History seeks evidence. Faith does not require it.
And between the two, humans either create gods — or discover them.
Easter (“Lambrí” [as a noun] in Modern Greek) falls this coming Sunday for the Catholics and the following one for the Orthodox. Christians of all denominations and “heresies” celebrate the Resurrection of the founder of their religion as the supreme event of their faith. And it is so because, as the very “Apostle to the Nations,” Paul—who systematized the scattered teachings of Jesus’ “eyewitness” disciples into a “body” and elevated Christianity into a religion competitive in its time and, in later centuries, preeminent among all—admits, “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is meaningless.”
This, however, is not the only reason that renders the Christian religion devoid of content. The most important one, as a decisive factor, is another: if the very founder of it, Jesus Christ, did not exist as a historical person, then Christianity collapses into ruins from the solid edifice that the centuries have elevated it to be until today.
And then, His Resurrection, as a radiant (here used as an adjective) and dominant feast on the two upcoming Sundays of Easter, is nothing more than yet another opportunity for the Christian world for social contact, entertainment, and leisure. And certainly also a good investment for the Market, whose products of all kinds, on such days, become highly sought after—especially foodstuffs—due to intense meat consumption and other… excesses, at least among our compatriots, who boast that “Greek Easter is a unique Easter,” inseparably tied to our national traditions.
So, did Jesus exist as an eminent, wondrous “person” with divine attributes on this earth some 2026 years ago according to the established calendar? Can His miracles and His Resurrection be considered real, historical events, unique for humankind? And if not, how is the “divine” non-existence of the founder of the Christian religion demonstrated through the pages of History?
From earlier posts here and printed publications over time, we have today gathered—and it will be posted in installments—that historical material (selectively chosen) which, in our view, not only supports but proves the non-existence of such a “strange creature” that ever walked the earth with properties of both god and man, like the god Janus of the Romans in their own religion.
We will express our own views and positions on the real issue of whether a “God” walked the earth some thousands of years ago. On this small star of the Universe, which, according to experts’ calculations, is vast and includes more than 100,000,000,000 galaxies, each galaxy containing more than 100,000,000,000 stars!
Part One
Christians, of all doctrines and shades, may believe whatever they wish about Jesus. We, as historians, who are not Christians (nor could we, in general, be committed to any cause), view the figure of Jesus from a different perspective. In this case, he concerns us only, and exclusively, from the standpoint of History. Did Jesus exist as a human being? Was he born, registered in civic records, did he attend school, did he walk on the soil of Judea, or did he never exist at all?
Some researchers completely reject the historical Jesus and accept him only in the imagination of the disciples and the first Christians. Others go even further and argue that Jesus was a creation of Paul (the one who essentially organized, structured, and spread Christianity beyond Judea) and that he served purposes which it is not necessary to mention here. Of course, the issue of whether the real (as a human entity) Jesus existed or not had occupied scholars centuries before modern historians. In recent years, the works of Letskin of the Soviet Academy are monumental; he has written a series of books on Christianity. The author supports the theory of a mythical Jesus and does not accept him historically. But is this the reality? Did Jesus as a human never exist? Was he born in the imagination of certain people because that is what “the times required,” and because the invention of a Christ, a Messiah and Savior, served some plan? Let us present the version of History.
The only sources and testimonies for the activity (work) of Jesus are Christian texts. These texts are the books of the New Testament, various other gospels, and letters, all written by disciples and followers of Jesus after his death. No other non-Christian source refers to his activity (preaching, miracles, etc.). For the person, however, Jesus Christ, apart from the Christian texts, we also have historical sources—testimonies—which, although very few (only three), relatively brief, and one of them interpolated, are nevertheless valuable; through them we can draw certain historical conclusions about the figure of Jesus. These specific historical sources were selected on two main criteria: (1) their credibility, and (2) the fact that they are roughly a century removed from the time Jesus lived. In other words, they are the most reliable and closest to the period in which Jesus lived. These sources are the following:
1. Suetonius (approx. 69 or 75 – 125 AD). In his work Vita Claudii, C. XXV 4, he states:
“Judaeos impulsore Chresto assidue tumultuantes Romae expulsit”
(The Jews, because they constantly created disturbances for Christ, were expelled from Rome).
