Norm Geisler references TrueFreethinker.com:
Apologeticspress.com's Kyle Butt references TrueFreethinker.com:
On Morality:
Atheism and Rape:
Sample clip of my debate with an
atheist on the issue of morality.
Find the whole debate at this link
Historical Jesus - Two Centuries Worth of Citations
The question as to how many early ancient texts there are which refer to Jesus is often proposed.
So, how many early references are there?
No one knows.
The logical question is: how many have been found and or how many do we know about? In other words, we do not know how many references there are since we may discover more manuscripts of ancient works tomorrow and do not know how many undiscovered or destroyed writings there actually have been. This seems like an obvious consideration but it seems particularly important to note considering that Jerusalem, the nexus of Jesus' activity, was destroyed in 70 AD.
James H. Charlesworth, "Jesus did exist; and we know more about him than about almost any Palestinian Jew before 70 C.E."1
Ed Parish Sanders, "We know a lot about Jesus, vastly more than about John the Baptist, Theudas, Judas the Galilean, or any of the other figures whose names we have from approximately the same date and place."2
A. E. Harvey, commenting particularly on the crucifixion, "It would be no exaggeration to say that this event is better attested, and supported by a more impressive array of evidence, than any other event of comparable importance of which we have knowledge from the ancient world."3
How much do we know about anyone who lived 2,000 years ago or 1,000 or less even?
Consider Tiberius Caesar. He was the Roman Emperor from 14-37 AD. How many non-Christian references do we know of which mention him within 150 years of his life? Nine.
Let us consider from whence our knowledge of Alexander the Great comes. Alexander lived 356-323 BC and we only know about him from two sources written circa one century after his death. Most of what we claim to know about him dates to 300 to 500 years after his death.
Below I will present a list of the names of texts and range of dates that they were written. This is not a complete list. I am calling upon the assistance of anyone who may read this and is aware of any that I may have missed, please do inform me of any that you note. Also, I have, more or less, followed the date range as suggested by the website Early Christian Writings, if you can provide different of more definite dates, please do inform me.
The list below attempts to cover references to "Jesus," "Christ," "Jesus Christ," or references to Jesus Christ which are obvious within the context by titles such as "Lord," "Savior," or "Son," or "Son of God," etc.
The list will cover a period spanning from pre 70 AD to 280 AD (this stopping point is arbitrary). Note also that the list totals 237 texts. This number refers to the texts themselves and not to the number of times that Jesus is referenced in each text. Counting each reference would take us well beyond the 237 total. Furthermore, the number refers to the texts and not to each manuscript behind each text. Counting each manuscript would also take us well beyond the 237 total.
1) The Gospel of Matthew
2) The Gospel of Mark
3) The Gospel of Luke
4) The Gospel of John
5) The Book of Acts
6) Romans
7) 1st Corinthians
8) 2nd Corinthians
9) Galatians
10) Ephesians
11) Philippians
12) Colossians
13) 1st Thessalonians
14) 2nd Thessalonians
15) 1st Timothy
16) 2nd Timothy
17) Titus
18) Philemon
19) Hebrews
20) James
21) 1st Peter
22) 2nd Peter
23) 1st John
24) 2nd John
25) 3rd John
26) Jude
27) Book of Revelation
These texts make up the body of the New Testament. These were all written prior to 70 AD with the possible exception of Revelation which is dated to circa 95 AD. These represent the very best attested documents of antiquity. Any other documents would represent vastly inferior works.
At the end of the list of references I will provide some links to further research materials.
