General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: For anyone who actually read the Bible.... [View all]intaglio
(8,170 posts)Coins, writings (both Greek and non-Greek) of the time, cities, statuary and inscriptions, closely dated archaeology.
Plato and Aristotle much less but more than the evidence for Paul - all have surviving copies of their writings but both the Greeks are cited by those who opposed them at the time; the only similar citations for Paul are from much later forged texts. Pythagoras is closer to mythological but Pythagoras has writings directly attributed to him plus there was cult founded by him, rather like Paul.
Socrates and Hippocrates are closer to Jesus and it has been credibly argued that Socrates was an invention of Plato's but the closest match from the Greek world is Aesculapius; born of a maid and fathered by a God, early life spent in an alien culture learning, displayed supernatural skills in learning and healing, wandered teaching and healing, taught his followers, raised the dead and in some traditions was raised from the dead as a god.