the number of Jesus actual followers came only after his death.
6. Jewish leaders of the day expressed unfavorable opinions about him, at least according to some versions of the Testimonium Flavianum.
7. Pilate rendered the decision that he should be executed, as both Tacitus and Josephus state.
8. His execution was specifically by crucifixion, according to Josephus.
9. He was executed during Pontius Pilates governorship over Judea (2636 C.E.), as Josephus implies and Tacitus states, adding that it was during Tiberiuss reign.
Also, an ossuary was found dated to the time of Christ, that had an inscription stating, "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." Many scholars of archeology and antiquity brought the two men, who found the ossuary, to high court in Israel. They accused them of forgery. However, after the Jewish judge studied the many pages presented to him in court, he declared the innocence of the two men, calling it a mistrial. Here is the link if you would like to see for yourself:
http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/free-ebooks/james-brother-of-jesus-the-forgery-trial-of-the-century/
Marcus, all these "proofs" presented here are so minute compared to the facts through archeology and history that exist. However, you will continue to ignore these facts, or choose to find reasons not to trust them - IF you just plumb don't WANT to believe in Jesus Christ.
But I know my Redeemer lives. I know that Jesus came to earth as a human to share the t***h and then to die so that we can live in God's presence again. John 3:16..."For God loved the world so much, that He gave His only begotten Son. That whoever believes on Him will not perish (in hell) But have everlasting life" (once again walking with God, our Creator.
To believe these things is a choice, Marcus. It is called faith. I will be praying for you Marcus. :)