28) 50-75 AD : Thallus (works preserved by others, such as Julius Africanus who wrote about 221 AD)
29) 50-120 AD : The Didache
30) 50-140 AD : Papyrus Oxyrhnchus #1224
31) 50-140 AD : The Gospel of Thomas
32) 50-200 AD : The Sophia of Jesus Christ
33) 70-120 AD : Papyrus Egerton #2
34) 70-160 AD : The Gospel of Peter
35) 70-200 AD : Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs
36) 70-200 AD : Fayyum Fragment
37) 70-255 AD : Letter of Clement of Alexandria on Secret Mark
38) 73-200 AD : Mara bar Serapion (referred to the Jews' wise King)
39) 75-160 AD : Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (in the section of his writing on Emperor Claudius who ruled 41-54)
40) 80 AD : Phlegon (preserved by Origen and Julius Africanus)
41) 80-120 AD : The Epistle of Barnabas
42) 80-140 AD : The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians
43) 80-150 AD : The Gospel of the Hebrews
44) 90-95 AD : Flavius Josephus 4
45) 100-150 AD : The Preaching of Peter
46) 100-150 AD : The Apocryphon of James
47) 100-150 AD : The Apocalypse of Peter - The Ethiopic Text
48) 100-160 AD : The Gospel of the Ebionites
49) 110 AD : Ignatius to Polycarp
50) 110-140 AD : The Epistle Of Polycarp
51) 110-140 AD : Fragments Of Papias From The Exposition Of The Oracles Of The Lord.
52) 110-160 AD : Papyrus Oxyrhynchus #840
53) 110-160 AD : The Traditions of Matthias
54) 112 AD : Pliny the Younger (Plinius Secundus) "Epistles 10.96"
55) 115 AD : Cornelius Tacitus (in his "Histories" (preserved by Sulpicus Severus) and "Annals".
56) 120-130 AD : Quadratus, Bishop of Athens
57) 120-130 AD : The Apology Of Aristides
58) 120-140 AD : The Naassene Psalm
59) 120-160 AD : Valentinus - Myth according to Irenaeus
60) 120-160 AD : Valentinus - The Divine Word Present in the Infant
61) 120-160 AD : Valentinus - Fragment A
62) 120-160 AD : Valentinus - Fragment B
63) 120-160 AD : Valentinus - Fragment E
64) 120-160 AD : Valentinus - Jesus' Digestive System: Epistle to Agathapous
65) 120-180 AD : The Apocryphon of John (aka The Secret Book of John or The Secret Revelation of John)
66) 120-180 AD : Gospel of Mary aka The Gospel According to Mary Magdalene
67) 120-180 AD : The Dialogue of the Savior
68) 120-180 AD : The (Second) Apocalypse of James
69) 120-180 AD : Trimorphic Protennoia
70) 170 AD : Lucian of Samosata "The Death of Peregrine 11-13"
71) 130-140 AD : Marcion - The Gospel of the Lord
72) 130-140 AD : Marcion - Antitheses
73) 130-140 AD : The Gospel of Marcion, Section I
74) 130-140 AD : The Gospel of Marcion, Section II
75) 130-140 AD : The Gospel of Marcion, Section III
76) 130-140 AD : The Gospel of Marcion, Section IV
77) 130-140 AD : The Gospel of Marcion, Section V
78) 130-140 AD : The Gospel of Marcion, Section VI
79) 130-160 AD : Second Clement
80) 130-170 AD : The Gospel of Judas
81) 130-200 AD : The Epistle To Diognetus
82) 140-150 AD : The Epistula Apostolorum
83) 140-160 AD : Clement's Quotations of Isidore
84) 140-160 AD : Ptolemy's Commentary On The Gospel of John Prologue
85) 140-170 AD : Infancy Gospel of Thomas
86) 140-170 AD : Infancy Gospel of James
87) 140-180 AD : The Gospel of Truth
88) 150-160 AD : The Martyrdom Of Saint Polycarp, Bishop Of Smyrna
89) 150-160 AD : Justin Martyr - Fragments Of The Lost Work Of Justin On The Resurrection
90) 150-160 AD : Justin Martyr - Justin's Hortatory Address To The Greeks
91) 150-160 AD : Justin Martyr - Dialogue With Trypho
92) 150-160 AD : Justin Martyr - The Second Apology Of Justin For The Christians - Addressed To The Roman Senate
93) 150-160 AD : Justin Martyr - The First Apology Of Justin
94) 150-180 AD : Fragments of Heracleon
95) 150-180 AD : Excerpts of Theodotus
96) 150-200 AD : Acts of Andrew
97) 150-200 AD : Acts of Paul
98) 150-200 AD : Acts of John
99) 150-200 AD : Acts of Peter
100) 150-200 AD : The Ascension of Isaiah
101) 150-225 AD : The Book of Thomas the Contender
102) 150-225 AD : Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles
103) 150-255 AD : "The Acts of Pilate" - The Report of Pilate to the Emperor Claudius
104) 150-255 AD : "The Acts of Pilate" - The Descent of Christ into Hell
105) 150-255 AD : Melchizedek
106) 150 AD : Numenius (preserved by Origen in Contra Celsum)
107) 150-160 AD : Trypho (preserved by Justin Martyr in Dialogue with Trypho)
108) 160-170 AD : Tatian's Address to the Greeks
109) 160-180 AD : Claudius Apollinaris
110) 160-180 AD : Julius Cassianus
