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strangenotions.com/wp-content/uploads/jesus_calls_610x300-600x295.jpgDid Jesus exist?
Discussions of this subject often begin by looking at references to Jesus in early Christian sources.
Either that or they look for references to Jesus in early non-Christian sources.
But there’s another way of looking at the question that is often ignored . . .
The Standard Approach
Jesus is obviously mentioned in early Christian sources, such as the gospels, the other writings of the New Testament, and the works of the early Church fathers.
Because these are Christian sources, though, their evidence is sometimes discounted, and so an appeal is made to references in early non-Christian sources that mention Jesus.
He is mentioned, for example, in the writings of a number of Roman writers who lived in the early 100s. He’s also mentioned, somewhat more controversially, in the writings of the first century Jewish historian, Josephus.
But an objection is sometimes made to these sources as well: It is suggested that they don’t represent independent evidence for the existence of Jesus, because the authors in question only know about Jesus from what they have learned from Christians.
In some cases, this may be true. In other cases, it may not be true. Some of these authors may have had access to records that conveyed information about Jesus independent of the Christian movement.
But suppose that they didn’t. Suppose that all of the information presented in these sources is ultimately derived from Christian sources.
This does not leave us at an impasse, because there is another approach to the question that we can take.
References to Christianity
Instead of looking, in the first instance, for references to Jesus, we can look at references to the Christian movement itself and see what we can learn about it.
Of course, the same sources that refer to Jesus tend to refer to the Christian movement. That means that we can quickly establish a number of quite early references to Christianity.
It is mentioned by:
Even setting aside that reference, which is partially corrupted, Josephus elsewhere refers to Jesus having followers (noting that he “was called Christ”) in a passage for which we have no evidence of manuscript corruption (Antiquities 20:9:1).
We thus have multiple references for the existence of a Christian movement that date to the end of the first century and the beginning of the second.
Geographical Spread
These same references indicate a considerable geographical spread for the movement.
Josephus is writing about events in Judaea, which other sources also indicate was the origin point of the movement.
But Suetonius and Tacitus write about the movement existing at Rome as well.
And Pliny the Younger indicates that it was widespread in Bithynia (in modern northern Turkey).
A Recent Movement
Another notable fact about the Christian movement is that it was of recent origin.
This is something also indicated by the same sources, who place its origin in the first century.
Josephus links Jesus to his “brother” James, who died in A.D. 62 (Antiquities 20:9:1).
Pliny is at a loss for how to deal with this religious movement, which is so new that the way to deal with its members is still in the process of being established (Letters 96).
Suetonius specifically says that Christians were a new movement (The Twelve Caesars: Nero 16).
And Tacitus says that Jesus was “executed during the rule of Tiberius by the procurator Pontius Pilate” (Annals 15:44).
All of this points to a first century date for the origin of the movement.
More…
Discussions of this subject often begin by looking at references to Jesus in early Christian sources.
Either that or they look for references to Jesus in early non-Christian sources.
But there’s another way of looking at the question that is often ignored . . .
The Standard Approach
Jesus is obviously mentioned in early Christian sources, such as the gospels, the other writings of the New Testament, and the works of the early Church fathers.
Because these are Christian sources, though, their evidence is sometimes discounted, and so an appeal is made to references in early non-Christian sources that mention Jesus.
He is mentioned, for example, in the writings of a number of Roman writers who lived in the early 100s. He’s also mentioned, somewhat more controversially, in the writings of the first century Jewish historian, Josephus.
But an objection is sometimes made to these sources as well: It is suggested that they don’t represent independent evidence for the existence of Jesus, because the authors in question only know about Jesus from what they have learned from Christians.
In some cases, this may be true. In other cases, it may not be true. Some of these authors may have had access to records that conveyed information about Jesus independent of the Christian movement.
But suppose that they didn’t. Suppose that all of the information presented in these sources is ultimately derived from Christian sources.
This does not leave us at an impasse, because there is another approach to the question that we can take.
References to Christianity
Instead of looking, in the first instance, for references to Jesus, we can look at references to the Christian movement itself and see what we can learn about it.
Of course, the same sources that refer to Jesus tend to refer to the Christian movement. That means that we can quickly establish a number of quite early references to Christianity.
It is mentioned by:
- Suetonius, writing around A.D. 121
- Tacitus, writing around A.D. 116
- Pliny the Younger, writing in A.D. 110 or 111
- The Emperor Trajan, writing back to Pliny in A.D. 110 or 111
- And Josephus, writing around A.D. 93
Even setting aside that reference, which is partially corrupted, Josephus elsewhere refers to Jesus having followers (noting that he “was called Christ”) in a passage for which we have no evidence of manuscript corruption (Antiquities 20:9:1).
We thus have multiple references for the existence of a Christian movement that date to the end of the first century and the beginning of the second.
Geographical Spread
These same references indicate a considerable geographical spread for the movement.
Josephus is writing about events in Judaea, which other sources also indicate was the origin point of the movement.
But Suetonius and Tacitus write about the movement existing at Rome as well.
And Pliny the Younger indicates that it was widespread in Bithynia (in modern northern Turkey).
A Recent Movement
Another notable fact about the Christian movement is that it was of recent origin.
This is something also indicated by the same sources, who place its origin in the first century.
Josephus links Jesus to his “brother” James, who died in A.D. 62 (Antiquities 20:9:1).
Pliny is at a loss for how to deal with this religious movement, which is so new that the way to deal with its members is still in the process of being established (Letters 96).
Suetonius specifically says that Christians were a new movement (The Twelve Caesars: Nero 16).
And Tacitus says that Jesus was “executed during the rule of Tiberius by the procurator Pontius Pilate” (Annals 15:44).
All of this points to a first century date for the origin of the movement.
More…