What problem do historians have describing the life of Jesus?

Answer 1

A:For historians, it is surprising that many of the events in the life of Jesus never left their mark on history. No contemporary author even mentions Jesus. No astrologer ever noticed the star of Bethlehem. No one commented on a wandering holy man who attracted great crowds in Galilee and then in Jerusalem, although other holy men and revolutionaries are recorded. No one wrote so much as a letter that has survived to the present time, describing any of the great miracles. The great darkness and the earthquake that accompanied his death went unremarked by all. Some decades later, Josephus, a former priest, described the temple veil in considerable detail, but made no mention of the tear described in the gospels, or of any repair work he would have noticed. The appearances of risen Jesus differ from gospel to gospel, with the only point in common being that he only appeared to those who were his followers.

Historians have difficulty reconciling Luke's description of Jesus being born during the census under Quirinius, which indisputably took place in 6-7 CE, with the description of him as being born during the reign of King Herod, who died in April 4 BCE. Matthew's story of the birth of Jesus is quite different to that of Luke, but historians can find no evidence of the slaughter by King Herod of all the infants.

The actions of Pontius Pilate at the trial of Jesus are problematic. Some historians say that a governor who ordered the execution of an innocent man, on such flimsy evidence, would have risked immediate recall in disgrace. Historians are unable to find the town or village of Arimathea, which should be close to Jerusalem. Some have suggested that the name is really a play on words, coming from the Greek for 'best disciple town' because in the original gospel only Joseph stood by Jesus at the time of his crucifixion. They are even uncertain whether Nazareth existed in the first century BCE, or whether it was large enough at the time to have its own synagogue.

Answer 2

Because of the gospel accounts and the beliefs of so many, historians believe Jesus of Nazareth probably existed as a historical person, although scholars debate whether he performed miracles.
John Ashton says in 'History and Theology in New Testament Studies' (The Nature of New Testament Theology,edited by Rowland and Tuckett) that historians (and others) continue to argue with one another whether Jesus was really a homespun Cynic philosopher, a social reformer or an eschatological preacher deeply sympathetic to the Pharasaic culture all around him. He says that not only Jesus’ miracles but also the amazing religious experiences attributed to him in the Gospels, his baptism and transfiguration, are generally dismissed as legendary.