NonBiblical Evidence for the Life of Jesus

 

Now many times you will hear that there is no evidence outside the Bible for the existence of Jesus. Of course, there is also little evidence that Socrates existed either or many other ancient figures. It is quite frankly astounding how much evidence we have for his existence when compared to other figures. The Bible is NOT one historical source. It is a collection of sources from different authors.

 

One of the most famous NonBiblical passages is from Josephus, a first century Jewish historian. The following passage is in his works:

 

"About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he . . . wrought surprising feats. . . . He was the Christ. When Pilate . . .condemned him to be crucified, those who had . . . come to love him did not give up their affection for him. On the third day he appeared . . . restored to life. . . . And the tribe of Christians . . . has . . . not disappeared."

 

Now there are plenty of skeptics that doubt this is genuine. Many believe that a Christian editor modified the passage to affirm the Christian religion. First would a Jewish figure write "if indeed one ought to call him a man" or call him the Christ or mention that he appeared on the third day or restored him to life? These are all valid questions.

 

But that copy of Josephus is not the only copy that we have. We also have an Arabic version of Josephus's history and in it the passage is different. In fact all of the questionable aspects of the passage are in deed no longer there. But what we do have is a first century affirmation that Jesus indeed existed. The Arabic version says:

 

"At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. His conduct was good and (he) was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. But those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion, and that he was alive; accordingly he was perhaps the Messiah, concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders."

 

In addition, the Talmud mentions Jesus. There is a passage that says:

 

"On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald . . . cried, "He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy."

 

Yeshu is Hebrew for Jesus and it mentions the crimes that Jesus was accused of. His crime was that he practiced sorcery which is similar to what the Pharisee claimed in Luke that he cast out demons by Beelzebub and enticed the Jewish people to apostasy. And hanged is a way to described Crucifixion. So we have affirmation from another source that Jesus existed.

 

Then we have some writings from Tacitus. He writes:

 

"Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of . . . 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."

 

This passage affirms what is recorded in the Gospels.

 

Finally we have another writing from Lucien a second century. He writes:

 

"The Christians . . . worship a man to this day--the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account. . . . [It] was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws"

 

All of these NonBiblical writings affirm that Jesus was a real person. He formed a religion that his followers continued after his death, and they considered him to be a teacher or sage. These are all nonChristian writings and all indicate that a real person named Jesus existed.