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LOLOL! Jesus testifying that he was alive before Abraham was born would have meant He was about 2,000 years old in a physical, time-bound sense.

LOL indeed. You find that hard to believe but not, for example Elijah, Jonah or a talking donkey? Interesting.

There is no way these empiricists ("I can only trust my physical senses and reasoning") would have understood Jesus to mean that He was physically 2,000 years old.

I don't think the Pharisees were empiricists.

The issue was not new in John 8. Just a few chapters earlier

Of course not. John's entire Gospel is aimed at showing how the Jews conspired against him, had no clue what their religion was all about and that Jesus was the Jehovah.

To borrow a page from xzins, the Gospel of John flatly states that Jesus is God

Of course he does, and for a good reason. That was the whole purpose, historically and theologically, needed at the time of the writing.

And again, I and [my] Father are one. – John 10:30

Wonderful, what about "my Father is greater than I"? (same John, different chapter)

Truly, one would have to eliminate every writing attributed to John

No one is trying to do that. Maybe you decided to jump into this discussion without reading what was written previously, but denying that John was doing his best to create a hellenized God out Jesus was not one of the topics.

[Before Abraham was, I am] I perceive nature itself reacting to those simple words, I AM, spoken by the Creator of "all that there is."

Not anywhere in the Bible. God never says anything like that. He says "I will be what I am becoming" or "I am the Existence" in Hebrew and Greek versions of Exodus 3:14. Jesus only claims he was around before Moses.

Can “ego eimi”, which is present tense be properly translated as “I existed” or “I have been” or something similar?
Yes, it can. The present tense in Greek can be used to describe an action begun in the past and that continues to the present because the emphasis is on the present even though past time is involved. Jesus says, 'Before Abraham existed, and exist now or I have been'. In any event the idea is continuous existence from a point in the past to the present.

No translation from Greek to English will be perfect but using the English present perfect will do here.

Jesus only claims he was around before Moses.

To the contrary,

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. – John 17:5

Based on our past conversations I expect you now to come back and say that Jesus only claims He was around 4 billion or 13.7 billion years depending on how you read the word "world."

On another point:

me: And again,

I and [my] Father are one. – John 10:30

you: Wonderful, what about "my Father is greater than I"? (same John, different chapter)

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are One God. And they are different Persons.

The Father is not begotten. Jesus is the only begotten Son of the Father.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. – John 1:1-4

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. - John 1:14

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him]. - John 1:18

And again,

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence. For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven.– Colossians 1:15-20

And again,

And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and [one] sat on the throne. - Revelation 4:2

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. - Revelation 4:9-11

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. – Revelation 5:6

You claim that God never says anything like that, i.e. I AM.

To the contrary,

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. – Revelation 1:8

Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last... - Revelation 1:11

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. - Revelation 21:6

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. - Revelation 22:13

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. – Exodus 3:14

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. – John 8:58

As soon then as he had said unto them, I am [he], they went backward, and fell to the ground. – John 18:6

Remember the former things of old: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else; [I am] God, and [there is] none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: - Isaiah 46:9-10

God's Name is I AM.

ALAMO-GIRL: [Before Abraham was, I am] I perceive nature itself reacting to those simple words, I AM, spoken by the Creator of "all that there is."

KOSTA: Not anywhere in the Bible. God never says anything like that.

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." -- Colossians 1:16-17

A-G:There is no way these empiricists ("I can only trust my physical senses and reasoning") would have understood Jesus to mean that He was physically 2,000 years old.

K:I don't think the Pharisees were empiricists.

Hmmm, what becomes of John 6:49 - 6:52...?

("How can this man give us his flesh to eat?")

And a bit later in John 6:62, where Jesus says ""Does this seem incredible to you? What then if you were to see the Son of Man ascending again where He was before?"

Or of John 14:11 "Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; but if not, believe me for the works' sake themselves."

Or for that matter, past the mere polemics, to action -- John 12:10-11 :

"So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus. "

Or during the crucifixion itself, Matthew 27:42:

"He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him."

And this kind of thing continues even after the resurrection, as evidenced in Acts 4:14-16 :

" When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. They said, "What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it."

And of course the writings of St. Paul, see 1 Cor 1:22 :

"For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom..."

The point being, they wanted, asked for, and were chided by Christ, with references to *evidence*.

Sounds like empiricists to me!

Cheers!