# Better evidence of Jesus than Caesar? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 17, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-evidence-of-jesus-than-caesar/468389 "2008-10-17T16:13:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-evidence-of-jesus-than-caesar/468389/1 "2008-10-17T16:13:10Z")
In post #29 in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=488298) **don’t ask** related his recollection of hearing a historian talking on the radio mention that, _“for instance, there is far better evidence, closer to his lifetime, that Jesus existed than there is that Julius Caesar existed. However people accept as fact that Caesar was real and many doubt that Jesus was.”_ Could this possibly be true? Didn’t the Roman emperors coin money bearing their names and likenesses, inscribe their names and exploits on various buildings, get mentioned in various records? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-evidence-of-jesus-than-caesar/468389/2 "2008-10-17T16:18:46Z")
A quick Google reveals this claim to be ludicrous. Mods, feel free to close this thread. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-evidence-of-jesus-than-caesar/468389/3 "2008-10-17T16:19:53Z")
Nevermind his own autobiographical writing on the galic wars and the records we have of his other campaigns and the evidence we have for them? I don’t see how that statement has any truth to it. The historical consensus however, is indeed that Jesus as portrayed in the Bible was _likely_ based on a real historical person (possibly persons). EDIT: As usual, always late to the party. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-evidence-of-jesus-than-caesar/468389/4 "2008-10-17T16:22:25Z")
That is actually silly. We have busts of Gaius Iulius Caesar from his life. Writings of his and his contemporaries and the recorded (written down) speeches of Cicero. So this is an extremely weak claim. Jim ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-evidence-of-jesus-than-caesar/468389/5 "2008-10-17T16:23:25Z")
I have heard the same analogy given with Socrates, however, and that holds up pretty well. Most of what we “know” about Socrates comes from Plato, who was well known for making things (like Atlantis) up. wiki "_Details about Socrates derive from three contemporary sources: the dialogues of Plato and Xenophon (both devotees of Socrates), and the plays of Aristophanes."_ ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-evidence-of-jesus-than-caesar/468389/6 "2008-10-17T16:23:50Z")
This is a statement that has be bandied for a while (I remember being taught this as a statment of fact at our church youth group). Its simply a ridiculous claim, there is FAR FAR more evidence for the existence of Caesar than Jesus. If we’re gonna keep this in GQ I’d be interested in know who first made this claim, and how they justified it. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-evidence-of-jesus-than-caesar/468389/7 "2008-10-17T16:26:22Z")
We have \*\*actual film \*\*of Jesus: [here](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079470/) [and here](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335345/) What more do you want? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-evidence-of-jesus-than-caesar/468389/8 "2008-10-17T16:35:17Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I have heard the same analogy given with Socrates, however, and that holds up pretty well. Most of what we “know” about Socrates comes from Plato, who was well known for making things (like Atlantis) up. > > wiki "_Details about Socrates derive from three contemporary sources: the dialogues of Plato and Xenophon (both devotees of Socrates), and the plays of Aristophanes."_ Just to clarify, you strictly mean Socrates might be myth and not Julius Caesar? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-evidence-of-jesus-than-caesar/468389/9 "2008-10-17T16:39:19Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > A quick Google reveals this claim to be ludicrous. > Mods, feel free to close this thread. > Sorry. Closed at request of OP. Colibri General Questions Moderator