Did Jesus Really Exist?

WHAT DOES HISTORY REVEAL?

The most detailed record of Jesus' life and ministry is recorded in the Bible accounts known as the Gospels-Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John -named after the men who wrote them.  In addition, a number of early non-Christian sources name him.

TACITUS
(c.560120 C.E., or Common Era) Tacitus is considered to be one of the greatest of the ancient Roman historians.  His Annals deal with the Roman Empire from 14 C.E. to 68 C.E. (Jesus died in 33 C.E.) Tacitus wrote that when a great fire devastated Rome in 64 C.E., Emperor Nero was considered responsible. But Tacitus wrote that Nero accused the Christians in order to "scotch the rumour."  Than Tacitus said: "Christus,the founder of the  name [Christian], had undergone the death penalty in the reign of Tiberius, by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilatus." -Annals, XV, 44.

SUETONIUS

(c. 61-113 C.E.) This Roman author and administrator in Bithynia (modern Turkey) wrote to Roman Emperor Trajan about how to deal with the Christians in that province. Pliny said that he tried to force Christians to recant, executing any who refused to do so. He explained:  "Those who . .  . repeated after me an invocation to the [pagan] Gods, and offered adoration, with wine and frankincense, to your image . . . and who finally cursed Christ . . . , I thought it proper to discharge. -Pliny-Letters, Book X, XCVI.

Flavius Josephus

(c. 37-100 C.E.) This Jewish priest and historian states that Annas, a Jewish high priest who continued to wield political influence, "converted the judges of the Sanhedrin [the Jewish high court] and brought before them a man named James, the brother of Jesus who was called Christ." -Jewish Antiquities, XX, 200.

The Talmud

This collection of Jewish rabbinic writings, dating from the third to the sixth centuries C.E., shows that even Jesus' enemies affirmed his existence. One passage says that on "the Passover Yeshu [Jesus]the Nazarean was hanged," which is historically correct.  (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 43a, Munich Codex; see John 19:14-16) Another states;  "May we produce no son or pupil who disgraces himself in public like the Nazarene" -A title often applied to Jesus. -Babylonian Talmud, Berakoth 17b, footnote, Munich Codex; see Luke 18:37. 

Next time: Did Jesus Really Exist?/EVIDENCE FROM THE BIBLE

From the Awake! magazine