Indeed, around 40–50 AD, by decision of Emperor Claudius—which the historian explicitly mentions—it was decided that all Jews should be expelled from Rome due to their contentious and aggressive behavior. Of course, not all Jews were Christians, but Suetonius does not distinguish them. Jews and Christians are still one and the same for the Romans (the name “Christians” had not yet traveled from Antioch to Rome).
It is a fact that at that time, the frictions among Christians over doctrinal and messianic issues had created an unprecedented fever in Rome, with dimensions dangerous for the order of the great city, in which there lived a mixture of peoples with different and varied ideologies and philosophies. Hot-tempered and aggressive, due to disputes, differences, and contradictions among the leading figures of the new religion themselves (such as Peter and Paul)—which were transferred to the simple believers and inflamed them—Christians behaved improperly not only toward their like-minded fellows but also toward the rest of the citizens. They even accused the Romans because they mocked and ridiculed their religion. The Romans, like the Athenians, being ironic and mocking, did not leave foolish and childish statements—such as those of the Christians—uncommented. One can only imagine what kinds of remarks and jokes must have circulated in the empire about Christians and their beliefs.
It was not only the monstrous claim of Jesus’ resurrection, which Christians insisted had taken place. There were also their other, individual views and theories—so strangely awkward to the ears and immediately rejected by common sense—that, if they did not provoke anger, certainly caused laughter, and among the more ignorant and superstitious, fear and panic.
What seems, however, to have decisively influenced the advisors of Claudius to recommend to the emperor the expulsion of Christians (Jews collectively) from Rome were the daily and indescribable clashes between Christians and Jews over messianic issues (was Jesus the expected Messiah or not?), as well as among Christians themselves over doctrinal matters. Of particular interest was that alarming theory—spread at the time—about the imminent “rapture of the faithful” into the heavens and the resurrection of dead Christians. (This theory is still… alive today among Christians, especially Evangelicals and Pentecostals.)
The one who first referred to the issue of the “rapture” of the faithful was Jesus himself. But the one who supported it passionately and described its dramatic unfolding was none other than Paul. In his letters to the Thessalonians, he instructs believers to be ready at any moment, because very soon the rapture of the Church—the body of believers—will take place, as follows:
Everything will be normal on that day. Nothing will foreshadow the grim day and the coming disaster for non-Christians, and the ineffable joy and happiness awaiting Christians. At some moment that day, in a village, the father (a non-Christian, let us say) is digging in his field, the mother (a Christian, we may assume) is grinding wheat, and the children (indifferent, we might say) are playing carefree in the alleys. Then, suddenly and out of nowhere, the trumpets of the rapture sound. Jesus appears within enormous clouds to take with him into the heavens the Church (the body of believers). Panic, chaos, frenzy ensue. Some leave, others remain, without even having time to say goodbye. From the above family, naturally, the mother departs for the heavens, and all the other members remain behind, tragically alone.
Before this, the bodies of the believers to be “raptured” will have been transformed (they will likely have become light, like air). First, however, the dead will be resurrected—but only the faithful, the Christians—who, though decayed and dissolved, will receive a new body. All together, living and dead-resurrected believers will ascend in procession into the heavens, Jesus in front, the host behind. Below, the others—the unbelievers—will mourn and beat their heads against the wall, because they are not among the fortunate who travel to paradise, and because of the sufferings that will follow thereafter.
Let us cite some excerpts from Paul’s two letters to the Thessalonians on the subject of the rapture of the Church, in translation:
PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS
13 We do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
And concerning times and seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you;
2 for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.
3 When they say, “peace and safety,” then sudden destruction comes upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall certainly not escape.
4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that the day should overtake you like a thief.
5 For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
3 We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brothers, as is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each one of you abounds toward one another,
4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and afflictions that you endure,
5 which is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer.
6 Indeed, it is just with God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,
7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted, along with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with the angels of his power,
8 in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus,
9 who shall suffer punishment, eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power,
10 when he comes on that day to be glorified among his saints and to be admired among all who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed.
11 Therefore we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of this calling and fulfill every good pleasure of goodness and the work of faith with power,
12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now we ask you, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him,
2 that you not be quickly shaken in mind or troubled, neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as if from us, as though the day of the Lord had already come.
3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?
6 And now you know what restrains him, so that he may be revealed in his own time.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is taken out of the way.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed,