Originally Posted by RUmike

I think what convinced me personally of Jesus' likelihood as an historical figure was the fact that his followers claimed he was crucified. If people were trying to invent a Messiah, I see it as incredibly unlikely that they would have said he died by crucifixion. That fact alone convinced most Jews of the 1st century that Jesus could not have by any possibility been the Messiah, and rightly so.

Originally Posted by NZSkep

but they also claimed that was for a very good reason and that he rose from the dead 3 days later. Thats one of the things that convinced me against a historical Jesus.