I’d like to propose a point of view first outlined to me by Richard Carrier.
I’m not saying that I have 100% proof that it’s true.
What I am saying is that it accounts for the known facts excellently and I have yet to hear a decent argument against it; also that it seems far more plausible to me (whilst I accept the possibility, nay the certainty, of personal bias) than the alternative hypotheses I’ve seen expressed… the most notable of which is that Jesus was a real boy (and an incarnation of Lord YHWH).
So… what are the “known facts”?
Well… let’s start with Philo…
Philo was a Jewish philosopher who lived between the dates we now call about 20BC to 50AD.
One might well note that if we were to have any evidence of a real historical Jesus it might come from a scholar at the time just such as Philo.
But what did Philo actually write, what does it tell us about Jesus, and why have I chosen to start with him?
Well, you can read the context of Philo’s words here:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/yonge/book15.html
And I’d like to focus on this section:
XIV. (60) But those who conspired to commit injustice, he says, “having come from the east, found a plain in the land of Shinar, and dwelt There;”{16}{#ge 11:2.} speaking most strictly in accordance with nature. For there is a twofold kind of dawning in the soul, the one of a better sort, the other of a worse. That is the better sort, when the light of the virtues shines forth like the beams of the sun; and that is the worse kind, when they are overshadowed, and the vices show forth. (61) Now, the following is an example of the former kind: “And God planted a paradise in Eden, toward the East,”{17}{#ge 2:8.} not of terrestrial but of celestial plants, which the planter caused to spring up from the incorporeal light which exists around him, in such a way as to be for ever inextinguishable. (62) I have also heard of one of the companions of Moses having uttered such a speech as this: “Behold, a man whose name is the East!”{18}{#zec 6:12.} A very novel appellation indeed, if you consider it as spoken of a man who is compounded of body and soul; but if you look upon it as applied to that incorporeal being who in no respect differs from the divine image, you will then agree that the name of the east has been given to him with great felicity. (63) For the Father of the universe has caused him to spring up as the eldest son, whom, in another passage, he calls the firstborn; and he who is thus born, imitating the ways of his father, has formed such and such species, looking to his archetypal patterns.
Now… I’m sure that the astute among you (especially those who would seek to disagree with my conclusion) will note (as I first did when I heard Carrier’s claim and read these words) that there is NO MENTION of “Angel Jesus”.
However… the passages in the Old Testament to which Philo refers… well… they turn out to be… well… let’s have a look together:
Genesis 2:8
8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Zechariah 6
1 And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.
2 In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
3 And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.
4 Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?
5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.
7 And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.
8 Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.
9 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
10 Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;
11 Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;
12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord:
13 Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
14 And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the Lord.
15 And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the Lord, and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.
Philo is obviously suggesting that This fella was not a “fella” at all… but… ANGEL JESUS.
And Philo was obviously anticipating this “Branch”, “The East”, “Jesus”, “Joshua”, “Eldest son of God” building a “temple of the Lord”…
… from nothing more than the combined belief of him and his peers in the truth of the OT.
And this all went on BEFORE AD50… when Philo died… and when (or thenabouts) Saul of Tarsus wrote these words:
1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Well, I have to say, it seems to me somewhat obvious what happened… Saul took advantage of a trend at the time to read into the ancient texts the coming of a Messiah called Jesus, first born of God. And Paul (and those like him, such as Philo and Peter and others in Jerusalem such as some fella James).. well.. and Paul… made a lot of stuff up. And his followers, following on from him, revealed the “gospels” to history… from whence stem all belief in this “real Jesus” character.
Just a reading into ancient texts, some false prophecy (and what isn’t), and a whole heap of human credulity.
But now… with the hindsight of history… what evidence is there that Adam or Noah or Moses were even real people?
Why should we be persuaded by Philo’s fantasy, or Peter’s, or Paul’s? Why believe the “gospels” which start from the contradictory (and obviously derived from each other verbatim in parts) synoptics or, worse, the nonsense that followed them?
Was Moses speaking YHWH’s truth? Was he even real?
Was Saul speaking YHWH’s truth?
Was Jesus speaking YHWH’s truth? Was he even real?
Was Muhammad speaking YHWH’s truth?
Was Gabriel speaking YHWH’s truth? Was he even real?
Was Smith speaking YHWH’s truth?
Was Moroni speaking YHWH’s truth? Was he even real?
Or… is it more likely that YHWH doesn’t exist… but that the World has seen no shortage of people prepared to speak for Him?
Can anybody even demonstrate that this YHWH thingamywhatsit even exists, far less that it talks to humans at regular intervals to communicate… ahem… “truths”?
IF YOU WISH TO DEFEND THE NOTION THAT JESUS WAS A REAL BOY…
… please… have you got ANYTHING before 50AD that would suggest Jesus was real?
Because Saul TELLS US that he wasn’t getting his stories from real people relating real events…
“12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ”
Angel Jesus.
Also… Do SAUL’s words not condemn Muhammad (and Smith) as a false prophets?
And do Muhammad’s words not condemn Saul and Smith as false prophets?
Which prophets, if any, ought you to believe? Which do you believe? On what grounds?
Which angels, if any, ought you to believe in? Which do you believe in? On what grounds? Jesus, Gabriel, Moroni… what if they were all “inventions” (albeit not whole cloth) of Saul, Muhammad and Smith? And what if they were all based on the stories made up about Moses and his visions from YHWH? Why would you believe all this when the first five books of the OT are so obviously a heap of mostly unhistorical nonsense? Biology tells us: no Adam and Eve. Biology and geology (and a study of previous myths from surrounding cultures) tell us: no Noah. Archaeology and common sense (the Hebrews inventing a Hebrew war god is hardly surprising, and fabricating an origins myth is obviously what Exodus is all about) and existing myths (such as Sargon of Akkad) suggest: no Moses. But even if there was a Moses… all those commands for race-based genocide, race-based slavery and the public torture to death of children? REALLY? Do you sincerely believe that all of this nonsense is the best that a loving and powerful deity who wants a relationship with us could leave as evidence of its reality? A book that gets so much wrong!? And no real evidence to be found…