Three renowned scientists\u2014Papaia, Banani, Ravioli\u2014and their assistant Igor work at the NASAL observatory.
Ravioli accidentally bought a book, which turns out to be very interesting.
They are discussing Ravioli\u2019s book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Alright, so I think we\u2019re ready to see these five facts. What\u2019s the first one?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: The first of the five minimal facts is that Jesus died on the cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Oh, yes! Are there any proofs? I thought Jesus never even existed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Not only did he exist, but we have at least fifteen ancient authors who write about him and his death on the cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Well, somewhere the legend must have started! How do we know it wasn\u2019t just that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: We know because these fifteen authors wrote within less than a hundred years of his crucifixion. Can you tell me how they would have written about Jesus if he didn\u2019t actually exist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: I don\u2019t know, maybe it was just rumors. After all, weren\u2019t they all Christians?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Not all of them. In fact, we also have non-Christian sources confirming that Jesus died by crucifixion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Oh, really? Give me an example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: The most famous example is that of Josephus Flavius, a Jewish historian, who wrote in the first century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: In the first century? You mean he was a contemporary of Jesus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Not only a contemporary, but also an opponent of the Christian movement. For the Orthodox Jews of that time, Christians were a heretical sect. That\u2019s why they were the first to persecute them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: So Josephus Flavius couldn\u2019t have just been giving credit to a rumor. He was certain that Jesus really existed and had died on the cross!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Exactly! Josephus Flavius not only confirms that Jesus existed, but also attests to his death by crucifixion. And this is significant because he had no interest in supporting the Christian cause; in fact, he criticized it. If even an opponent of Jesus like him confirms it, that\u2019s another indication that the story is historically solid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Igor: It\u2019s like Ravioli writing that fasting is good\u2026 at that point, it would be an undeniable historical fact!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n