If you understand anything about historical documentation, we know for a fact by crossed referenced Roman sources that were not Christian sources (for example, Josephus, a Roman Reporter) that the historical characters such as Paul, Peter, etc absolutely existed. They were the disciples of Jesus.
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M*W: Jesus didn't resurrect, but this old thread sure did.
I know a little bit about historical documentation, and even a little about Josephus and what he wrote. I also know a little about Peter, Paul and Jesus, just enough to know that none of them existed as historical people, so in that respect, they were mythical contemporaries, for sure.
Paul, who was Saul (an early Christian hunter killer) was absolutely a real person and contemporary to Jesus.
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M*W: I could go into the astro-theological interpretation of your beliefs, but now is not the time. Let me just give you these hints:
(Saul=Sol=Solomon=Son-of-Man)
(Saul=Paul=Sol=Apollo)
(Je-Zeus=Jesus=Sol=Sun-of-mankind)
(Peter the Jew=Ju-piter)
(Lucifer=Venus=the Morning Star)
(Saturn=Saturday=Sabbath)
I don't expect you to understand this right now.
If the historical sources absolutely validate his contemporaries and disciples as real people and discuss how they were spreading christianity throughout Europe which is exactly what is discussed in the acts of the apostles and the letters, then why wouldn't Jesus be a real person. I don't think that even Jewish scholors debate his existence as a historical character.
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M*W: Sure, everything we read is factual. Especially everything on the Internet and what's been written in the blibel. We should never question what we read and what we've been taught, because we'll be thrown in the lake of fire.
Did it ever occur to you that what you have been taught, and what you've read, and what you believe might not be true? And you never questioned it, did you?
I don't want to overwhelm you with facts just now. I'd like to draw our discussions out over time if for nothing else, for entertainment purposes only.
I'll throw this out to you, since you obviously like to talk about history. Do you think that Josephus might have been responsible for writing the new testament? Don't just answer the question right now. Think about the question. I'll give you plenty of time to look up the answers. You can even find the info online. You can start by looking up the following references:
Caesar's Messiah, by Joseph Atwill.
Jesus Was Caesar, by Francesca Carotta.
Also, make sure to read the links spidergoat posted, especially the one about:
The Mythmaker, Paul and the Invention of Christianity, by Hyam Maccoby. Hopefully, we can have some educated discussions.