Did Jesus Really Exist | Historical Evidence from Lucian & Mara Bar‑Serapion
- Talmida Ti
- Jul 8
- 6 min read
If you're asking, “Did Jesus really exist?”—you're not alone. Interestingly, the historical evidence for Jesus is stronger than most people realize.
This post is part of a special micro-series: The Trial — a step-by-step journey where we examine the case for Christ like a courtroom trial. Each episode presents real historical evidence, eyewitness testimony, and non-biblical sources that speak to His life, death, and resurrection. From ancient Roman and Jewish historians to the bold claims of the apostles, we’re putting truth on the stand.
You're reading Episode 4: Did Jesus Really Exist? Featuring historical evidence from Lucian of Samosata and Mara Bar-Serapion — two non-Christian voices who didn’t believe Jesus was God… but couldn’t ignore His existence.
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Hey you.
I'm so glad you're back.
It’s Day Two of The Trial.
And if you're just joining us—welcome to the courtroom.
Over the past few episodes, we’ve been wrestling with the biggest question of our lives:
What if God is real?
And if He is... then who is He?
Could He have actually stepped into His own creation?
Because one man in history didn’t just talk about God—
He claimed to be God.
His name was Jesus of Nazareth.
And because that is the boldest claim ever made in human history,
We're doing what any rational person should do:
We're putting it to the test.
We're putting Jesus of Nazareth on trial.
Not the Church.
Not religion.
Just one man.
And today, we continue with the most basic question:
Did He actually exist?
Because if He didn’t—none of this matters.
But if He did... then everything’s on the table.
Hi, I’m Talmida T, and this is The Little Why—
Where we break down the big “who, what, and whys” of God in a little way,
Through digestible micro-sessions.
In our last blog, we brought forward two powerful witnesses—
Tacitus, a Roman historian, and Josephus, a Jewish priest.
Both non-Christian.
Both hostile to the Christian movement.
And yet—both confirmed the same core facts:
That Jesus lived.
That He was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
And that His followers kept spreading His message after His death.
That alone is strong evidence.
And yet they’re not alone.
Other non-Christian sources from the ancient world also confirm Jesus’ life and death.
And today, we keep digging.
Because in any trial, the more corroborating testimony you have—
Especially from people outside the group—
The stronger your case becomes.
So let’s bring two more unexpected voices to the stand.
Not apostles.
Not believers.
These are the witnesses who didn’t follow Him—yet still confirmed He was real.
Historical Evidence for Jesus
Exhibit C: Lucian of Samosata – The Satirist
Lucian wasn’t a historian.
He wasn’t religious.
And he definitely wasn’t a fan of Christianity.
He was a cultural pagan, but functionally a skeptic—likely an atheist or agnostic by modern standards.
Lucian was a Greek satirist and playwright—
Basically, the ancient world’s version of a stand-up comic.
He made his name mocking everything:
Greek myths, philosophers, political leaders—
And especially religious movements.
He wrote for laughs—exposing superstition, gullibility, and cult-like behavior.
Lucian lived from around 125 to 180 A.D.—
Well after Jesus’ death,
But still during a time when eyewitnesses and early Christians were active across the empire.
So we’re still in the range of living memory.
In one of his surviving satirical works, The Passing of Peregrinus (circa 165 AD),
Lucian takes a jab at Christians—describing them as gullible people devoted to a man who was crucified.
Here’s what he says:
“The Christians… worship a man to this day—the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account… These misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them.”
Let’s break that down:
Lucian doesn’t name Jesus directly—
But he does affirm that Christians worshipped a real man.
Someone who introduced their “rites.”
He confirms that this man was crucified.
And while he mocks them,
He acknowledges their radical devotion—
And belief in immortality—even long after Jesus’ death.
Now think about that.
This guy made fun of everything.
If Jesus was just a legend, this would’ve been the perfect opportunity to say so.
But Lucian doesn’t mock Christians for believing in a myth—
He mocks them for following a man he admits was real, was crucified,
And deeply loved by His followers.
And that’s important.
Because if even the ancient comedians are saying Jesus existed...That’s a pretty hard thing to ignore.
Exhibit D: Mara Bar-Serapion – The Syrian Philosopher
Mara Bar-Serapion wasn’t a Jew.
