Person That Existed : Caesar Augustus
When Julius Caesar died in 44 BC, Octavian, Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus were granted the ruling powers of the Second Triumvirate in the reorganized empire. This was followed by much political intrigue and infighting during which Octavian eventually defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium. Octavian eventually secured his power and became Caesar; the name Augustus “revered one” – was given to him by the Roman Senate in 27 BC. Caesar Augustus is most famous for ordering the census Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem for, where Jesus ended up being born.
Now it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth …And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem…in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:1-7
How We Know : Res Gestae (Acts Of Augustus)
The Res Gestae of Augustus is an autobiographical inscription in stone in which Augustus describes his achievements including taking a census of the Roman empire on several occasions. In his will, he left instructions that, upon his death, his Res Gestae be displayed in front of his Mausoleum in Rome on two bronze pillars.
Person That Existed : Herod The Great
Roman client king of Judea 37-4 B.C. Known for his colossal building projects throughout Judea, including his renovation of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the expansion of the Temple Mount towards its north. Herod appears in the Gospel Of Matthew as the ruler of Judea who orders the massacre of the innocents at the time of the birth of Jesus.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.” And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him
Matthew 2:1-3
How We Know : Herodian Temple Donation Inscription
When Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in A.D 70, building fragments and artifacts were scattered around the side of the mount. This Greek text carved into limestone commemorates a donation for the temple from Paris the son of Akeson from Rhodes, it also refers to year 20 of the reign of Herod the Great, the same year that temple reconstruction began under Herod. (Unearthing The Bible, Titus Kennedy)
Place That Existed : Nazareth: Childhood Home Of Jesus
A common objection by atheists is that there was no town of Nazareth in the first century as the Bible describes. This is presented, for example, by René Salm in his book The Myth of Nazareth, The Invented Town of Jesus, where he argues that Nazareth didn’t begin to exist until the second century AD, after Jesus was born. To be fair, for years the archaeological evidence for a first-century Nazareth was scant.
As is often the case, however, archaeological finds in recent years have vindicated the biblical record, with numerous first-century discoveries. Tombs with fragments of ossuaries have now been excavated in Nazareth, indicating a Jewish presence there in the first century. Storage pits and cisterns from the time of Jesus have been discovered.
Recently, two first-century “courtyard houses” were unearthed in Nazareth, including one that still had its windows and doors intact. The lead archaeologist on this project, Dr. Ken Dark, has presented evidence of early Christian veneration of the site, suggesting that it may have been the childhood home of Jesus. There is no longer any doubt that the village of Nazareth existed when the Bible says an angel appeared to the young virgin named Mary to tell her of God’s plans for her and her child. (Bible Archaeology Report)
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary
Luke 1:26-27
And he arose and took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel…and came and resided in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene“
Matthew 2:21,23
Place That Existed : Bethlehem: Birthplace Of Jesus
And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, and you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler, Who will shepherd My people Israel”
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”
Matthew 2:1
How We Know : The Bethlehem Bulla
In May 2012, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced the discovery of a bulla (a clay seal impression) that mentions Bethlehem and was on the tax document of a shipment from Bethlehem to nearby Jerusalem. It dates to the 7th or 8th century BC. This is the earliest reference to the town of Bethlehem outside of the Bible. We also know there was a village there in the time of Constantine in the 4th century AD. Furthermore, a recent excavation led by Shimon Gibson next to the Church of the Nativity turned up pottery shards and other evidence proving the existence of the village of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth. (Bible Archaeology Report)
Place And Event That Existed : The Dedication Of Jesus At The Temple
When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
Luke 2:22
Today, tourists to the Temple Mount can still see remains from the temple that Jesus knew. The Southern Steps, are the ancient steps that Jesus’ parents likely walked on to enter the temple, as they form one of the primary access points to the temple and they face south towards Bethlehem, from which they would have made their journey. A first century street was unearthed in the mid-1990’s, and was built decades before the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.
