• Affirming events in the New Testament by Non-biblical sources: A WORD of CAUTION
  • Important events are usually recorded in sources from different countries or origin (there are at least TWO sides on a story).

  • But the same event may not be recorded the same way ---- but in different perspectives.

  • Sometimes, the recorded events are changed LATER for political and other reasons.

  • For example: recently, Japan changed the story on Nanjing massacre:
    • Text books in 1998: click here
    • Text changed in 2003: click here

  • The lesson to learn when we study non-biblical (often hostile) sources about events in the New Testament is:
    • Take every word you read with great suspiction - Christian doctrines and practices will be presented in very negative manner

  • In fact, having enemies of Christianity confirm certain facts and events in the New Testiment is the BEST SUPPORT that a fact or event actually happened

• A List of Non-biblical resources that contain references to the New Testament events

  Author	Author's Origin	Work	Date work was written
  Josephus	Jewish Historian	Antiquities	around 90 A.D.
  Tacitus	Roman Historian	Annals	around 110 A.D.
  Pliny the Younger	Roman Governor	Letters to Tarsus	around 100 A.D.
  Ignatius	Bishop of Antioch	Letters to Christians	around 110 A.D.
  The Talmud	Various	Jewish teachings	???

• Josephus

  • Josephus is a Jewish historian - he wrote about Jewish History
  • Born in 37 A.D., died in 100 A.D.
  • Was a Pharasee
  • Jesephus fought in the Jewish-Roman war of 66-74 A.D. against the Romans (Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. during that war)
  • After the war, Jesephus surrendered to the Romans and converted to a Roman citizen
  • Jesephus wrote two major works:
    • Antiquities: on the Jewish history
    • War: on the Jewish-Roman war
  • Josephus' "War" (Bellum) has been proved to be a very accurate description of the Jewish-Roman war.
  • Josephus work on my website: click here

• References by Josephus to people and events in New Testament
  • In Antiquities, Book 20, Chapter 9 ( click here ), Josephus mentioned that James, the brother of Jesus was among the Christian believers:

    Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions]; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned...

  • In Antiquities, Book 18 , Chapter 3 ( click here ), Josephus mentioned that Pilate was the procurator of Judea

    But now Pilate, the procurator of Judea, removed the army from Cesarea to Jerusalem, to take their winter quarters there, in order to abolish the Jewish laws.

    A procurator is: A person who manages the affairs of another by virtue of a charge received from him.

    Luke said in Luke 3:1 that Pilate was the governor of Judea - They agree !

  • In Antiquities, Book 18 , Chapter 3 ( click here ), Josephus mentioned that Jesus and that he died on the cross !!!:

    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.

    Notes:

    • Josephus' work was written around 90 A.D.
    • The earliest surviving text of Josephus' work is dated ariund 1000 A.D.
    • Josephus was a non-Christian jew that is not friendly towards Christian doctrine.
    • For this reason, it is generally believed that the complimentary sentences in the text were added in later by a Christian copyist
    • But scholars agree that Josephus did mention the existance of Jesus and his death on the cross, that these two things are historical facts

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• Tacitus ( click here )

  • Tacitus is the very important Roman historian living around 110 A.D.

  • Tacitus wrote two major works:
    • Annals - Roman history from 14 - 66 AD
    • History

  • Tacitus' work "Annals on my website: click here

• References by Tacitus related to people and events in New Testament
  • In Annals, Book XV, ( click here ), Josephus mentioned that there are a group of people called Christians and that Christ was condemned by Pilate and HINTED that Christ resurrected from the death

    Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name (Christians) 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 (PAUL !!!), where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.

    • This same passage records the historical fact that Christians were persecuted:
      • an immense multitude was convicted....
      • Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths....
      • they were torn by dogs and perished....
      • were nailed to crosses....
      • were doomed to the flames and burnt...
    • In fact, Nero burned Rome himself and blamed the Christians for that crime.

    • Although Tacitus did not spell out what the most mischievous superstition is, scholars believe that this is a reference to Christ's resurrection because this "superstition" first broke out in Judea (birsth of the Christian faith)

• Importance of Tacitus' Testimony to Christ
  • Tacitus is a Roman - not even a Jew, completely unrelated to Jews and he is thus a completely neutral witness.

  • Tacitus is a great Roman historian - his work on the Roman Emperors are one of the few (three) important sources where we learn about the Roman Empire. So his work is well-respected.

  • Tacitus is not a believer in Christ (he refers to Christ's resurrection as a "superstition") - a further proof that his testimony will be neutral and unbiased.

  • Tacitus' testimony that an immense multitude of Christians were willing to die a horrible for their faith must therefore be very accurate

  • Now, we can ask WHY they were persecuted and HOW they can escape their fate....

    The answer will surprise you - Pliny recorded it for us....

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• Pliny the Younger ( click here )

  • Pliny the Younger is another Roman official and a good friend of Emperor Trajan who lived around 62 A.D. - 113 A.D. that made reference to Christians

  • Pliny the Younger is a nephew of Pliny the Elder, a famous encyclopedist who died in the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79.

  • Pliny the Younger became the governor of Bithynia (in northwest Turkey).

