By Richard Smith
Consider the following list. These are the historians and writers who DID live within Christ's alleged lifetime or within a hundred years of it, after the time:
Apollonius Persius
Appian Petronius
Arrian Phaedrus
Aulus Gellius Philo-Judaeus
Columella Phlegon
Damis Pliny the Elder
Dio Chrysostom Pliny the Younger
Dion Pruseus Plutarch
Epictetus Pompon Mela
Favorinus Ptolemy
Florus Lucius Quintilian
Hermogones Quintius Curtius
Josephus Seneca
Justus of Tiberius Silius Italicus
Juvenal Statius
Lucanus Suetonius
Lucian Tacitus
Lysias Theon of Smyran
Martial Valerius Flaccus
Paterculus Valerius Maximus
Pausanias
Yet, aside from two FORGED passages in the works of a Jewish writer mentioned above, and two disputed passages in the works of Roman writers, there isn't ANY mention of Jesus Christ. At all. Consider:"Philo was born before the beginning of the Christian era, and lived until long after the reputed death of Christ. He wrote an account of the Jews covering the entire time that Christ is said to have existed on earth. He was living in or near Jerusalem when Christ's miraculous birth and the Herodian massacred occurred. He was there when Christ made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He was there when the crucifixion with its attendant earthquake, supernatural darkness, and resurrection of the dead took place -- when Christ himself rose from the dead, and in the presence of many witnesses ascended into heaven."These marvelous events which must have filled the world with amazement, had they really occurred, we unknown to him. It was Philo who developed the doctrine of the Logos, or Word, and although this Word incarnate dwelt in that very land and in the presence of multitudes revealed himself and demonstrated his divine powers, Philo saw it not.People we can prove that was alive during the times the Bible was written.
King Herod- tons of proof from Historians that he was alive but nothing ever written about him calling for the death of all the Jewish babies. And very bad things were written about him but not that.
Maccabees- The Maccabees were around 166 BCE and there is proof of writings about them.
Pontius_Pilate- Pilate presided at the trial of Jesus , But there is a ton written about him by historians even records of his trials. However there is no writings about that trial or record of that trial ever taking place even though all his other trials are on record.
332 BCE Alexander the Great- Alexander the Great reigned 330 yrs before Jesus was to be born yet we know so much about him from so many sources. So have outside sources to prove Jesus should be very easy. But it can not be done.
Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians.
After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
Here Paul appears to be claiming that there are still many living eye witnesses who saw the resurrected Jesus. Unfortunately we only seem to have his word for it, we have no independent records from any of these witnesses. And No historian wrote one word about it not even the one who lived in that town Philo of Alexandria (c25 BC-47 AD).
