Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Jesus’ actual existence is well documented in non-biblical sources. His historicity is strongly affirmed.
1. Tacitus, a Roman historian (A.D. 116), noted, “Nero fastened the guilt... 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.”
2. Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor (A.D. 112), wrote to Emperor Trajan about Christians, mentioning Christ as the one they worshiped. Pliny notes, “They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds.”
3. Suetonius, a Roman historian (A.D. 121), referred to Emperor Claudius expelling the Jews from Rome because they “were continually making disturbances at the instigation of one Chrestus.”2 Jesus’ influence was significant enough to cause unrest in Rome.
4. The Talmud, Jewish rabbinical writings, although not favorable toward Jesus, acknowledge His existence. The Babylonian Talmud mentions Jesus’ execution: “On the eve of the Passover Yeshu [Jesus] was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, ‘He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy.’ ”3 This account, despite its hostile tone, provides evidence of Jesus’ execution.
5. Lucian of Samosata, a Greek satirist writing in the second century, mocks Christians and their founder, whom he describes as having been crucified in Palestine. Lucian writes, “The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day—the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account.”
6. Mara Bar-Serapion, a Stoic philosopher (A.D. 73) wrote a letter, mentioning, “What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise King? It was just after that that their kingdom was abolished.”6 This reference to the consequences faced by the Jews shortly after Jesus’ execution aligns with the events described in the Gospels.
7. Thallus was an early historian (A.D. 50) whose works were quoted by later historians like Julius Africanus. Thallus attempted to reason away the darkness that occurred during Jesus’ crucifixion as an eclipse. Julius Africanus wrote, “Thallus, in the third book of his histories, explains away this darkness as an eclipse of the sun—unreasonably, as it seems to me.”
#apologetics
(Inverse, Chapter 8 Jesus is Different)
Jesus’ actual existence is well documented in non-biblical sources. His historicity is strongly affirmed.
1. Tacitus, a Roman historian (A.D. 116), noted, “Nero fastened the guilt... 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.”
2. Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor (A.D. 112), wrote to Emperor Trajan about Christians, mentioning Christ as the one they worshiped. Pliny notes, “They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds.”
3. Suetonius, a Roman historian (A.D. 121), referred to Emperor Claudius expelling the Jews from Rome because they “were continually making disturbances at the instigation of one Chrestus.”2 Jesus’ influence was significant enough to cause unrest in Rome.
4. The Talmud, Jewish rabbinical writings, although not favorable toward Jesus, acknowledge His existence. The Babylonian Talmud mentions Jesus’ execution: “On the eve of the Passover Yeshu [Jesus] was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, ‘He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy.’ ”3 This account, despite its hostile tone, provides evidence of Jesus’ execution.
5. Lucian of Samosata, a Greek satirist writing in the second century, mocks Christians and their founder, whom he describes as having been crucified in Palestine. Lucian writes, “The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day—the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account.”
6. Mara Bar-Serapion, a Stoic philosopher (A.D. 73) wrote a letter, mentioning, “What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise King? It was just after that that their kingdom was abolished.”6 This reference to the consequences faced by the Jews shortly after Jesus’ execution aligns with the events described in the Gospels.
7. Thallus was an early historian (A.D. 50) whose works were quoted by later historians like Julius Africanus. Thallus attempted to reason away the darkness that occurred during Jesus’ crucifixion as an eclipse. Julius Africanus wrote, “Thallus, in the third book of his histories, explains away this darkness as an eclipse of the sun—unreasonably, as it seems to me.”
#apologetics
(Inverse, Chapter 8 Jesus is Different)