111) 167-167 AD : Marcus Aurelius
112) 165-175 AD : Fragments of Melito of Sardis
113) 165-175 AD : Fragments of Hegesippus
114) 170-175 AD : Diatessaron
115) 170-200 AD : Treatise on the Resurrection
116) 170-200 AD : The Muratorian Canon
117) 170-200 AD : The Dura-Europos Gospel Harmony
118) 170-220 AD : Letter of Peter to Philip
119) 175-180 AD : Athenagoras of Athens
120) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Book I
121) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Book II
122) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Book III
123) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Book IV
124) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Book V
125) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Fragments From The Lost Writings Of Irenaeus
126) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Fragments of Irenaeus in Eusebius
127) 178 AD : Letter from Vienna and Lyons
128) 177-178 AD : Celsus' view of Christians and Christianity (preserved by Origen in Contra Celsus)
129) 180 AD : The Passion of the Scillitan Martyrs
130) 180-220 AD : Kerygmata Petrou
131) 180-185 AD : Theophilus of Antioch - Book II
132) 180-185 AD : Theophilus of Antioch - Book III
133) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - Treatise On Christ And Antichrist
134) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - Expository Treatise Against The Jews
135) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Extant Works And Fragments Of Hippolytus (Part I - Exegetical)
136) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - Fragments From Commentaries On Various Books Of Scripture
137) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book X
138) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book IX
139) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book VIII
140) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book VII
141) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book VI
142) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book V
143) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book IV
144) 180-250 AD : 1st Apocalypse of James
145) 180-250 AD : Gospel of Philip
146) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Book III
147) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Book IV
148) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Book V
149) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Book VI
150) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Book VII
151) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Fragments Of Clemens Alexandrinus.
152) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Who is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved?
153) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - To The Newly Baptized (aka Exhortation To Endurance aka To The Newly Baptized Precepts Of Clement)
154) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Exhortation To The Heathen
155) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - The Instructor. [Paedagogus.] The Instructor Book I
156) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - The Instructor. [Paedagogus.] The Instructor Book II
157) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - The Instructor. [Paedagogus.] The Instructor Book III
158) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - The Stromata, or Miscellanies Book I
159) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - The Stromata, or Miscellanies Book II
160) 185-195 AD : Fragments of Polycrates
161) 188-217 AD : Talmud - Baraitha Bab. Sanhedrin 43a
162) 188-217 AD : Talmud - B. Yebamoth 49a, M. Yebamoth 4.13
163) 188-217 AD : Talmud - Sanhedrin 107b 5
164) 189-199 AD : Victor I
165) 193-193 AD : Anonymous Anti-Montanist
166) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - To Scapula
167) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Chaplet, Or De Corona
168) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Shows, Or De Spectaculis
169) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Idolatry
170) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Apology
171) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - A Treatise on the Soul
172) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Soul's Testimony
173) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - An Answer To The Jews
174) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Prescription Against Heretics
175) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Five Books Against Marcion. Book I
176) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Five Books Against Marcion. Book II
177) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Five Books Against Marcion. Book III
178) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Five Books Against Marcion. Book IV
179) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Five Books Against Marcion. Book V
180) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Scorpiace. Antidote For The Scorpion's Sting
181) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Against Praxeas
182) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On The Resurrection Of The Flesh
183) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On The Flesh Of Christ
184) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Against The Valentinians
185) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Against Hermogenes
186) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Ad Martyras
187) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Prayer
188) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Baptism
189) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Against All Heresies
190) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Repentance
191) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On The Veiling Of Virgins
192) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On The Apparel Of Women
193) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Of Patience
194) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Passion Of The Holy Martyrs - Perpetua And Felicitas
195) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - To His Wife
196) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Exhortation To Chastity
197) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Monogamy
198) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Modesty
199) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Fasting
200) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - De Fuga In Persecutione
201) 200-210 AD : Apollonius
202) 200-210 AD : Fragments of Serapion of Antioch
203) 200-220 AD : Caius
204) 200-220 AD : The Treatise Of Eusebius, The Son Of Pamphilus, Against The Life Of Apollonius Of Tyana Written By Philostratus, Occasioned By The Parallel Drawn By Hierocles Between Him And Christ
205) 200-250 AD : a church was been discovered in Megiddo, Israel. Excavations uncovered a large tile floor and wall remnants. There are mosaics of fish which were the original Christian symbol. Also found were some inscriptions inlaid into the mosaic one which reads, "Akeptous, the God-loving, offered this table for (the) God Jesus Christ, as a remembrance" ("Akeptous" is the name of the woman who offered this "remembrance").
28) 50-75 AD : Thallus (works preserved by others, such as Julius Africanus who wrote about 221 AD)
29) 50-120 AD : The Didache
30) 50-140 AD : Papyrus Oxyrhnchus #1224
31) 50-140 AD : The Gospel of Thomas
32) 50-200 AD : The Sophia of Jesus Christ
33) 70-120 AD : Papyrus Egerton #2
34) 70-160 AD : The Gospel of Peter
35) 70-200 AD : Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs
36) 70-200 AD : Fayyum Fragment
37) 70-255 AD : Letter of Clement of Alexandria on Secret Mark
38) 73-200 AD : Mara bar Serapion (referred to the Jews' wise King)
39) 75-160 AD : Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (in the section of his writing on Emperor Claudius who ruled 41-54)
40) 80 AD : Phlegon (preserved by Origen and Julius Africanus)
41) 80-120 AD : The Epistle of Barnabas
42) 80-140 AD : The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians
43) 80-150 AD : The Gospel of the Hebrews
44) 90-95 AD : Flavius Josephus
45) 100-150 AD : The Preaching of Peter
46) 100-150 AD : The Apocryphon of James
47) 100-150 AD : The Apocalypse of Peter - The Ethiopic Text
48) 100-160 AD : The Gospel of the Ebionites
49) 110 AD : Ignatius to Polycarp
50) 110-140 AD : The Epistle Of Polycarp
51) 110-140 AD : Fragments Of Papias From The Exposition Of The Oracles Of The Lord.
52) 110-160 AD : Papyrus Oxyrhynchus #840
53) 110-160 AD : The Traditions of Matthias
54) 112 AD : Pliny the Younger (Plinius Secundus) "Epistles 10.96"
55) 115 AD : Cornelius Tacitus (in his "Histories" (preserved by Sulpicus Severus) and "Annals".