  • Pliny the Younger wrote letters to his friend Emperor Tarjan, and many of these letters have been preserved to the present time.

  • In book 10 of these letters, Pliny the Younger mentioned about the Christians

  • Pliny's letter refering to the Christians can be found on my website here: click here

• References by Pliny the Younger to Christians

  It is my practice, my lord (i.e., Tarsus), to refer to you all matters concerning which I am in doubt. For who can better give guidance to my hesitation or inform my ignorance? I have never participated in trials of Christians. I therefore do not know what offenses it is the practice to punish or investigate, and to what extent..... Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed....

  • Basically, Pliny was asking Tarsus onm how to deal with Christians.

  • Pliny would give everyone 3 chances to denounce Christianity and if someone would persist that he/she is a Christian, he would execute him/her.

• Interesting Way of Pliny the Younger to identify Christians:

  In the same letter, Pliny explain how he identifies "real Christians":

  An anonymous document was published containing the names of many persons. Those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your (= the Emperor) image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ -- none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can be forced to do -- these I thought should be discharged.

• Pliny the Younger was baffled by the crimes charged to the Christians:

  The reason why Pliny wrote the letter to Tarsus was to see clarification for the crimes charged to Christians. Pliny wrote the following to Tarsus:

  They (i.e, the Christians arrested) asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that 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.... (My note: Pliny must have a hard time finding a crime here....) I therefore postponed the investigation and hastened to consult you. For the matter seemed to me to warrant consulting you, especially because of the number involved. For many persons of every age, every rank, and also of both sexes are and will be endangered. For the contagion of this superstition has spread not only to the cities but also to the villages and farms....

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• Ignatius - Bishop of Antioch (Syria)

  • Many "church fathers" in the first and second centuries wrote about the historical Jesus

  • Although these writing are from Christians, they are not part of the Bible (and are considered "non-Biblical") -

    Remember, the canon of the New Testament contains works of persons who knew Jesus directly, or knew someone who knew Jesus directly.

    The works by the early church fathers are not included in the New Testament, but they do have some historical value in that they do substantiate and corroborate the claims in the Bible. (Clearly, writing from non-Christian sources are more valuable in this respect and we have seen examples above).

  • One of the most important writing is from Ignatius - Bishop of Antioch

  • Ignatius was martyred during the reign of Trajan before 117 A.D.

  • This is a letter that Ignatius while he was on his way to being executed: click here

  ... Jesus Christ, who was descended from David, and was also of Mary; who was truly born, and did eat and drink (My note - in other words: Jesus is not a ghost or some fantasy). He was truly persecuted under Pontius Pilate; He was truly crucified, and [truly] died, in the sight of beings in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth. He was also truly raised from the dead, His Father quickening Him, even as after the same manner His Father will so raise up us who believe in Him by Christ Jesus, apart from whom we do not possess the true life. Descended from David, and was also of Mary; who was truly begotten of God and of the Virgin, but not after the same manner. For indeed God and man are not the same. He truly assumed a body; for "the Word was made flesh," and lived upon earth without sin. For says He, "Which of you convicteth me of sin?" He did in reality both eat and drink. He was crucified and died under Pontius Pilate. He really, and not merely in appearance, was crucified, and died, in the sight of beings in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth.

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• Jesus in the Talmud

  • The Talmud is a collection of writing from Jewish Rabbi's on the interpretation of the Jewish Law

  • There are 2 versions of the Talmud, one called the Babylonian Talmud and the other is the Jerusalem Talmud, named after the location where the document was collected.

  • The Talmuds differ in some aspects and whenever they differ, the Babylonian Talmud takes the precedence (is consider more accurate).

• NOTE:
  The Jewish authority was not favorable towards Jesus and His teachings (Jesus teaching ment the end of Jewdaism as they know it)

  So do not expect the Talmud to say "nice" things about Jesus....

• Some WebPages on Jesus in the Talmud:

  The following are some webpages that contain information on Jesus in the Talmud.

  • What is the Talmud: click here

  • Talmud and Jesus: click here

  • A reference to Jesus in the Babylonian Talmud: click here

• Talmud and Jesus

  On the eve of Passover they hanged Yeshu* [= Jesus]. And an announcer went out in front of him for forty days, saying: 'He is going to be stoned, because he practised sorcery and enticed and led Israel astray. Anyone who knows anything in his favor, let him come and plead in his behalf.' But not having found anything in his favor, they hanged him on the eve of Passover. * One version of this text actually says 'Yeshu the Nazarene.'

