hooberus and others have done nothing more than catalogue the information that anyone who has ever looked into this matter already knows
Yes, and most historians (including non-Christians, Jews, agnostics, etc.) believe that Jesus existed and was crucified. (though they don't all believe in the miracles etc.).
but none of it actually shows that Jesus was more than a popular story book character or re-worked myth.
Numerous, diverse historical evidence supports that Jesus was not a myth.
Paul and other very early christians recount a mythical risen christ of vision,
Paul and other ealry Christians taught that Jesus was a real person crucified under Pilate, who lived during the time of and interacted with other historical persons (ie: John the Baptist, Caiphas, etc.).
Luke 3
1: Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
2: Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
Furthermore Paul believed in a historcal Jesus before his vision (He persectued the already existing Church before his vision). The apostles spent years with Jesus before the resurrection, and there were apostles before Paul.
those who followed THEM like Luke who never met Jesus and Mark who likewise was a disciple of Paul,
Luke shows where his information came from, and histortry recods that Mark was also a disciple of Peter.
Luke 1
1: Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
2: Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
3: It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
4: That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
piecing together mythical events for a mythical messiah based more around out of context old testamament verses than actual geographic locations helps some come to believe Jesus has been a real person but certainly did not demonstrate it.
The new testament is
Paul's visionary christ preached with all the zeal of the CONviNcED helped CONvince others into become devout followers...
There were apostles and followers of Jesus before Paul (so the idea that Paul was the initaiator of Christianity is false).
Acts 1
1: The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2: Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
4: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
5: For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6: When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7: And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
9: And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10: And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11: Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
12: Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.
13: And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
14: These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
15: And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
16: Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
17: For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
18: Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
19: And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
20: For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
21: Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22: Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
23: And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
24: And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
25: That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
26: And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
the early history of christianity is hardly one of unified views of Jesus either... there were many who now called gnostics denied that Jesus had been a real flesh and blood person
The gnostics did not deny that a being named Jesus came in history, had real disciples, and was seen by others, etc. The problem with the gnostics was that they belived that he only "appeared" to be human. The reason why they disputed his genuine humanity was not due to him not appearing historically (as the Christ Mythers do today), but because of their metaphysical beliefs on the nature of flesh being evil.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
