Writings during the lifetime of Jesus?

[Drich]

I'm sure this has been done before but I searched and couldn't find it. The following question is more than just a subject for debate to me, and I'm sure if you think about it the same applies to many of you. The whole Christian religion relies on the existence of Jesus. My ex (For the 50th time) is trying to keep me out of our unborn child's life because she believes in the existence of Jesus and his divinity, however, I have serious doubts. I'm sure many of you have found yourselves in similar scenarios where you have been judged as evil, immoral etc., whether it be with family, friends or work colleagues. We don't even have to be "disrespectful" of their beliefs either, we simply have to assert that we do not hold those beliefs.

So here is my question: Can anyone provide me with examples of people/writings that referenced Jesus, during his lifetime? Any priests, philosophers, leaders, scribes, will do.

My research so far suggests that not a single mention of Jesus was made during his lifetime. Now, the sources I have looked at so far all argue that Jesus did not exist. They state that all of the references after the supposed crucifixion are hearsay at best and complete forgeries at worst. What I want to read is a completely unbiased source that can actually back up its claims, and provide references to the exact writings so that I can read them in context. Who's up to the challenge?

I accept that the absence of such writings does not prove that Jesus did not exist, however, it would certainly ring alarm bells for me.

You do know that less than an estimated 3% of the population durning the time of Christ could read or write. Of that three percent in christ's soceity 98% of the literates belonged to the priestly tribes. (meaning they were scribes and preists who were not allowed to write or rather record 'new material' only what was then known as scripture. Not that any of them would want to.) The other 2% belong to Rome, and as such would have had very little intrest in anything not directly effecting roman affairs.
http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~barilm/illitera.html

The first century was not a time in which things were written down for the sake of doing so. writting materials were extremely expensive and perserving those writtings was also very costly, and it was something to be considered. for even if a wealthy literate man did decide to write everything down, that writting would have need to be cared for in a scriptorium. for what they wrote with and on (papirious or parchemnt) would not have lasted very long in someone home exposed to sunlight and the open air.

It wasn't till the church had been established could it afford to record and care for what was recorded. Meaning nothing would have been perserved if it was written durning the life of Christ, because only the Jews had access to everything that was needed to record and perserve a text outside of scriptoriums of rome.

The simple fact is reading and writting means very little to a soceity who does not have the materials for people to read or write on.