56) 120-130 AD : Quadratus, Bishop of Athens
57) 120-130 AD : The Apology Of Aristides
58) 120-140 AD : The Naassene Psalm
59) 120-160 AD : Valentinus - Myth according to Irenaeus
60) 120-160 AD : Valentinus - The Divine Word Present in the Infant
61) 120-160 AD : Valentinus - Fragment A
62) 120-160 AD : Valentinus - Fragment B
63) 120-160 AD : Valentinus - Fragment E
64) 120-160 AD : Valentinus - Jesus' Digestive System: Epistle to Agathapous
65) 120-180 AD : The Apocryphon of John (aka The Secret Book of John or The Secret Revelation of John)
66) 120-180 AD : Gospel of Mary aka The Gospel According to Mary Magdalene
67) 120-180 AD : The Dialogue of the Savior
68) 120-180 AD : The (Second) Apocalypse of James
69) 120-180 AD : Trimorphic Protennoia
70) 170 AD : Lucian of Samosata "The Death of Peregrine 11-13"
71) 130-140 AD : Marcion - The Gospel of the Lord
72) 130-140 AD : Marcion - Antitheses
73) 130-140 AD : The Gospel of Marcion, Section I
74) 130-140 AD : The Gospel of Marcion, Section II
75) 130-140 AD : The Gospel of Marcion, Section III
76) 130-140 AD : The Gospel of Marcion, Section IV
77) 130-140 AD : The Gospel of Marcion, Section V
78) 130-140 AD : The Gospel of Marcion, Section VI
79) 130-160 AD : Second Clement
80) 130-170 AD : The Gospel of Judas
81) 130-200 AD : The Epistle To Diognetus
82) 140-150 AD : The Epistula Apostolorum
83) 140-160 AD : Clement's Quotations of Isidore
84) 140-160 AD : Ptolemy's Commentary On The Gospel of John Prologue
85) 140-170 AD : Infancy Gospel of Thomas
86) 140-170 AD : Infancy Gospel of James
87) 140-180 AD : The Gospel of Truth
88) 150-160 AD : The Martyrdom Of Saint Polycarp, Bishop Of Smyrna
89) 150-160 AD : Justin Martyr - Fragments Of The Lost Work Of Justin On The Resurrection
90) 150-160 AD : Justin Martyr - Justin's Hortatory Address To The Greeks
91) 150-160 AD : Justin Martyr - Dialogue With Trypho
92) 150-160 AD : Justin Martyr - The Second Apology Of Justin For The Christians - Addressed To The Roman Senate
93) 150-160 AD : Justin Martyr - The First Apology Of Justin
94) 150-180 AD : Fragments of Heracleon
95) 150-180 AD : Excerpts of Theodotus
96) 150-200 AD : Acts of Andrew
97) 150-200 AD : Acts of Paul
98) 150-200 AD : Acts of John
99) 150-200 AD : Acts of Peter
100) 150-200 AD : The Ascension of Isaiah
101) 150-225 AD : The Book of Thomas the Contender
102) 150-225 AD : Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles
103) 150-255 AD : "The Acts of Pilate" - The Report of Pilate to the Emperor Claudius
104) 150-255 AD : "The Acts of Pilate" - The Descent of Christ into Hell
105) 150-255 AD : Melchizedek
106) 150 AD : Numenius (preserved by Origen in Contra Celsum)
107) 150-160 AD : Trypho (preserved by Justin Martyr in Dialogue with Trypho)
108) 160-170 AD : Tatian's Address to the Greeks
109) 160-180 AD : Claudius Apollinaris
110) 160-180 AD : Julius Cassianus
111) 167-167 AD : Marcus Aurelius
112) 165-175 AD : Fragments of Melito of Sardis
113) 165-175 AD : Fragments of Hegesippus
114) 170-175 AD : Diatessaron
115) 170-200 AD : Treatise on the Resurrection
116) 170-200 AD : The Muratorian Canon
117) 170-200 AD : The Dura-Europos Gospel Harmony
118) 170-220 AD : Letter of Peter to Philip
119) 175-180 AD : Athenagoras of Athens
120) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Book I
121) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Book II
122) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Book III
123) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Book IV
124) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Book V
125) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Fragments From The Lost Writings Of Irenaeus
126) 175-185 AD : Irenaeus - Fragments of Irenaeus in Eusebius
127) 178 AD : Letter from Vienna and Lyons
128) 177-178 AD : Celsus' view of Christians and Christianity (preserved by Origen in Contra Celsus)
129) 180 AD : The Passion of the Scillitan Martyrs
130) 180-220 AD : Kerygmata Petrou
131) 180-185 AD : Theophilus of Antioch - Book II
132) 180-185 AD : Theophilus of Antioch - Book III
133) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - Treatise On Christ And Antichrist
134) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - Expository Treatise Against The Jews
135) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Extant Works And Fragments Of Hippolytus (Part I - Exegetical)
136) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - Fragments From Commentaries On Various Books Of Scripture
137) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book X
138) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book IX
139) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book VIII
140) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book VII
141) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book VI
142) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book V
143) 180-230 AD : Hippolytus of Rome - The Refutation Of All Heresies Book IV
144) 180-250 AD : 1st Apocalypse of James
145) 180-250 AD : Gospel of Philip
146) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Book III
147) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Book IV
148) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Book V
149) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Book VI
150) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Book VII
151) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Fragments Of Clemens Alexandrinus.
152) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Who is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved?
153) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - To The Newly Baptized (aka Exhortation To Endurance aka To The Newly Baptized Precepts Of Clement)
154) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - Exhortation To The Heathen
155) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - The Instructor. [Paedagogus.] The Instructor Book I
156) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - The Instructor. [Paedagogus.] The Instructor Book II
157) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - The Instructor. [Paedagogus.] The Instructor Book III
158) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - The Stromata, or Miscellanies Book I
159) 182-202 AD : Clement of Alexandria - The Stromata, or Miscellanies Book II
160) 185-195 AD : Fragments of Polycrates
161) 188-217 AD : Talmud - Baraitha Bab. Sanhedrin 43a
162) 188-217 AD : Talmud - B. Yebamoth 49a, M. Yebamoth 4.13
163) 188-217 AD : Talmud - Sanhedrin 107b
164) 189-199 AD : Victor I
165) 193-193 AD : Anonymous Anti-Montanist
166) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - To Scapula
167) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Chaplet, Or De Corona
168) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Shows, Or De Spectaculis
169) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Idolatry
170) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Apology
171) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - A Treatise on the Soul
172) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Soul's Testimony
173) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - An Answer To The Jews
174) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Prescription Against Heretics
175) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Five Books Against Marcion. Book I
176) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Five Books Against Marcion. Book II
177) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Five Books Against Marcion. Book III
178) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Five Books Against Marcion. Book IV
179) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Five Books Against Marcion. Book V
180) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Scorpiace. Antidote For The Scorpion's Sting
181) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Against Praxeas
182) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On The Resurrection Of The Flesh
183) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On The Flesh Of Christ
184) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Against The Valentinians
185) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Against Hermogenes
186) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Ad Martyras
187) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Prayer
188) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Baptism
189) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Against All Heresies
190) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Repentance
191) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On The Veiling Of Virgins
192) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On The Apparel Of Women
193) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - Of Patience
194) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - The Passion Of The Holy Martyrs - Perpetua And Felicitas
195) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - To His Wife
196) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Exhortation To Chastity
197) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Monogamy
198) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Modesty
199) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - On Fasting
200) 197-220 AD : Tertullian - De Fuga In Persecutione
201) 200-210 AD : Apollonius
202) 200-210 AD : Fragments of Serapion of Antioch
203) 200-220 AD : Caius
204) 200-220 AD : The Treatise Of Eusebius, The Son Of Pamphilus, Against The Life Of Apollonius Of Tyana Written By Philostratus, Occasioned By The Parallel Drawn By Hierocles Between Him And Christ
205) 200-250 AD : a church was been discovered in Megiddo, Israel. Excavations uncovered a large tile floor and wall remnants. There are mosaics of fish which were the original Christian symbol. Also found were some inscriptions inlaid into the mosaic one which reads, "Akeptous, the God-loving, offered this table for (the) God Jesus Christ, as a remembrance" ("Akeptous" is the name of the woman who offered this "remembrance").
