WAS JESUS A REAL PERSON/? PART FIVE

                                                 WAS JESUS A                  REAL PERSON?
                                                 Part Five
                                                 (copied from 
      Y-Jesus.com)


Roman Historians

Early Roman historians wrote primarily of events and people important in their empire. Since Jesus wasn't of immediate importance to the military or political affairs of Rome, very little Roman history referenced Him. However, two important Roman historians, Tacitus and  Suetonias, do acknowledge Jesus as a real person.

Tacitus (a.d. 55-120), the greatest early Roman historian wrote that Christus (Greek for Christ)  had lived during the reign of  Tiberius and  "suffered under Pontius Pilate , that Jesus' teachings had already spread to Rome; and that Christians were considered criminals and tortured in a variety of ways, including crucifixion."

Suetonias (a.d. 69-130) wrote of  Chrestus  as an instigator. Most scholars believe this is a reference to Christ. Sutonias also wrote of  Christians having been persecuted by Nero in a.d.64. 

Roman Officials:  Christians were considered enemies of Rome because of their worship of Jesus  as Lord rather than Caesar. The following Roman government officials including two Caesars wrote letters from that perspective, mentioning Jesus and  early Christian origins.

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Pliny the Younger was an imperial magistrate under  Trajan  in a.d. 112, Pliny wrote to Trajan of his attempts to force Christians to renounce Christ, Whom they "worshiped as a god".

Emperor Trajan (a.d. 56-117) wrote letters mentioning Jesus and early Christian origins.

Emperor Hadrian (a.d.76- 136) wrote about Christians as followers of Jesus. 

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  Pagan sources :                  
 Several early pagan writers briefly mentioned    Jesus or Christians prior  to the end of the second  century. These include Thallus,  Phlegon, Mara Bar-Serapion, and Lucian of Samosate. 

 Thaillus' remarks about Christ were written  in a.d. 52, about twenty years after Christ.

In total nine early non-Christian secular writers briefly mention Jesus as a real person within 150 years of His death.  Interestingly that is the same number of secular writers who mention Tiberius Caesar, the Roman Emperor, during Jesus' time. If we were to consider Christian and non-Christian sources, there are forty-two who mention Jesus compared to just ten for Tiberius.

next post  1st June