1. Is there a man, called Jesus, who acted as the Bible says?
Jesus – Fact of Fiction!?
Today it is your job to look at the facts to try and work out if Jesus really existed! For
many years people have been trying to decide if Jesus existed and if he did all the amazing miracles many have talked about. Today you are locked in a room full of evidence to try and answer the question...
Is there a man, called Jesus, who acted as the Bible says?
Our journey will take us across different time zones and places to try and come up with an answer based on evidence.
But be careful...you need to think about the information and the source. Can we rely on everything we see and hear!?
I printed this and laminated as instructions for pupils to read. As it is not a lesson there is not exact LO (meant to be this way). Also a link to a youtube video I made to add some fun....this introduces the task.

2. Found these on an example of an escape room online and thought would be a fab way to deal with behaviour issues and still keep in the theme! If you have a leader of the groups they could hold them too for people that were silly in the group depending on age!

3. Instruction Clue #2 Instruction Clue #1
You need to unlock the riddle using the cipher wheel. The way it works is that you need to know
how to line the wheels up first and then the numbers below will link to the correct letters.
This means if A = 01, 27, 53, 79 then you line all these numbers up below the letter A and B would
be coded as either 02, 28, 54 or 80.
Riddle
Word 1 – 32, 25, 71
Word 2 – 80, 10, 20, 07, 91
Word 3 – 79, 07, 82, 61, 16
Some of the clues needed some extra instructions so that is what these are!
Instruction Clue #1
You must make the puzzles correctly to show a maths riddle about
Bible numerous facts.
You must complete the sum and it will give you a three
digit number that will open the lock.
Good luck!

4. Put this sum on a puzzle – I would add a QR code to link to this site
Number of historic books 17
Times
Number of languages available in 426
Add
Oldest man (Noah) 969
Minus
Divided by
how many billion copies were printed between 1815 and = 2.5
First Three Digits
=3284.4
=328
This is the sum to add to the puzzle

5. Station 3 Questions- Question #1-
Which one is not a writer of the New Testament?
Matthew
Judas
Mark
Question #2-
The symbol found in many tombs was?
5) A fish
6) A bird
7) A dog
This is the multiple choice answers to gain one of the codes to open a box.
Question #3-
What did the coffin of bones prove?
People were put in coffins
9) Crucifixion took place at that time
3) Jesus did miracles
Question #3-
Who was Luke’s source for his gospel?
Mary
Joseph
Pontius Pilate

6. A hidden not in this image to allow them to get a UV light from the teacher. I just printed the image and wrote on some words...easy as pie!

7. Clue Collection Sheet Special Symbols...
Clue #1 Details to Record: (The Bible)
Were does most information about Jesus come from?
It might be a good source because It might be a bad source because...
Clue #2Details to Record (Archaeology):
"I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). – How is this shown
in archaeology from the time?
It might be a good source because It might be a bad source because...
Front page of the worksheet to aid them with the final task. Also the small boxes are to add the images to get the final clue for box 5.
Clue #3 Details to Record (Historical):
Why is it impressive that Flavius and Tactius wrote about Jesus?
It might be a good source because It might be a bad source because...
Clue #4 Details to Record (Shroud of Turin)
The Shroud of Turin is linked to Jesus because...
It might be a good source because It might be a bad source because...
Special Symbols...

8. Clue Collection Sheet Final Task
Reflection Point – Is there a man, called Jesus, who acted as
the Bible says?
As a group you must find a way to
present this to the group! Use the space below for
Notes (written or images)
If it is not good enough you will be locked in the
Escape room until it is done! Best one gets a prize!
Back of the worksheet they all need to make notes for final task.

9. Bible Evidence
The Bible is split into 2 parts—the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is all set BEFORE Jesus. The New Testament is to do with Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection.
Most of our information about Jesus comes from the New Testament in the Bible. There are 27 books written by about a dozen authors. There are also other books from the same time which were not included in the official collection of the New Testament.
All these speak of the existence of Jesus as being the reason for Christianity. Many authors were put to death because of their beliefs about Jesus. People do not go through a painful death for someone who did not exist.
EG. Mark’s gospel was based on what Peter told him about Jesus. Peter was one of the twelve disciples. Luke’s gospel records lots of details about Jesus’ birth. His source was Mary the mother of Jesus.
To many, this would prove that Jesus was real—it can be seen as a historical document of Jesus and his life.
A large part of the New Testament is made up of the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Gospels were written by people who either knew Jesus personally and witnessed the things they wrote, or by people who knew people who knew Jesus personally and were eye witnesses to his life.
Could any of these writings have been exaggerated? Could details have been added that did not really happen? What would be the reason for that?

10. Archeological Evidence
There have been archaeological findings which support some of the stories which have been told in the Bible. Archaeology can tell us about places, what happened there and give us an idea about when.
Lots of discoveries have been made that show the details in the stories of Jesus in the Bible are accurate E.G. places mentioned /Kings/ Emperors in power at time of Jesus/ Roman occupation of Palestine etc.
Pontius Pilate stone:
In 1961 archaeologists found a stone inscription at Caesarea in Palestine. It came from a temple that Pontius Pilate built there in honour of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. It’s translation in English reads: ‘To the divine Augusti Tiberieum...Pontius Pilate...prefect of Judea...has dedicated this.’
Johanan—The crucified man
In 1968 an ossuary (coffin for bones) was found in Jerusalem with the name Johanan on it. These dated back to between 7 and 70 AD. Inside were the bones of a man who had been crucified. The heel bone had an iron nail through it and the legs had been broken. This indicates that crucifixions did take place as a form of punishment by the Romans.
Tombs:
The fish symbol is an ancient one in Christianity, representing both Jesus and his followers. Jesus had told Peter, "I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). But the fish through an acrostic also became a symbol of Jesus himself. The ICHTHUS symbol helped Christians identify one another as believers.
So it seems that some of the stories in the Bible are true! Does this mean that the stories of Jesus are?

11. Does this really prove anything? Is this just someone’s opinion?
Historical Evidence
 Virtually all historians agree that Jesus existed. There were a number of historians who wrote about Jesus and his life—many of these were either not religious or were not Christians.
Although there are some differences between what different historians say, there are two ‘universally accepted occurrences in Jesus’s life—the fact he was baptised by John the Baptist and that he was crucified.
Historians will analyse sources and carry out extensive research before reaching their conclusions.
Flavius Josephus
Probably one of the most famous historians to write about Jesus. Joesphus was a Jew who was not a follower of Jesus.
He said that Jesus was a real historical person, and that he was a teacher. Most notably, he claimed that he was a worker of wonders (miracles) and gathered a band of followers, who continued to follow him after his death.
Tactius, Roman Historian
Tacitus was a loyal Roman who was suspicious of the growing number of Christians. However, he still wrote and accepted that Jesus existed. He said that he was a teacher who was crucified by Pilate. This fits with the New Testament evidence.
Does this really prove anything? Is this just someone’s opinion?  

12. Shroud of Turin
 A shroud is a burial cloth that Jews would have used to wrap a dead body in before burial.
The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who looks as if they have suffered serious physical trauma, in a way which is similar to that of the
crucifixion. It is kept in a church in
Turin, Italy hence where it gets its
name from.
The image seen here is associated with that of Jesus. It is much clearer in the black and white negative than in the natural colour.
Multiple streams of blood run down the
forehead. What could have caused this?
A possible sign of a puncture to the wrist ?
So this is all based on a photo taken of a cloth? Some of the negative pictures do look similar, but that could dust be one big coincidence—what’s to say this is Jesus?