Archaeology of the New Testament

[ZenMode]

Tomb of Saint Peter

I provisionally rank the reliability of this archeological evidence as 'more probable than not '.


1) Early Christian tradition places Saint Peter's burial location beneath the basilica of Saint Peter's cathedral in Rome. It is specifically the reason the basilica was built on this location by Constantine.

2) 20th century excavation found a first to second century shrine under the basilica.

3) Human bones found associated with the shrine are from a male, age 60 to 70, who lived in the first century.

4) The type of fabric wrapped around the bones indicate a person of high status, someone held in reverence.

5) Ancient Christian inscriptions carved on a wall next to the tomb read: 'Peter is in here'.

Christians liked to put their dead in tombs, which is likely why Jesus was alleged to have been put into a tomb after he was crucified.

The problem is that the Romansz when they killed someone by nailing them to a "cross", were known to leave them hanging for a long time to allow the body to decay, be picked apart by birds/animals, etc.

That's why the story of Jesus resurrection is unlikely to have ever happened.

 

[Cypress]

The problem is that the Romansz when they killed someone by nailing them to a "cross", were known to leave them hanging for a long time to allow the body to decay, be picked apart by birds/animals, etc.

That's why the story of Jesus resurrection is unlikely to have ever happened.

The gospel of Mark states that Jesus died after six hours on the cross and Joseph of Arimethea received permission from Pontius Pilate to take to body down and place it in their family tomb.

 

[ZenMode]

The gospel of Mark states that Jesus died after six hours on the cross and Joseph of Arimethea received permission from Pontius Pilate to take to body down and place it in their family tomb.

Ok. The Bible says a lot of things, many of which don't make sense or, in this case, go against what is known to be true.

Jesus wasn't anything special when he was killed. He wasn't the son of god.

 

[Ichabod Stain]

Christians liked to put their dead in tombs, which is likely why Jesus was alleged to have been put into a tomb after he was crucified.

The problem is that the Romansz when they killed someone by nailing them to a "cross", were known to leave them hanging for a long time to allow the body to decay, be picked apart by birds/animals, etc.

That's why the story of Jesus resurrection is unlikely to have ever happened.

the golden rule is an excellent moral teaching for all mankind, nonetheless.

 

[Cypress]

Ok. The Bible says a lot of things, many of which don't make sense or, in this case, go against what is known to be true.

Jesus wasn't anything special when he was killed. He wasn't the son of god.

Nothing can be proven. All the intelligent person can do is decide which way the evidence points to.

There was no Bible in the first century when the accounts were being written. You had different accounts being written in different communities either by eyewitnesses, or by people who knew and interviewed the eyewitnesses.

You had at least five different independent accounts of Jesus being taken off the cross and buried. There are no alternative accounts contesting this. The tomb and Joseph of Aramethea are attested in all accounts. Being a member of the Sanhedrin, Joseph of Aramethea was a high ranking Jew who could have had some influence with Pontius Pilate and the Roman occupation authority.

Our surviving accounts of Roman crucifixion are fragmentary, and it's difficult to say what would have been 'normal'.

On balance, the manuscript evidence and attestations point to Jesus being taken off the cross by a high ranking Jew who was sympathetic to the Jesus movement, and Jesus being laid out in a rock tomb.

 

[Ichabod Stain]

Nothing can be proven. All the intelligent person can do is decide which way the evidence points to.

wrong.

the more intelligent person asseses religions on which is best for society.

Jesus's extremely rational golden rule inevitably leads to a high trust society.

you do what a stupid person does.

 

[ZenMode]

You had at least five different independent accounts of Jesus being taken off the cross and buried.

Well, you had the gospels, which are known to have copied each other, word for word in some cases. And, the gospels were written by people who never met Jesus, years after he died.