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Further research related to this topic may be found in the following resources:
Gary R. Habermas, Reinterpretations of the Historical Jesus
Paul L. Maier, Did Jesus Really Exist? and Josephus and Jesus
Wayne Jackson, The Historicity of Jesus Christ
J. P. Holding, Jesus - Shattering the Christ-Myth - The Reliability of the Secular References to Jesus and Fairy Castles Built on Sand and The Apostate Who Wasn't All There
Mike Licona, A Review and Critique of Brian Flemming's "The God Who Wasn't There"
Gary R. Habermas, The Late Twentieth-Century Resurgence of Naturalistic Responses to Jesus' Resurrection
Bede and Christopher Price, Did Jesus Exist? Bede's Library
Bernard Muller, Review of Doherty's "The Jesus Puzzle"
Bob and Gretchen Passantino, Doherty's "Challenging the Verdict": Appeal Denied
Christopher Price, Short Review of "The Jesus Puzzle"
Doxa website, Mythological Jesus
Patrick Narkinsky, The Jesus Mosaic
Preventing Truth Decay, Taking the "Jesus Puzzle" Apart Piece-by-Piece
GDon, "The God Who Wasn't There" an Analysis
The Gary DeMar show, The Jesus Who Never Lived
- 1. James H. Charlesworth, "Jesus Within Judaism" (New York: Doubleday, 1988), pp. 168-169
- 2. E.P. Sanders, "The Historical Figure of Jesus" (New York: Penguin Press, 1993), p. xiv
- 3. A. E. Harvey, "Jesus and the Constraints of History" (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1982), p. 11
- 4. On the controversy on the Josephus text see, Paul L. Maier, Josephus and Jesus and my own essay Flavius Josephus, the Historical Jesus and Pseudo-Skepticism Outdated By Four Decades
- 5. There are debates behind each of the claims that the Talmud was referring to Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
This essay is copyrighted by Mariano Grinbank of the website "True Free Thinker" at www.truefreethinker.com.
It may be republished in part or in its entirety on websites, blogs, or any print media for whatever purpose (in agreement or in order to criticize it) only as long as the following conditions are met:
- Give credit to Mariano Grinbank of the website "True Free Thinker" and provide the url: www.truefreethinker.com/articles/historical-jesus-two-centuries-worth-citations.
- Inform me as to where it is being reproduced via the comments section or use the Trackback url: http://www.truefreethinker/trackback/487
Search
Tags
- The Destroyed Bible – On How to Reconstruct the Bible, part 4
- The Destroyed Bible – On How to Reconstruct the Bible, part 3
- The Destroyed Bible – On How to Reconstruct the Bible, part 1
- Historical Jesus, Mythras, Horus, Inanna, Santa, etc. on the Christ myth
- Infidel Guy to the left of Bart Ehrman on Jesus
TFT Content:
CHRISTIANITY
Christianity
Apologetics
Bible
God - Theology
Jesus
Miracles
Inspirational
Unbelievers Compliment Christianity
ATHEISM
Atheism
New Atheists
Project-Answering Atheism
-------------
Richard Dawkins
Sam Harris
Christopher Hitchens
Dan Barker
Daniel Dennett
Bart Ehrman
Bill Maher
PZ Myers
Quentin Smith
Michael Shermer
John Loftus
Carl Sagan
-------------
Atheism’s Public Relations Problems
Atheist Bus Ads and Billboards
Atheist Child Rearing
-------------
American Atheists
American Humanist Association
ExChristian.Net
PositiveAtheism.org
Evilbible.com
Science Club of Long Island
Skeptic’s Annotated Bible
Capella's Guide to Atheism
-------------
The BOBA Digest
The Wedgie Document
RELIGIONS
Judaism (Rabbinic, Messianic, etc.)
Baha'i
Islam
Jehovah's Witnesses
Mormonism
Catholicism
Unitarian Universalism
Misc. Religions
MISC.
Adolf Hitler / Nazism / Communism
-------------
Morality / Ethics
Rape
Meaning and Purpose
Homosexuality
-------------
Science
Intelligent Design
Cosmology
Evolution
-------------
Da Vinci Code / Angels and Demons / Templars, etc.
Gospel of Judas
The Lost Tomb of Jesus
Pop Culture and Politics
-------------
William Lane Craig
Francis Collins
RESOURCES
Fitness
Audio
Books
TFT essay "Books"
Debate
Links
Video
Find it Fast - Fast Facts
Visuals - Illustrations and Photos
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Look for us at the Internet Directory
Similar
- How Many of What Did Jesus Ride Into Jerusalem? On Colts, Donkey and Asses, part 1 of 2
- William Lane Craig – South Africa Debates, part 1: vs. Yusuf Islam on “Identifying Jesus: Is He Man or both God and Man?”
