- Lucian (120–after 180AD) referred to Jesus as a “crucified sophist,” or philosopher.1Lucian of Samosata, “The Passing of Peregrinus,” tertullian.org/rpearse/lucian/peregrinus.htm.
- Josephus2For more detail on who Josephus was and why what he wrote is so important, see Josephus and Jesus. By Paul L. Maier, Emeritus Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History, Western Michigan University. https://www.namb.net/apologetics/resource/josephus-and-jesus/ (37–100AD) wrote, “At this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man, for he was a doer of amazing deeds. When Pilate condemned him to the cross, the leading men among us, having accused him, those who loved him did not cease to do so (See note 4).”3Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 1966), 379. A portion of Josephus’s comments about Jesus are disputed by critics, believing them to have been altered. However, his confirmation of both Jesus’ existence and his reference to Pilate condemning him to the cross are deemed authentic by most scholars. Copies under Islamic control as well as Christian copies of his work cite Jesus’ crucifixion under Pilate as an historical event. Since these copies were not under Christian control, the argument that they were altered by Christian scholars is flawed. Therefore, most scholars accept Josephus’ account of Jesus in them as reliable.
- In 1972, Professor Schlomo Pines of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem announced his discovery of a different manuscript tradition of Josephus’s writings in the tenth-century Melkite historian Agapius, which reads as follows at Antiquities 18:63:
At this time there was a wise man called Jesus, and his conduct was good, and he was known to be virtuous. Many people among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. But those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive. Accordingly, he was perhaps the Messiah, concerning whom the prophets have reported wonders. And the tribe of the Christians, so named after him, has not disappeared to this day.Here, clearly, is language that a Jew could have written without conversion to Christianity.4Josephus and Jesus. https://www.namb.net/apologetics/resource/josephus-and-jesus/
- Another important Josephs quote is from Antiquities 20:200. It tells of the death of Jesus’ half-brother, James the Just of Jerusalem, under the high priest Ananus, son of the former high priest Annas and brother-in-law to Caiaphas, both well-known from the Gospels. Josephus’s text reads as follows:
Having such a character [“rash and daring” in the context], Ananus thought that with Festus dead and Albinus still on the way, he would have the proper opportunity. Convening the judges of the Sanhedrin, he brought before them the brother of Jesus who was called the Christ, whose name was James, and certain others. He accused them of having transgressed the law and delivered them up to be stoned. But those of the city residents who were deemed the most fair-minded and who were strict in observing the law were offended at this. Accordingly, they secretly contacted the king [Herod Agrippa II], urging him to order Ananus to desist from any more such actions, for he had not been justified in what he had already done. Some of them even went to meet Albinus, who was on his way from Alexandria, and informed him that Ananus had no authority to convene the Sanhedrin without his consent. Convinced by these words, Albinus wrote in anger to Ananus, threatening him with punishment. And King Agrippa, because of this, deposed him from the high priesthood, in which he had ruled for three months.
The vast majority of contemporary scholars regard this passage as genuine in its entirety, and concur with ranking Josephus expert Louis H. Feldman in his notation in the Loeb Classical Library edition of Josephus: “…few have doubted the genuineness of this passage on James” (Louis H. Feldman, tr., Josephus, IX [Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1965], 496).
The preponderance of evidence, then, strongly suggests that Josephus did indeed mention Jesus in both passages. He did so in a manner totally congruent with the New Testament portraits of Christ, and his description, from the vantage point of a non-Christian, seems remarkably fair, especially in view of his well-known proclivity to roast false messiahs as wretches who misled the people and brought on war with the Romans.5ibid
- Tacitus (c. 56–c. 120) wrote, “Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty…at the hands of our procurator, Pontius Pilate.”6Tacitus, Annals, 15, 44, as quoted in The Annals and The Histories by Cornelius Tacitus, ed. Robert Maynard Hutchins, vol. 15 of Great Books of the Western World (Chicago: William Benton, 1952).Who Is the Real Jesus? 116
- Tacitus, a Roman historian, lived during the first century. His high character as an historian is generally conceded. He wrote about Jesus of Nazareth in the following words, which are most informative concerning the attitude of the Roman empire towards Jesus and Christianity. His words are: “But neither by human aid, nor by the costly largesses by which he attempted to propitiate the gods, was the prince (Nero) able to remove from himself the infamy which had attached to him in the opinion of all, for having ordered the conflagration. To suppress this rumour, therefore, Nero caused others to be accused, on whom he inflicted exquisite torments, who were already hated by the people for their crimes, and were commonly called CHRISTIANS. This name they derived from CHRIST their leader, who in the reign of TIBERIUS was put to death as a criminal, while PONTIUS PILATE was procurator. This destructive superstition, repressed for a while, again broke out, and spread not only through Judea where it originated, but reached this city also, into which flow all things that are vile and abominable, and where they are encouraged. At first, they only were seized who confessed that they belonged to this sect, and afterwards, a vast multitude, by the information of those who were condemned, not so much for the crime of burning the city, as for hatred of the human race. These, clothed in the skins of wild beasts, were exposed to derison, and were either torn to pieces by dogs, or were affixed to crosses; or when the daylight was past, were set on fire, that they might serve instead of lamps for the night.”7Kenneth Wuest. Jesus of Nazareth — Who Is He? Wuest’s vol 3
- Suetonius, another Roman historian who lived in the first century, but whose life extended into the second, and who is considered a well informed and correct historian, writes as follows: “He (Claudius) banished the Jews from Rome who were continually raising disturbances, Christ (Chrestus) being their leader.” And in the life of Nero, he says, “Christians were punished, a sort of men of a new and magical religion.” 8ibid
- Pliny the Younger, a distinguished philosopher, in a letter to the emperor Trajan in the beginning of the second century, gives us some pertinent facts concerning the wide influence of Jesus of Nazareth. The letter is as follows: “Pliny, to the emperor Trajan, wisheth health, etc. It is my custom, Sir, to refer all things to you of which I entertain any doubt; for who can better direct me in my hesitation or instruct my ignorance? I was never before present at any of the trials of the Christians; so that I am ignorant both of the matter to be inquired into, and of the nature of the punishment which should be inflicted, and to what length the investigation is to be extended. I have, moreover, been in great uncertainty whether any difference ought to be made on account of age. between the young and tender, and the robust; also whether any place should be allowed for repentance and pardon; or whether those who have once been Christians should be punished, although they have now ceased to be such, and whether punishment should be inflicted merely on account of the name, where no crimes are charged, or whether crimes connected with the name are the proper object of punishment. This, however, is the method which I have pursued in regard to those who were brought before me as Christians. I interrogated them whether they were Christians; and upon their confessing that they were, I put the question to them a second, and a third time, threatening them with capital punishment; and when they persisted in their confession, I ordered them to be led away to execution; for whatever might be the nature of their crime, I could not doubt that perverseness and inflexible obstinacy deserve to be punished. There were others, addicted to the same insanity, whom, because they were Roman citizens, I have noted to be sent to the city. In a short space, the crime diffusing itself, as is common, a great variety of cases have fallen under my cognizance. An anonymous libel was exhibited to me, containing the names of many persons who denied that they were Christians or ever had been: and as evidence of their sincerity, they joined me in an address to the gods, and to your image, which I had ordered to be brought along with the images of the gods for this very purpose. Moreover, they sacrificed with wine and frankincense, and blasphemed the name of Christ: none of which things can those who are really Christians be constrained to do. Therefore I judged it proper to dismiss them. Others, named by the informer, at first confessed themselves to be Christians, and afterwards denied it; and some asserted that although they had been Christians, they had ceased to be such for more than three years, and some as much as twenty years. All these worshipped your image and the statues of the gods, and execrated Christ. But they affirmed that this was the sum of their fault or error, that they were accustomed, on a stated day, to meet together before day, to sing a hymn to Christ in concert, as to a god, and to bind themselves by a solemn oath not to commit any wickedness — but on the contrary, to abstain from theft, robbery, and adultery — also, never to violate their promise, nor to deny a pledge committed to them. These things being performed, it was their custom to separate; and to meet again at a promiscuous, innocent meal; which however, they had omitted, from the time of the publication of my edict, by which, according to your orders, I forbade assemblies of this sort. On receiving this account, I judged it to be more necessary to examine by torture, two females, who were called deaconesses. But I discovered nothing except a depraved and immoderate superstition. Whereupon, suspending further judicial proceedings, I have recourse to you for advice; for it has appeared to me that the subject is highly deserving of consideration, especially on account of the great number of persons whose lives are put into jeopardy. Many persons of all ages, sexes, and conditions are accused, and many more will be in the same situation; for the contagion of this superstition has not merely pervaded the cities, but also all villages and country places; yet it seems to me that it might be restrained and corrected. It is a matter of fact, that the temples which were almost deserted begin again to be frequented; and the sacred solemnities which had been long intermitted are again attended; and the victims for the altars are now readily sold, which, a while ago, were almost without purchasers. Whence it is easy to conjecture what a multitude of men might be reclaimed, if only the door to repentance was left open.” The reply of Trajan to Pliny is another testimony from a pagan source, to the tremendous influence of Jesus of Nazareth upon the life of the Roman empire. His letter reads: “Trajan to Pliny — Health and happiness. You have taken the right method, my Pliny, in dealing with those who have been brought before you as Christians; for it is impossible to establish any universal rule which will apply to all cases. They should not be sought after; but when they are brought before you and convicted, they must be punished. Nevertheless, if any one deny that he is a Christian, and confirm his assertion by his conduct; that is, by worshipping our gods, although he may be suspected of having been one in time past, let him obtain pardon on repentance. But in no case permit a libel against any one to be received, unless it be signed by the person who presents it, for that would be a dangerous precedent, and in no wise suitable to the present age.”9ibid
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