He wasn’t a Christian.
He was likely a Stoic—a thinker obsessed with wisdom, justice, and enduring truth.
Think of a modern-day Jordan Peterson or Ryan Holiday—
Someone who isn’t preaching religion,
But is deeply into wisdom, legacy, and virtue.
Sometime between 73 and 200 A.D.,
Mara wrote a letter to his son.
Imagine a father writing from prison,
Trying to pass down what he’s learned about life, truth, and history.
That letter, written sometime between 73 and 200 A.D., is preserved today in a 6th–7th century Syriac manuscript known as British Library Add. 14658.
In it, Mara reflects on the tragic deaths of famous wise men—
And he puts Jesus right next to Socrates and Pythagoras.
Here’s what he says:
“What advantage did the Athenians gain from putting Socrates to death? Famine and plague came upon them as a judgment for their crime. What advantage did the men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? In a moment their land was covered with sand. What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise King? It was just after that their kingdom was abolished.”
And then he adds:
“Nor did the wise King die altogether; He lived on in the teaching which He had given.”
Let’s break that down:
He refers to Jesus as the “wise King of the Jews”—a respectful and historical description.
He acknowledges the Jews had Him executed.
And he affirms that Jesus’ teachings lived on—that His message endured.
This isn’t a sermon.
It’s not evangelism.
It’s a dad giving his son a crash course in history and consequences.
There’s no reason to lie.
No benefit to exaggerating.
Just an honest reflection on something the world already knew:
There was a man named Jesus.
He was wise.
He was crucified.
And His message lived on.
And so, ladies and gentlemen of the jury…
We’ve now heard from:
A Roman senator & historian.
A Jewish priest & historian.
A Greek comedian.
And a Syrian philosopher.
None of them were Christians.
None believed in the Resurrection.
None were trying to defend the faith.
And yet—Every single one confirmed the same thing:
That Jesus of Nazareth was a real person,
Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
And whose followers were still going strong—
Even in the face of mockery, opposition, and persecution.
This is what historians call independent corroboration.
You don’t get this kind of agreement from hostile sources…
Unless they’re reporting something everyone already knew was true.
That’s compelling.
But now, before we bring the eyewitnesses to the stand—It’s only fair to ask:
Can we trust these sources?
Were they altered?
Misunderstood?
Taken out of context?
In our next session,
We pause the testimony…
And step into the Cross-Examination.
See you Friday at 3PM Pacific—The Hour of Mercy.
Court is adjourned.
Want to Go Deeper?
Curious how this all lines up with Catholic teaching and historical evidence?
The references above confirm that what we’ve explored here — Jesus as a real person in history, attested by hostile sources — is fully consistent with the Church’s understanding of Christ, the Gospel accounts, and how truth is confirmed through reason and witness.
Explore it for yourself.
Free e-book version of the Catechism: usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism
Topic | Catechism Reference | Summary |
Faith and reason | CCC 36 | The existence of God can be known with certainty through human reason, even without revelation. |
Jesus in history | CCC 423 | Jesus of Nazareth is not a myth — He is a real person, crucified under Pontius Pilate. |
Importance of eyewitnesses | CCC 515 | The Gospel writers recorded real historical memories from those who walked with Jesus. |
Role of non-Christian sources | CCC 19 | Human testimony and history matter; the Church encourages honest study and critical thinking. |
🤖 Ask talmidAI
Still curious? Want to dig deeper into today’s non-Christian witnesses?
Here are three prompts you can copy into talmidAI (or your favorite AI tool) to explore the historical evidence, test the sources, or challenge the case on your own terms.
Because truth doesn’t mind being questioned.
Try asking:
“Who was Lucian of Samosata, and what exactly did he write about early Christians?”
“What is the Mara bar‑Serapion letter, and how does it describe Jesus as the ‘wise king of the Jews’?”
“What is independent corroboration in historical Jesus studies, and why do hostile sources like Lucian and Mara strengthen the case?”
Go ahead—ask the bot.
Then weigh the evidence for yourself.
Read More in The Trial Series:
← Episode 3: Evidence from Tacitus & Josephus
→ Episode 5: Coming Soon
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