Episode 86: Debunking Jesus?

Ooooh! It's de-bunking time! But with a twist: this time we're debunking the debunkers! That’s right, we’re coming after an idea that certain nonbelievers love to throw at Christians to put them in their place. Well, you can stay safely out of place, Christians, because it's the nonbelievers' turn to eat some humble pie. This week's show, we're looking at the theory that Jesus was just one figure in history among many others that share exactly the same story. This idea purports to show that the central figure of Christianity was just the latest in a long line of saviors, and he stole all of their best features to prop himself up. Well, we will see about that, Bill Maher! Then, we're going to have some fun looking into the only historian anywhere near the time of Jesus who actually mentions him, one Yosef ben Mattityahu, better known by his Roman gangster name: Flavius Josephus. We'll discuss his mentions of Jesus, decide if they're spurious or not, and get to the bottom of what it all means about the man of Galilee. Was there actually a historical Jesus? For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma      Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices