Existence of Jesus The existence of Jesus as a real, historical
figure has been debated for centuries. Apologists who believe
Jesus did actually exist try to use this purported fact to
support other claims, such as that he was divine or that his
teachings should be followed. Historical vs. Biblical Jesus When
debating the question of whether Jesus really existed, it is
necessary to distinguish between several questions: "Was there a
preacher named Jesus in Judea around 1-33 CE, who was crucified
by the Romans?" and "Was there really a person who performed the
miracles attributed to Jesus in the Bible?" The former is an
ordinary and plausible claim; the latter is an extraordinary
claim, and requires extraordinary evidence. This is like asking
"Did George Washington exist?" vs. "Is it true that George
Washington threw a silver dollar across the Potomac river?" If
Jesus was an ordinary human who did not perform any miracles, it
would not be surprising that there are no contemporary accounts
of his existence, sin