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Historical Reference to Jesus Christ

Specific Historical References (Geisler)

It is a historical fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, walked upon this earth as a human. Many respected historians wrote of Christ's presence in both their secular and spiritual writings.

1. Tacitus (A.D. 112), the Roman historian, stated that Christ “…was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius” (Annals XV.44).

2. Lucian, the second-century satirist, spoke about Christ as “…the man who was crucified in Palestine,” and who “persuaded [His followers] that they were all brothers,” and that they should deny the Greek gods and worship Him (On the Death of Peregrine).

3. Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, wrote of Jesus “the so-called Christ” whose disciples “reported that He had appeared to them three days after His crucifixion and that He was alive” (Antiquities XVIII.33; XX.9.1)

4. Suetonius (A.D. 120) alluded to the Jews who were expelled from Rome because they were “…making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus [another spelling for Christ]” (Life of Claudius 25.4).

5. Pliny the Younger (A.D. 112) recorded that early Christians met to sing “…a hymn to Christ as to a god, and bound themselves to a solemn oath, not to do any wicked deeds…” (Epistles X.96)

6. Thallus, the Samaritan-born historian (A.D. 52), wrote in the third book of his histories, “It was at the season of the Paschal full moon that Christ died” (as recorded by Julius Africanus, A.D. 221).

7. The Jewish Talmud says, “On the eve of Passover they hanged Yeshu (of Nazareth)…in that he hath practiced sorcery and beguiled and led astray Israel” (Babylonia, Sanhedrin 43a)

Citations

Geisler, Norman L. "Christ: The Key to the Inspiration and Canonization of the Bible." A Popular Survey of the Old Testament. Michigan: Baker Academic, 2006. 11,12.

Cite Article Source

MLA Style Citation:
McFarland, Kathy L. "The Historical References to Jesus Christ." Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians 25 August 2007. <http://guidedbiblestudies.com/history/historical.htm>.

APA Style Citation:
McFarland, Kathy L. (2007, August 25). The Historical References to Jesus Christ. Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians. Retrieved from http://guidedbiblestudies.com/history/historical.htm

Chicago Style Citation:
McFarland, Kathy L. 2007 The Historical References to Jesus Christ. Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians (August, 07), http://guidedbiblestudies.com/history/historical.htm (accessed )

About the Author

Kathy L. McFarland is a Becker Bible Studies Teacher and author of Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians. She is a Religious Studies student of Liberty University, Hebrew language student attending Israeli taught Ulpan and a Homeschool parent teaching the things of God. She is also well-known as a child advocate of innocent children tortured and suffering from the abuse of sexual perversion, out-of-control violence, and pathetic neglect by a carnal world gone mad.

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