Writings About Jesus
Josephus (c. 37–100 CE), a 1st-century Jewish historian, is traditionally cited as having mentioned Jesus in two passages of his work Antiquities of the Jews (c. 93–94 CE). The primary passage is known as the Testimonium Flavianum, found in Antiquities 18.3.3 (18:63–64). A second, shorter mention of Jesus appears in Antiquities 20.9.1 (20:200).
1. The Testimonium Flavianum (Antiquities 18.3.3 (18.63–64))
Traditional Version: "Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day."
Issues of Authenticity:
Scholars widely agree that this passage has Christian interpolations (later edits by Christian scribes) because phrases like "He was the Christ" and "he appeared to them alive again the third day" are unlikely to have been written by Josephus, a Jewish historian.
Why would Josephus, a Jew, call Jesus the Christ (Messiah) and claim he performed miracles and was resurrected? The first person to cite Josephus was Eusebius, who died in 379 CE.
2. The Second Reference (Antiquities 20.9.1 (20.200))
Original Version: "So he [the high priest Ananus] assembled the Sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned."
The earliest known author to cite Josephus' references to Jesus is Origen of Alexandria (c. 184–253 CE). Origen does not quote the Testimonium Flavianum (Antiquities 18.63–64) directly but mentions Josephus' reference to James, the brother of Jesus, in Antiquities 20.9.1 (20:200). This makes Origen the first recorded Christian writer to acknowledge that Josephus wrote about Jesus indirectly.
What Origen Says About Josephus
In Origen's work Contra Celsum (Against Celsus) and Commentary on Matthew, he discusses Josephus' mention of James, calling him the brother of Jesus, "who is called Christ."
Key Excerpt (Contra Celsum 1.47):
Origen writes: "For Josephus, who has mentioned John the Baptist, who was a baptizer, and who promised purification to those who underwent the rite, has this to say about James, the brother of Jesus who was called Christ, that he was put to death, although he was a man most distinguished for his justice."
Key Excerpt (Commentary on Matthew 10.17):
Origen again refers to Josephus: "This writer, although not believing in Jesus as the Christ, in seeking after the cause of the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, says, being, so to speak, blinded by the truth, that these disasters happened to the Jews as a punishment for the death of James the Just, who was a brother of Jesus called Christ, for the Jews slew him, although he was a most just man."
Tacitus’ (c. 56–120 CE) Reference to Jesus
Text (Annals 15.44): "Nero fastened the guilt [for the fire] and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular."
Tacitus uses the term Christ, not Jesus, and also gives the wrong political title to Pontius Pilatus.
Pliny the Younger (Roman Governor, c. 112 CE)
Summary: Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor of Bithynia-Pontus, wrote a letter to Emperor Trajan seeking guidance on how to deal with Christians. He describes their behavior, worship, and societal impact, providing one of the earliest non-Christian references to Christians and their devotion to Christ.
Quote (Epistles 10.96):
"They were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so."
Suetonius (Roman Historian, c. 121 CE)
Summary: In his biography of Emperor Claudius, Suetonius mentions disturbances in Rome attributed to "Chrestus," widely believed to be a reference to Jesus or His followers. This statement highlights early Christian activity and conflict in Rome.
Quote (The Lives of the Caesars, Claudius 25.4):
"Because the Jews at Rome caused continuous disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from the city."
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