Did Jesus exist? Since Christians, non-Christians and historians each have their own perspective, the answer to whether there is any concrete evidence of Jesus really depends on who you ask.

The story of Jesus is chronicled in the canonical gospels found in the Bible’s New Testament. Each gospel puts its own spin on the tale, although there are some connections between them all. Since Christians hold an unwaivering belief in the Bible, the stories in the New Testament about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is all the proof of Jesus that they need. For them, Jesus is the son of God and he did spend time on earth.

Certain non-Christian religious groups believe that Jesus existed, but that’s it. In their eyes, he was simply a wise man with no ties to God. Athiests and other religions deny his existence altogether.

Historians fall somewhere between the two camps. One theory suggests that the story of Jesus is nothing more than a myth; a composite character meant to convey concepts rather than be taken literally. Another theory states that no real conclusions can be drawn because there is no credible secular historical evidence of Jesus. In fact, even the gospels that actually detail the life and death of Jesus were written some 40 years after his crucifixion, making them little more than hearsay. Add to that the fact that no other historian or philosopher who lived during the time he is alleged to have lived ever mention him, and the answer to whether or onto there is any evidence of Jesus becomes fairly clear.