These accounts were frequently copied. Although we do not possess the originals, we have over 24,000 existing manuscripts containing the whole or part of the New Testament. A number of copies come from very near to the time of the reported events. This manuscript evidence is literally hundreds of times better than any other ancient book.
The wealth of this evidence and its early date means that scholars have no doubt about the reliability of the transmission of the New Testament. We can be sure of the accuracy of the text of our modern translations and see that it has remained unchanged through history.
In addition to this other authors of the time refer to Jesus. Flavius Josephus was probably the greatest Jewish historian of his time. In his book The Antiquities of the Jews he records the following information about Jesus:
“At the time there was a wise man called Jesus. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who became his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days later after his crucifixion and that he was alive.”The accounts of the first Christians together with authors from outside the Christian faith enable us to be sure Jesus existed. We can be confident that information about his life and words is reliable. Far from being shaky or uncertain, our knowledge of Jesus is more complete and detailed than other figures in the ancient world.