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"Hume, the probability of people inaccurately claiming that they’d seen Jesus’ resurrection far outweighed the probability that the event had occurred in the fi

"Hume, the probability of people inaccurately claiming that they’d seen Jesus’ resurrection far outweighed the probability that the event had occurred in the first place." Is there any evidence that anyone mentioned in the bible actually ever existed? What is the point of examining the claims of fictional characters about a fictional event?

pavel_lishin 10y ago
> Is there any evidence that anyone mentioned in the bible actually ever existed? Yes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_biblical_figures_identified_in_extra-biblical_sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_biblical_figures_ident...
jabv 10y ago
That's a great question! There is lots of corroborating evidence regarding many people and events (not all people and all events, but further discussion would branch a bit further off topic). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_the_Bible https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_the_Bible
deleted 10y ago
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combatentropy 10y ago
One of the most memorable I have read about is the recently found Tel Dan inscription: some writing on a 9th-century-B.C. stone slab about King David. Archaeologists say it is particularly strong because it was by an enemy. http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/artifacts-and-the-bible/the-tel-dan-inscription-the-first-historical-evidence-of-the-king-david-bible-story/ http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/...
jasonkostempski 10y ago
I can't really accept the reference of already famous names as strong evidence they were part of any event or that the event described actually took place. On a daily basis I see completely made up stories about kings, queens, politicians, actors, actresses, socialites, etc.; and people believing those stories without any evidence; and people retelling those stories, adding their own flair. Often the subject of those stories let the inaccuracies continue or even fabricate it themselves. And that's just people and things that happen today, things that could likely be verified but just aren't because most people don't care to. Over thousands of years and various translations and interpretations, it is nearly impossible that any meaningfully accurate information made it this far, i doubt it even made it to the stone.
- dancek 10y ago
  The same argument can be made regarding any person and any event in reasonably distant history. Still, mainstream historians believe that we know a lot about Caesar, for example.

pavel_lishin 10y ago

> Is there any evidence that anyone mentioned in the bible actually ever existed? Yes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_biblical_figures_identified_in_extra-biblical_sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_biblical_figures_ident...

jabv 10y ago

That's a great question! There is lots of corroborating evidence regarding many people and events (not all people and all events, but further discussion would branch a bit further off topic). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_the_Bible https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_the_Bible

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

combatentropy 10y ago

One of the most memorable I have read about is the recently found Tel Dan inscription: some writing on a 9th-century-B.C. stone slab about King David. Archaeologists say it is particularly strong because it was by an enemy. http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/artifacts-and-the-bible/the-tel-dan-inscription-the-first-historical-evidence-of-the-king-david-bible-story/ http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/...

jasonkostempski 10y ago

I can't really accept the reference of already famous names as strong evidence they were part of any event or that the event described actually took place. On a daily basis I see completely made up stories about kings, queens, politicians, actors, actresses, socialites, etc.; and people believing those stories without any evidence; and people retelling those stories, adding their own flair. Often the subject of those stories let the inaccuracies continue or even fabricate it themselves. And that's just people and things that happen today, things that could likely be verified but just aren't because most people don't care to. Over thousands of years and various translations and interpretations, it is nearly impossible that any meaningfully accurate information made it this far, i doubt it even made it to the stone.

dancek 10y ago
The same argument can be made regarding any person and any event in reasonably distant history. Still, mainstream historians believe that we know a lot about Caesar, for example.