John Fray Submitting Thoughts in the Year 2025:

QUESTION: WHAT IS THE NON-BIBLICAL EVIDENCE THAT JESUS EXISTED?

This ongoing essay was been started by John Fray in February 2025. The intention is to be objective about the evidence suggesting that Jesus of Nazareth, whose original name is closer to Yesuah bin Joseph, in fact existed.

The earliest written records suggesting the existence of Jesus come from the following four sources:

Josephus, an admiral in the Roman navy and a self-appointed historian who lived in Judea.

Pliney the Younger, a governor in Roman-occupied Asia Minor.

Suetonius, a historian in Rome whose works were regarded as authoritative by officials at their time. Some chapters of his histories of Roman emperors are lost.

Tacitus, a historian in Rome who wrote several installments contained in four annals covering Roman history from 14 AD to 90 AD. Some of the installments are lost.


All of the aforesaid four historians wrote their works in either or both the latter part of the first century, and the beginning of the second century.


Josephus provides two passages referring to Jesus. The first appears out of context in the midst of his recitation of the history of routine government appointments and the like. The passage tells of Jesus, a man, or an individual beyond the human form, who performed great works, was executed, and rose from the grave. The second passage refers to James, the brother of Jesus, who was likewise executed.


Pliney the younger wrote to the Emperor in Rome asking what he should conclude of a group of people who were holding outdoor gatherings celebrating Christos, the annointed one.


Suetonius wrote of the expulsion from Rome of Christians who were followers of Christos. The expulsion came under the reign of Claudius and occurred about 54 AD.


Tacitus wrote of Nero's persecution of Christians in Rome in 64 AD at the hand of Nero, who, in addition to ordering other horrible means of death, directed that Christians be tied to poles and immolated in lavish empirical gardens at night.


In the cases of Pliney, Suetonius and Tacitus, it is believed that they despised Christians.


[More to come later.]