2. Justin Martyr (AD 150) Quotes The Acts of Pontius Pilate And the expression, 'They pierced my hands and my feet,' was used in reference to the nails of the cross which were fixed in His hands and feet. And after he was crucified, they cast lots upon His vesture, and they that crucified Him parted it among them. And that these things did happen you can ascertain the 'Acts' of Pontius Pilate." Later Justin lists several healing miracles and asserts, "And that He did those things, you can learn from the Acts of Pontius Pilate.

3. Origen Cites Phlegon (born about AD 80) as stating that Jesus made several predictions that proved to be true.

4. Gnostic Writings of the Apocrypha These writings are admittedly Christian in origin and so not as powerful as those written by persons with no love for Christianity.

5. Valentius (AD 135 – 160) For when they had seen him and had heard him, he granted them to taste him and to smell him and to touch the beloved Son. When he had appeared instructing them about the Father.... For he came by means of fleshly appearance.“ from “The Gospel of Truth”

6. The Gospel of Thomas (AD 140 – 200) Contains 114 sayings attributed to Jesus Almost half of these sayings are contained in the Biblical gospels. The introduction states “These are the hidden words that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas wrote them down.” Authorship is disputed, but there is considerable evidence this book was respected among the early chuch

7. What is the Conclusion? With this evidence that Jesus was real, what do historians conclude?

8. Otto Betz No serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non- historicity of Jesus. From “What Do We Know About Jesus”

9. Goethe I esteem the Gospels to be thoroughly genuine, for there shines forth from them the reflected splendour of a sublimity, proceeding from the person of Jesus Christ, of so divine a kind as only the divine could ever have manifested upon earth. From “Conversations with Eckerman”

10. Summary Even within the writings of our brothers and sisters not directly associated with the scriptures, we find evidence that non-Christian leaders accepted an historic Jesus. The official account of Pontius Pilate’s life records Jesus crucifixion (Justin Martyr).

11. Summary Early second century records reflect the accuracy of Jesus prophecy – Origen recognized events Jesus predicted. Non-Christian historians readily acknowledge Jesus lived.