Tracing 'who knew who' back to the historical Jesus

There are independent lines of transmission, leading back to Jesus from many independent authors of material about Jesus.

Here are some examples of those independent lines of transmission (with references, in case you want to look them up). All of these point to a historical Jesus.

Who knew who?

Paul>>Jesus’ brother James, and Peter>>historical Jesus (see Galatians 1:19)

Luke>>eyewitnesses>>historical Jesus (see Luke 1:1-2), Including
Luke>>James>>historical Jesus (Acts 21:18 "and the rest of us went to see James")

Mark>>Peter>>historical Jesus (see Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 3.1. See also Papias in Eusebius, History of the Church, III.39)

John>>historical Jesus (John 21:23-24; 1 John 1:1-3)

Author of Hebrews>>those who heard Jesus>>historical Jesus (see Hebrews 5:7; 2:3; 2:17,)

Papias>>his travelling contacts>>elders>>Andrew and other disciples>>historical Jesus (see Papias in Eusebius, History of the Church, III.39)

Papias>>Philip's daughters>>Philip>>apostles>>historical Jesus (see in Eusebius, History of the Church, III.39)

Papias>>Aristion and John the Elder>>historical Jesus (see in Eusebius, History of the Church, III.39)

Ignatius>>Onesimus>>Paul>>Jesus’ brother James, and Peter>>historical Jesus (see in Ignatius’ Letter to the Ephesians 1, 2, 6)

Irenaeus>>Polycarp>>John and other apostles>>historical Jesus (see Irenaeus, Against Heresies, III.3.4)

Irenaeus>>Polycarp>>others who saw Jesus>>historical Jesus (see Irenaeus, Letter to Florinus, in Eusebius, History of the Church, V.20)


Josephus>>unknown sources>>historical Jesus (e.g. Antiquities Book 20 Chapter 9.1)

Tacitus>>unknown sources>>historical Jesus (Tacitus, Annals, 15.44)