The Bible For Normal People [Bible] Episode 263: Bart Ehrman - The Gospels & Historical Reliability
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Feb 12, 2024 
Bart Ehrman, New Testament scholar, joins Pete and Jared to discuss the historical reliability of the Gospels, highlighting the roles of oral tradition, authorial bias, and contradictions within the texts. They explore the criteria historians use to evaluate ancient written accounts and the impact of ancient historical consciousness on accuracy. They also discuss how the gospels were shaped by community beliefs and interpretations, as well as explore birth narratives, contradictions, and arguments against the mythicist belief.
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External Evidence on Jesus
- No non-Christian or Jewish sources from the first century mention Jesus.
- The only external mention is from Josephus, 63 years after Jesus's death, offering limited information.
Ancient Writing and Bias
- Ancient writers, including biographers like Plutarch, prioritized moral examples over strict historical accuracy.
- Biases are inherent in all sources, requiring critical comparison and examination.
Thucydides and Invented Dialogue
- The Greek historian Thucydides admitted to inventing dialogue due to the limitations of recording information.
- This highlights the challenges of reconstructing historical events, even with intentions of accuracy.