Are there any extrabiblical accounts of the resurrection of Jesus?

[fishmansf]

Something that has troubled me is I have never been able to find extra biblical accounts of Jesus resurrection. Why didn’t the 500 he appeared to write testimonies of his resurrection? Even if any of them were illiterate I’m sure a few of them must have been literate. Does anyone have any answers?

 

[All4Christ]

Are you looking for first hand accounts? Or any kind of extra-biblical account from antiquity.

From Josephus:

About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had first come to love him did not cease. He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life, for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.

- Jewish Antiquities, 18.3.3 §63

 

[Dave-W]

Literacy has always been very high among Jews.
Probably all 500 were literate.

But why do you think their writings would have survived?

 

[fishmansf]

Are you looking for first hand accounts? Or any kind of extra-biblical account from antiquity.

From Josephus:

About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had first come to love him did not cease. He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life, for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.

- Jewish Antiquities, 18.3.3 §63

Thank you for your reply. Both actually but preferably first hand accounts. I know that the New Testament authors along with the The Acts of the Apostles are all historically reliable sources but I’ve just been wrestling with the fact as to why the first hand accounts of the 500 that Jesus appeared to never wrote any testimonies or at least none that I know of.

 

[Albion]

There aren't even any independent records of his crucifixion.

 

[fishmansf]

Literacy has always been very high among Jews.
Probably all 500 were literate.

But why do you think their writings would have survived?

True, I supposed after the destruction of Jerusalem many of them were probably destroyed. However, assuming that even as little as 200 wrote their testimonies, I’m surprised they too did not have them produced in multiple copies to preserve them. After all the New Testament writers had their copies preserved as well.

 

[grasping the after wind]

Literacy has always been very high among Jews.
Probably all 500 were literate.

But why do you think their writings would have survived?

I highly doubt your assumption is correct. Even among Jews, at that time literacy was not widespread.

 

[All4Christ]

Also, remember that there was severe persecution of Christians under Nero. There likely were less public written accounts due to the persecution.

 

[Dave-W]

Actually, the copies of the NT we have are just scraps from the 300s ad. And that was with the church preserving those documents.

 

[fishmansf]

Actually, the copies of the NT we have are just scraps from the 300s ad. And that was with the church preserving those documents.

Are you saying that the gospels were written in AD 300’s or the scraps were put together in the 300s and then preserved by the church?

 

[All4Christ]

John was written in the approximately the 90s. Not all were historically written immediately after the resurrection of Christ. (That said, gospels were referenced by the early Church Fathers as early as the first century.)

 

[Dave-W]

I highly doubt your assumption is correct. Even among Jews, at that time literacy was not widespread.

That only tells me you know little about how the synagogue system worked in the 2nd temple period. Those “uneducated” fishermen had the equivalent of at least a BA in theology by the time they reached adulthood. The gifted were already recognized by age 5 and removed to yeshivas to learn more extensively. (Like Paul)

 

[Dave-W]

Are you saying that the gospels were written in AD 300’s or the scraps were put together in the 300s and then preserved by the church?

No - they were all written in or at the end of the first century. None of those documents remain even though the church did everything to preserve and transmit them. The scraps and fragments from the 300s are copies of copies of copies .....

 

[Dave-W]

Not to mention John being written in the approximately the 90s. Not all were historically written immediately after the resurrection of Christ.

Indeed. Some actually date John’s gospel to the first decade of the 2nd century, compiled from his writings by his disciples after his death.

 

[fishmansf]

No - they were all written in or at the end of the first century. None of those documents remain even though the church did everything to preserve and transmit them. The scraps and fragments from the 300s are copies of copies of copies .....

Gotcha. I thought you were saying that the NT gosels were written around 300 AD and I had some historical objections to make about that claim hahaha. But I see what you were saying now.

 

[All4Christ]

No - they were all written in or at the end of the first century. None of those documents remain even though the church did everything to preserve and transmit them. The scraps and fragments from the 300s are copies of copies of copies .....

There are certainly references from the early church to the gospels though.

 

[All4Christ]

Indeed. Some actually date John’s gospel to the first decade of the 2nd century, compiled from his writings by his disciples after his death.

True I was taking the average date from most scholars. I think they range it from 70-140, but if I remember correctly, some church fathers reference it in 110. Or maybe the reference is for Matthew? I’d need to double check

ETA: John is quoted in Clement’s Exhortation to the Heathens. Whether the entire book was in the exact form we see today is another matter - but John 1 was quoted.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

No - they were all written in or at the end of the first century. None of those documents remain even though the church did everything to preserve and transmit them. The scraps and fragments from the 300s are copies of copies of copies .....

Not to derail the thread, and with no more to say about this for several reasons:
There is some evidence some of the Scriptures from the first century survive, and that the 'Church' did not do everything to preserve and transmit them - some think that some were destroyed or 'buried' and unavailable, on purpose.
The only note or news that I think is possible and worth checking (for readers here), is from the Ekklesia in Ethiopia, for the purposes of follow up (off site) from this thread if desired.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Something that has troubled me is I have never been able to find extra biblical accounts of Jesus resurrection. Why didn’t the 500 he appeared to write testimonies of his resurrection? Even if any of them were illiterate I’m sure a few of them must have been literate. Does anyone have any answers?

Take this with a grain, or truckload, of salt: See Moses's Diary online.... it is making the rounds, so to speak ..... (just looked it up out of curiosity a couple minutes ago)...

 

[SoldierOfTheKing]

True, I supposed after the destruction of Jerusalem many of them were probably destroyed. However, assuming that even as little as 200 wrote their testimonies, I’m surprised they too did not have them produced in multiple copies to preserve them. After all the New Testament writers had their copies preserved as well.

We don't have a whole lot of written records from antiquity, period. There actually weren't a whole lot to begin with. Before the invention of the printing press, books were extremely expensive to produce, because they had to be handwritten. Imagine having to write an entire book by hand, every letter having to be accurate and legible - no erasers or white out if you made a mistake. This had to be done by specially trained professionals called scribes.

This is why the literacy rate was so low back then. Most people had no reason to learn to read, because they would seldom have occasion to pick up a book anyway.

Of course, a lot of things can happen to a book in 2000 years...