Quote: Originally posted by brahmabull

While little can be gathered by sources other than the Bible, there is some evidence that is compelling and confusing, as follows:

SENECA 4BCE - 65CE, Rome’s most prominent writer on ethics, philosophy and morals; A natural scientist who tracked eclipses & quakes; Silent on Jesus; Alleged correspondence between Paul and Seneca was later exposed as fraudulent. (B)

CORNELIUS TACITUS was a Roman historian born in about 53 AD. Writing in his 'Annals' (c. 110 AD) about the reign of Nero, he describes how Nero accused the Christians of burning down Rome. He states, "The name (Christians) is derived from Christ who the procurator Pontius Pilate had executed in the reign of Tiberius".

FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS was a Jewish historian who became commander of the Jewish forces in Galilee in AD 66, just after the time of Jesus. He writes in his 'Antiquities'

"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was the doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive ….

Josephus also refers in his 'Antiquities' to James " the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ" and how he was put to death in AD 62 after accusation by Annas the High priest.

PHILO-JUDAEUS 15 BCE - 50 CE, an Alexandrian, a Greek speaking Jewish theologian-philosopher who personally knew Jerusalem because of relatives living there; he wrote extensively on Jewish history and religion from a Greek perspective and taught the following concepts: God and His Word are one; the Word is the first-begotten Son of God; God created the world through His Word; God holds all things together through His Word; the Word is the fountain of eternal life; the Word dwells in and among us; all judgment is committed to God’s Word; and the Word never changes. Philo also taught on God as Spirit, the Trinity, the virgin birth, Jews who sin will go to hell, Gentiles who come to God will be saved and go to heaven, and of the God of love and forgiveness. Yet, Philo, a Jew in nearby Alexandria, who would have been a contemporary of Jesus never once mentions anybody named Jesus nor any miracle worker being crucified and resurrected in Jerusalem, let alone an eclipse, an earthquake, or Jews being resurrected from their graves. (B)

JUSTIN MARTYR (about AD 150) addressed his 'Defense of Christianity' to the Emperor Antonius Pius and in it describes Jesus' crucifixion, how he was nailed to the cross and how his clothes were divided among the soldiers by casting lots. He also refers the Emperor to "the ‘Acts’ that were recorded by Pontius Pilate", these being Pilate's own report of the crucifixion which Justin supposed the Emperor had access to.

LUCIAN OF SAMOSATA (c. 120-180 AD) He was a Greek satirist who was scornful of Christians. He wrote several books: The Passing Peregrinus and Alexander the False Prophet. He spoke derisively of Jesus and Christians; criticizing Christians for being gullible people who approved of charlatans posing as teachers, he wrote that the Christians worshipped a man who was crucified for introducing new teachings into Palestine. In The Passing Peregrinus "The Christians. . . worship a man to this day - the distinguished personage who introduced this new cult, and was crucified on that account.. . . their lawgiver [taught] 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 this they take on faith . . . "

MARA BAR-SERAPION, around AD 73, wrote to his son a letter that is now in the British Museum. In it he refers to Jesus as the King of the Jews, stating that they (the Jews) had crucified him.

THALLUS was one of the first Gentile historians to mention Christ. His writings have disappeared but we know of them from the writing of others, such as Julius Africanus (about AD 221) who quotes from Thallus. One of his quotes includes reference to the darkness that occurred at the crucifixion and suggests that a total eclipse was the cause. Julius points out in his writing the impossibility of this since the festival of Passover, when Jesus was crucified, occurs at full moon (eclipses only occur at a new moon).

PHLEGON was a first century historian who’s 'Chronicles' have now been lost, but like Thallus (see below) is quoted by other early writers. Also like Thallus he mentions the darkness at the crucifixion of Jesus saying "an eclipse of the sun occurred during the full moon".

PLINY THE ELDER 23-79 CE, authoredNatural History 37 books on natural events such as earthquakes, eclipses and healing. No mention of Christ. (B)

PLINY THE YOUNGER (c. 61-113 AD) was governor of Bithinia in Asia Minor around AD 110 and wrote to the emperor Trajan (for whom he worked) concerning Christians. He had been putting Christians to death for their faith and making them bow down to Trajan's statue. He records how, in their defence, the Christians described their meetings for worship that included singing "a hymn to Christ as a god".

SUETONIUS (c. 69-122 AD) another Roman historian, the source of most of what we know of the Caesars from Julius Caesar to Domitian, refers to "Chrestus" (another spelling of Christus) in his 'Life of Claudius'. He reports how Claudius expelled the Christians from Rome in AD 49, which is mentioned in Acts 18 v 2. Suetonius also writes of the punishment of Christians by Nero. (A)

TERTULLIAN (c.160-c.230), a Christian theologian, converted to Christianity and became a vocal Christian apologist. He later left the church to join the Montanists. Around CE 197 he wrote the following passage in his Apology: "Tiberius accordingly, in those days the Christian name made it's entry into the world, having himself received intelligence from the truth of Christ's divinity, brought the matter before the senate, with his own decision in favor of Christ. The senate, because it had not given the approval itself, rejected his proposal."

Tertullian therefore records that Tiberius understood the claims that Jesus was God and made his own decision 'in favor of Christ', only to have his decision overruled.

THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD
Sanhedrin 43a (200-500 C.E.): "On the eve of the Passover, Yeshu 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. Any one who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf. But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of Passover!"

Sanhedrin 107b (200-500 C.E.): "One day he (Rabbi Joshua) was reciting the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) when Jesus came before him. He intended to receive him and made a sign to him. He (Jesus) thinking that it was to repel him, went, put up a brick and worshipped it... And a Master has said, 'Jesus the Nazarene practiced magic and led Israel astray.”

GOSPEL OF MARK Dated terminus a quo of 65 CE because Irenaeus said that Mark wrote his gospel after Peter's death which tradition places at 65 CE. Scholars do not know when Mark wrote his gospel so a date of 65-75 CE is an excellent guess considering that he likely didn't start writing the day Simon Peter died.