that is manifestly untrue. There is evidence that he existed as a man. Indeed most academics in the field, not religious but non religious academics, acknowledge that.
The debate to be had is what he did or did not do? These same academics don't believe he rose again or performed miracles etc.

@Doubting

You say untrue, yet you fail to produce or even mention even a single shred of said evidence.

Cool story, bro.

@Allamanda

Are you assuming that they even existed?

@maturin1919 Using the normal methods of secular historical method and enquiry, their conclusion that Jesus of Nazareth existed is sound. Where the real debate is not his existence, but what he did and did not do.

@powder Tacitus and Lucian were both Roman writers.

@powder To my knowledge there is not one full Professor of Ancient History, or Classics in an accredited university somewhere in the world (there are thousands of names to choose from) who thinks Jesus never lived.
Again, the debate is more about what he did and didn't do. That's where the mythology begins

@powder Yes, you want to take on followers, but it doesn't help if the arguments put to them have errors in them. I am genuinely now very doubtful but I must say that some arguments posited on this site are weak- many contain non sequitors or beg the question.
I'm not suggesting you do; I"m just making the point that assertions made here should not contain errors.

@maturin1919 I haven't noticed any sign of that in academic papers. Are you able to cite some? I'd be interested.

Watched part 1 and the final comment makes 100% sense to me in that resurrection of an already dead, decaying , which begins within minutes/hours of actual death btw, has all the probabilities of finding free flowing water in the core of the Sun.
Take, for example, the biblical myth of Lazarus, in the climate in which it was SUPPOSED to have occurred the body would have been almost ' walking' around on the burial slab within hours of being laid on it due to putrefaction and the infestation of fly larvae and other dead flesh eating insects, etc, the stench emanating from the rotting corpse would have been easily smelled from metres away, a very pungent and unmistakable smell to say the very least.
Plus, given that a human being, whether a 'Son of God' or not can only walk at an approx. NORMAL speed of between 7 and 14 Kilometres per hour and the "Jesus" was some hours, if not days away, then putrefaction would have been well under way which ever way one chooses to look at it.
Ergo, the only thing to be 'raised' in reality would be the bile in the stomachs of those standing around the tomb, otherwise the contents ( body) would possibly have been already leaking out its contents, etc, all over the slab and the floor of the tomb and most definitely NOT a pretty sight to behold at all.

@Triphid The entire series is worth watching. TruthSurge also has a lot of good comedy.

@NoMagicCookie None better comedy, in my honest opinion, than religion/s themselves though.

@Triphid TruthSurge is also fun. . .

@NoMagicCookie Absolutely Brilliant, wish I knew how to copy that one to my own music files, I listened to it twice.

@Triphid You are overlooking the obvious here. Jebus is supposedly god, and god can do ANYTHING and is not restricted to normal, natural, functions. It could easily reverse all that you have stated instantaneously. We are talking about god, the creator of the universe and all that is in it from NOTHING.
Disclaimer, If you believe that nonsense.

@jlynn37 Sorry but I overlooked nothing since having a ThD and being a Life-Long Atheist whilst studying for it I looked at EVERYTHING with a completely open, critical and scientifically based mind, unlike most of my fellow scholars at the time, thankfully the studies were done via University and NOT a Seminary but 3 others and myself DID encounter far more than our 'fair' share of what, we now refer to as, Religiotard Flak for our troubles both from the Student body and some of the Faculty as well.
There was even a signed petition to the Dean of the University literally DEMANDING that we FOUR should be EXPELLED from the course of Theology and Comparative Modern Religions immediately.
Thankfully the Dean was NOT one to be swayed by 'hysteria,' as he put it, and rejected the petition outright.
However, those seeking to DISCLAIM/Ridicule, etc, what I posted previously WOULD need to furnish PROOF empirical that their erroneous claims are FACTUAL, something that CANNOT and NEVER will be done, of that I am assured 110%.

I often wonder if he's not a composite of several men, old testament prophecies, and myths from older religions.

@JimG Nearly every ancient religion has all the same stories. The virgin birth, the flood, the resurrection, etc.
Some based in limited understanding of the natural world, like floods.
Others, just myths created to explain what the ancient didn't understand.
It's all bullshit.

@KKGator Yes, it's funny, but I picture guys from different villages sitting around in an inn each bragging about the miracles that their village messiah has performed. Of course, the tales get taller and taller starting with, "he fed ten people with two fish." to " My guy did that, but it was forty people." and finally led to "Well the dude from Nazareth brought a man back from the dead."

You know how gossip goes, and throw in a little local pride; and soon the tales are outlandish. There's evidence of this in the gospels. Perhaps eventually all the local miracles were credited to the same guy. Of course, the tales had to much the existing prophecies too.

Okay, I know this is a a real stretch of the imagination, but it's just one possible way I've pictured the origins of the New Testament and christianity.

@JimG I agree. And I think "fulfilling" ancient prophecy was a major factor in sculpting the fairy tale of Jesus.

@BestWithoutGods
And why does an omnipotent being need prophesy and only speak through prophets?
Seems like direct communication with each individual would be possible and more effective

@JimG And there are always those who need recognition that will say, "I know what I am talking about. I ran with the jebus gang".

@JimG, @Haemish1 That is, in my opinion, evidence that god is man created. If god is real, it would not need (nor want) anyone interceding on it's behalf. If god is man created, it REQUIRES that man intercede on it's behalf as that is the only way it can exist.

@jlynn37 Exactly!