1. The one doing the pleading never recognizes it as that. As far as you are concerned your fairy tales are not fairy tales. Try to remember that were you born in Cairo you'd be on your knees to allah 5 times per day.
2. Pure apologetics. Lies are lies and you can put any gloss you want on them. These days it is called "spin."
3. Disingenuous. Our "information" is no better than its source documentation. We have probably no more than 1% of the written materials of the ancients as a result of time and man. That's why every discovery of an ancient document is such an event, including recently "The gospel of judas." Ancient writers had no such problem. The libraries were full. They make frequent references to earlier sources some of which exist in fragments and some of which have vanished completely. That's why I give Julius Africanus a little wiggle room because Eusebius refers to him. The problem there is that Eusebius is such an unsavory character.
4. Good. Ehrman used to be one of you. Then he came to his senses.
5. Your question was to Retorth but I'll help him out since I have the time.
Caligula issued coins...we have examples.
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog...p?vpar=392
![[Image: 37588p00.jpg]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=www.forumancientcoins.com%2FCoins2%2F37588p00.jpg)
We have ancient statues of Caligula....
![[Image: 300px-Caligula_bust.jpg]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=images1.wikia.nocookie.net%2Funcyclopedia%2Fimages%2Fthumb%2F6%2F65%2FCaligula_bust.jpg%2F300px-Caligula_bust.jpg)
For that matter, we have examples of Caligula's own writings...
http://www.jstor.org/pss/4435941
Now, if you can find a coin, a statue, or anything in writing by your 'jesus' from the early first century AD THEN (and only then) can you compare him as a historical figure to Caligula.
2. Pure apologetics. Lies are lies and you can put any gloss you want on them. These days it is called "spin."
3. Disingenuous. Our "information" is no better than its source documentation. We have probably no more than 1% of the written materials of the ancients as a result of time and man. That's why every discovery of an ancient document is such an event, including recently "The gospel of judas." Ancient writers had no such problem. The libraries were full. They make frequent references to earlier sources some of which exist in fragments and some of which have vanished completely. That's why I give Julius Africanus a little wiggle room because Eusebius refers to him. The problem there is that Eusebius is such an unsavory character.
4. Good. Ehrman used to be one of you. Then he came to his senses.
5. Your question was to Retorth but I'll help him out since I have the time.
Caligula issued coins...we have examples.
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog...p?vpar=392
We have ancient statues of Caligula....
For that matter, we have examples of Caligula's own writings...
http://www.jstor.org/pss/4435941
Now, if you can find a coin, a statue, or anything in writing by your 'jesus' from the early first century AD THEN (and only then) can you compare him as a historical figure to Caligula.
