What is the Caesar’s Messiah Conspiracy Theory?

Answer

Caesar’s Messiah is a book written by Joseph Atwill in 2006. Atwill argues that the four Gospels of the New Testament were authored by Roman scholars to counter Judaism by presenting a peaceful alternative in Jesus. This perspective categorizes Atwill’s thesis as mythicism, suggesting that Jesus Christ was entirely fictional. Due to its contradiction with evidence, common sense, and logic, Caesar’s Messiah has been either disregarded or criticized by mainstream scholars and members of the mythicist movement.

One of the more outlandish conspiracy theories against the Christian faith is the claim that Jesus never existed at all. This notion, known as the Christ Myth Theory or mythicism, is widely rejected due to its opposition to historical records, scholarly research, and rationality, even within the skeptical community. Advocates of mythicism are often faulted for dismissing established research and opposing evidence to advance their beliefs. Ironically, even ardent mythicists have opposed the idea that Roman writers invented Jesus.

Atwill’s methodology in Caesar’s Messiah involves comparing Roman historical records, such as those of Josephus, with the Gospels. He argues that the similarities between these works indicate a common authorship. Atwill suggests that the true author of the Gospels was the Roman government, which parodied Jewish religious beliefs to establish a more acceptable religion for the populace.

A cursory examination of historical facts reveals the implausibility of Caesar’s Messiah. Historical records indicate that Christianity faced severe opposition from the Roman Empire. It was subjected to brutal persecution in the decades following the Gospel writings and remained essentially illegal until three centuries after the crucifixion of Christ.

Crucifixion. Christians were imprisoned and executed during that period specifically because their faith conflicted with Roman religious mandates. From a pragmatic perspective, it is illogical for a government to fabricate a belief system that motivates people to resist that same authority.

Historically, the Roman Jesus conspiracy is also flawed as it presupposes—similar to much of mythicism—that Christian doctrine originated with the authorship of the four Gospels. However, even secular scholars trace core Christian beliefs and practices to a time well before the composition of the Gospels. History supports this as well—Christians were facing political persecution for their beliefs decades prior to the Gospel writings. This is a significant flaw in all mythicist arguments: the assumption that early Christians were all either deceived or easily misled.

Upon closer examination of Atwill’s assertions, one discovers that the comparisons he tries to draw are exaggerated. The smallest resemblance or loosely connected concept is magnified to suggest that these are essentially the same narratives or concepts penned by a single individual. Conversely, substantial points refuting his claims, contradictory evidence, and scholarly insights from other references are largely disregarded.

In essence, the proof indicating that Jesus of Nazareth was a historical figure, executed by the Romans, and venerated immediately after by a faction who believed they witnessed His resurrection is indisputable. History unequivocally states that the Christian faith emerged, flourished, and propagated in direct opposition to the Roman Empire and was entirely incompatible with the Roman worldview or governance approach. Assertions that Rome orchestrated an elaborate, centuries-long scheme to transform militant Jews into passive Christians are historically inaccurate.

As anticipated, the “logic” underpinning Atwill’s conclusion is weak, convoluted, and severely lacking in substantiation. Similar to most conspiracy theories, the Caesar’s Messiah theory is based on tenuous connections and selective evidence, while dismissing substantial counterarguments and scholarly evaluations.

The text contains numerous spelling and grammar errors. Here is the corrected version:

It greatly exaggerates minor coincidences and ignores major instances of disproof. The idea may be attractive to those who are completely ignorant of Christian history or who harbor active angst toward religion. However, there is nothing of substance behind the suggestion that Rome invented Jesus. Even those who reject Jesus as Messiah overwhelmingly agree: He was not Caesar’s Messiah.