Online some people claim that Jesus Christ was a mythical figure that really never existed. Serious historians don’t agree. The simplest explanation for all of the impacts of Christianity is that there was a person around whom it originated. Regardless, some people have doubts. I had a young man tell me that the Romans loved to keep voluminous records… the fact that we don’t have any records of Jesus’ trial or crucifixion proves that they never happened. Really? I don’t doubt that the Romans recorded these events, but we don’t have any first century records from Romans in Judea. As a result, of course, we don’t have court records mentioning Jesus.
Does that mean that all that we know comes from Christian sources. No. In this series of lines I will show seven ancient writers who mentioned Jesus. They wrote between 40 to 130 years after Jesus was crucified. The figure includes all of the ancient histories from roughly this period that I found. Some don’t mention Jesus at all. Why? Some were written before Jesus lived. No surprise that these don’t talk about Jesus. The others were writing about topics that Jesus just would not have been relevant to.
- Mara bar Serapion is the earliest reference, generally dated 70 AD, though some claim that it could have been written much later.
- Flavius Josephus is a Jewish historian who mentioned Jesus in about 93 AD supporting several key points from the NT.
- Pliny the Younger mentioned Jesus in about 112 AD.
- Gaius Cornelius Tacitus mentioned Jesus in about 116 AD.
- Suetonius makes a reference generally taken to be about Jesus (Chrestus) in 120 AD.
- Phlegon of Tralles referred to Jesus in about 140 AD.
- Lucian mocked Christians in about 166 AD.
Many of the most important parts of the life of Jesus are reported by these ancient non-Christian sources. We have no examples from the time of Christ that fail to mention Jesus that we would expect to have talked about him.
Those who argue that Jesus did not exist argue against what we know of the period from history. The reports do not prove that Jesus was deity or that he was resurrected, but they are supportive. Of course, this does not include the writings of Christians. These provide the best evidence that we have for the life and significance of Jesus. Notice that the timelines show the Roman emperors and some of the key events that relate to Judea, the Jews and early Christians.
These timelines can by busy. The short video uses animation to work through the animation in steps, hopefully making it easier to understand
Timeline with ancient historical references
Mara bar Serapion
An Syriac Stoic philosopher who mentions Jesus in a letter to his son. This the earliest non-Christian reference to Christ, written only 40 years after Jesus death. Some claim it may have been written later.
Flavius Josephus
Perhaps the most important early reference. A Jewish historian really well positioned to know about Jesus… He grew up in Jerusalem and knew many people who would have known about Jesus… probably knew some who would have been at Jesus’ trial.
Wrote a Jewish History, “The Antiquities of the Jews”, in about 93 AD from Rome. It includes some very important text.
This translation by Dr. Thomas Schmidt of Fairfield University provides a fresh work studying Josephus’s reference to Jesus, known as the “Testimonium Flavianum” For years people have speculated that it so apparently pro-Christian that it probably wasn’t original. Schmidt shows that it probably wasn’t intended to be that pro-Christian but probably was original. He demonstrates that the language is all like Josephus. The only word that Josephus did not uses elsewhere is Christian. If the text had been altered, this had to have happened early. Eusebius quoted it as we have it in 313AD It was even translated into Latin by Jerome. Study shows thtat there a couple of words may have dropped out but what we have doesn’t really seem to have been altered in ways that early Christians would have done so.
Josephus referenced Jesus twice. No historians have seriously questioned the 2nd one. Notice that Josephus talks about Jesus without any other information about Jesus… because he had already talked about him in the first quote.
How significant are his quotes. This is independent attestation of several key Christian claims.
Animation through
Josephus Timelines
Pliny the Younger
A lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. He confirms that the early Christians worshipped Christ as God.
Gaius Cornelius Tacitus
Confirms Jesus crucifixion under Pontius Pilate and refers to a “mischievous superstition” that is an obvious reference to the Christian belief that Jesus was raised from the dead.
Suetonius
Refers to Chrestus in his book, The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, considering him to be troublemaker.
Phlegon of Tralles
A Greek historian and chronicler. We know of his writing from the writings of Origen
Lucian
A Hellenized Syrian satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer who mocked Christian’s believes. He confirms Jesus’ crucifixion and the willingness of Christians to die for their beliefs.
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