Theos-Talk Archives (August 1996 Message tl00087)

Regarding the various arguments of when Jesus lived or - whether he even
existed...

I find it interesting, given that the early Christian had so many enemies
between both Jews and Romans that no one seems to have brought up the issue
in the early days. Consider -- the canonical gospels, which were (according
to mant scholars)  around in one form or another by the early second
century. If indeed the stories in them were a total fabrication in the sense
that Jesus either didn't exist or existed a hundred years earlier, why
didn't some enemies of the Christians catch on to this and trumpet the news
throughout the Roman empire? The Jews were certainly interested in
slandering Jesus the best they could  - A rumour, quoted by Origen, was in
circulation around 150 AD that Jesus was an illegitemate child of Miriam and
a Roman soldier Pantera. It's hard for me to believe that the Christian's
enemies never suggested that the entire person was a fabrication - if indeed
that was the case. It's just too good an opportunity to miss.

Paul K