  The Talmud confirms:

  • Jesus performed miracles (practiced sorcery)

  • Jesus had many followers

  • Jesus was crucified (death was by "hanging" was often used by Jews to describe crucifixion - see Luke 23:39 and Galatians 3:13)

  • Jesus died on Passover (Easter)

Aspect of Jesus' Life	Author	Name of Writing	Date Written
Called Christ	Josephus	Antiquities of the Jews	~A.D.
Had a brother James	Josephus	Antiquities of the Jews	~A.D.
Wise man	Josephus	Antiquities of the Jews	~A.D.
Wrought "surprising feats"	Josephus	Antiquities of the Jews	~A.D.
Teacher of truth	Josephus	Antiquities of the Jews	~A.D.
Won over many Jews and Greeks	Josephus	Antiquities of the Jews	~A.D.
Pilate presided over trial	Josephus	Antiquities of the Jews	~A.D.
Accused by those of high standing among the Jews	Josephus	Antiquities of the Jews	~A.D.
Pilate condemned Him to death	Josephus	Antiquities of the Jews	~A.D.
Followers still loved Him after His death	Josephus	Antiquities of the Jews	~A.D.
Suffered crucifiction	Tacitus (Roman historian)		~115 A.D.
crucified during the reign of Tiberius	Tacitus (Roman historian)		~115 A.D.
Condemned by Pontius Pilate	Tacitus (Roman historian)		~115 A.D.
"Mischevious Superstition" checked for a moment, then broke out again in Judea and Rome	Tacitus (Roman historian)		~115 A.D.
Christians endured persecution by Nero	Tacitus (Roman historian)		~115 A.D.
Christians tortured and killed	Pliny the Younger (Roman governor)	Book 10 of letters	~111 A.D.
Christians met regularly on a fixed day	Pliny the Younger (Roman governor)	Book 10 of letters	~111 A.D.
Christians chanted verses alternately among themselves	Pliny the Younger (Roman governor)	Book 10 of letters	~111 A.D.
Christians honored Christ as if a god	Pliny the Younger (Roman governor)	Book 10 of letters	~111 A.D.
Took upon themselves oath to abstain from theft, robbery, adultury...	Pliny the Younger (Roman governor)	Book 10 of letters	~111 A.D.
Roman citizens to female slaves were Christians	Pliny the Younger (Roman governor)	Book 10 of letters	~111 A.D.
Darkness at 6th hour of day (explained away by eclipse)	Julius Africanus (quoting historian Thallus)	Julius Africanus quotes from Thallus' 3rd book of histories	Julius Africanus wrote ~221 A.D.; Thallus' history was written ~52 A. D.
Darkness during daytime was "cosmic" or "world event"	Tertullian
Great eclipse at 6th hour of day and earthquakes in Bithynia and Nicea in 4th year of 202nd Olympiad (i.e., 33 A.D.)	Phlegon (Greek from Caria)		~137 A.D.
Considered false messiah	Jewish Rabbi's	Talmud	200 to 500 A.D.
Practised magic	Jewish Rabbi's	Talmud	200 to 500 A.D.
Healer	Jewish Rabbi's	Talmud	200 to 500 A.D.
Miracle worker	Jewish Rabbi's	Talmud	200 to 500 A.D.
Condemned to death	Jewish Rabbi's	Talmud	200 to 500 A.D.
Born of Roman soldier and Mary	Jewish Rabbi's	Talmud	200 to 500 A.D.
Had 5 disciples	Jewish Rabbi's	Talmud	200 to 500 A.D.
Not all sages had made up mind whether he was a heretic or deceiver in the early Rabbinic period	Jewish Rabbi's	Talmud	200 to 500 A.D.

Aspect of Jesus' Life	Author	Name of Writing	Date Written
Jesus was God	Ignatius (bishop of Antioch in Syria)		Ignatius martyred before 117 A.D.
Jesus was human	Ignatius (bishop of Antioch in Syria)		Ignatius martyred before 117 A.D.
Persecuted under Pontius Pilate	Ignatius (bishop of Antioch in Syria)	Last letter before martyred	Ignatius martyred before 117 A.D.
Crucified	Ignatius (bishop of Antioch in Syria)	Last letter before martyred	Ignatius martyred before 117 A.D.
Raised from dead	Ignatius (bishop of Antioch in Syria)	Last letter before martyred	Ignatius martyred before 117 A.D.
Said that those who believed in Him would be raised	Ignatius (bishop of Antioch in Syria)	Last letter before martyred	Ignatius martyred before 117 A.D.

• The existence of Jesus is mentioned not only in the Gospels, but also by Roman and Jewish historians.

  So even if you don't believe anything in the Bible, you must still believe that Jesus DID LIVED !!! Jesus is JUST AS REAL A PERSON AS Julius Caesar.

• Information from non-Biblical external sources DO NOT contradict any information recorded in the Bible and collaborate many aspects of Jesus' life history as reported in the Bible

  Obviously, the non-Biblical sources will cast them in a negative light because they are hostile testimonies - jsut like Holocaust-deniers and some Japanese official who want to teach falsehood

• Every historian agree that Jesus is as real as Julius Caesar, - that he lived and walked on this earth.

  The only difference between Biblical and non-Biblical sources is how they interpret Jesus' actions -

  • if you accept that Jesus was the Messiah, you interpret His actions as miracles that confirm this fact and his death a sacrifice for atonement.

  • if you do not accept that Jesus was the Messiah, you interpret His actions as soccery that He use to trick people into believing Him and say that Jesus did died but deny that Jesus has ever resurrected - in fact, that's exactly what the Jewish leaders did: they "explained" away the missing body as "the disciple had stolen the body" - see Matthew 28:11-15.