Carlos Solis
The New Testament is the main source for Jesus’ life, but skeptics argue those Christian writings aren’t independent evidence. Records by the Roman historian Tacitus and the Jewish historian Josephus—neither Christian and both writing outside the church’s tradition—point to a historical Jesus in Judea, connect him to the rise of Christianity, and report his death under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.
Tacitus: “Christus” and the Great Fire in Rome
The Roman senator and chronicler Tacitus, in his Annals (written around 116 AD), describes how Emperor Nero searched for scapegoats after the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64. In that passage he mentions a group called Christians and says the name comes from a man called Christus.
Tacitus adds that this Christus was executed during the reign of Tiberius by the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate. Because Tacitus wrote openly hostile material about Christians and called their faith a harmful superstition, historians argue he had no reason to invent details that align with the Christian story. For that reason, his mention of Jesus’ execution by Pilate is treated as an independent confirmation of parts of the New Testament.
Josephus: Mentions of James and Jesus
Josephus, a Jewish aristocrat and historian born a few decades after the crucifixion, took part in the First Jewish Revolt against Rome, then settled in Rome under imperial patronage and wrote sweeping histories of his people.
In Antiquities of the Jews he mentions a figure tied to the early Christian community twice. First, in a short note about the execution of James, he identifies that James as “the brother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.” That dry, offhand reference matters because Jesus is not the focus of the passage; Josephus only names him to clarify which James he meant, so the remark reads like the mention of a real person familiar to Josephus’ readers.
Second, a longer passage in the work describes Jesus as a wise teacher with followers who performed extraordinary deeds. Scholars debate that passage because many think later Christian copyists added edits, but most experts believe the passage rests on an authentic Josephus reference to Jesus.
Highlighted excerpts from Tacitus and Josephus that mention Jesus and early Christians
Why These Mentions Matter to Historians
- Both authors were non-Christians, so historians treat their references as independent of church tradition.
- Tacitus and Josephus agree on several key points: the name Jesus, the existence of followers in Judea, and an execution involving Roman authorities under Pontius Pilate.
- The mentions show that within a few decades of Jesus’ death his followers continued spreading his teachings and that the movement had reached Rome.
What Modern Scholars Say
A survey by biblical scholar Lawrence Mykytiuk, published in the Biblical Archaeology Society, underscores that most historians accept Jesus as a historical figure. Today’s debates focus less on whether he existed and more on the details of his life, his teaching, and the significance of his actions.
Ancient critics accused Jesus of false teaching, fraud, or sorcery, yet almost none claimed he was entirely invented. Historians treat that absence of denial as further evidence for his historicity.
Tacitus’s and Josephus’s statements don’t answer every question about Jesus, but they remain among the most persuasive nonbiblical sources that help historians separate likely historical facts from later religious interpretation.
Based on reporting by the Daily Mail