- The Destroyed Bible – On How to Reconstruct the Bible, part 1
- On the historical Jesus, the Jesus myths, the Bible’s reliability, etc. — Peter Jennings’ “The Search for Jesus”
- Historical Jesus, Mythras, Horus, Inanna, Santa, etc. on the Christ myth
Recommended links
- Free audio book: Friedrich Nietzsche, “Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None”
- Free audio book: Friedrich Nietzsche, “Beyond Good and Evil”
- Free audio book: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, “The Communist Manifesto”
- "In the Name of Knowledge and Wisdom"
- Friedrich Nietzsche Nails the Freedom From Religion Foundation
Historical -- Yes
Russ (not verified) — Sun, 07/04/2010 - 10:32amMariano,
Thank you very much for this comprehensive list!
Anders,
I see you have been posting this response quite frequently. For anyone reading this, I would suggest following up with the below link. It provides a good refutation to Anders claim.
http://davidvs.blogspot.com/2009/01/messianic-jewish-vision.html
I think the reason that "Christians have refused to deal" with this "mountain of historical Judaic information" is that few historians take it seriously. What is the point in comparing over 200+ references to Jesus and the website you've been peddling all over the internet?
Also, from what I've read, most historians date all the gospels prior to 90 A.D. Most critical scholars will even date certain Paulian passages to just a few years after Jesus' crucifixion.
"Historical Jesus"?!?Just
Anders Branderud (not verified) — Tue, 02/16/2010 - 11:19am"Historical Jesus"?!?Just using this contra-historical oxymoron (demonstrated by the eminent late Oxford historian, James Parkes, The Conflict of the Church and the Synagogue) exposes your Christian-blinkered agenda--dependent upon 4th-century, gentile, Hellenist sources.While scholars debate the provenance of the original accounts upon which the earliest extant (4th century, even fragments are post-135 C.E.), Roman gentile, Hellenist-redacted versions were based, there is not one fragment, not even one letter of the NT that derives DIRECTLY from the 1st-century Pharisee Jews who followed the Pharisee Ribi Yehoshua.Historians like Parkes, et al., have demonstrated incontestably that 4th-century Roman Christianity was the 180° polar antithesis of 1st-century Judaism of ALL Pharisee Ribis. The earliest (post-135 C.E.) true Christians were viciously antinomian (ANTI-Torah), claiming to supersede and displace Torah, Judaism and ("spiritual) Israel and Jews. In soberest terms, ORIGINAL Christianity was anti-Torah from the start while DSS (viz., 4Q MMT) and ALL other Judaic documentation PROVE that ALL 1st-century Pharisees were PRO-Torah.There is a mountain of historical Judaic information Christians have refused to deal with, at: www.netzarim.co.il (see, especially, their History Museum pages beginning with "30-99 C.E.").Original Christianity = ANTI-Torah. Ribi Yehoshua and his Netzarim, like all other Pharisees, were PRO-Torah. Intractable contradiction.Building a Roman image from Hellenist hearsay accounts, decades after the death of the 1st-century Pharisee Ribi, and after a forcible ouster, by Hellenist Roman gentiles, of his original Jewish followers (135 C.E., documented by Eusebius), based on writings of a Hellenist Jew excised as an apostate by the original Jewish followers (documented by Eusebius) is circular reasoning through gentile-Roman Hellenist lenses.What the historical Pharisee Ribi taught is found not in the hearsay accounts of post-135 C.E. Hellenist Romans but, rather, in the Judaic descriptions of Pharisees and Pharisee Ribis of the period... in Dead Sea Scroll 4Q MMT (see Prof. Elisha Qimron), inter alia.The question is, now that you've been informed, will you follow the authentic historical Pharisee Ribi? Or continue following the post-135 C.E. Roman-redacted antithesis-an idol?