Ancient Evidence for the Life of Jesus Christ (Part 3 of 4)

Evidence for the existence of Jesus in Other Gentile Sources, Lost Works and Jewish Sources

In our previous articles we have examined some of the better known historical references to the life of Jesus. We now wish to examine a few other ancient sources which, although not as well known, still provide increasing evidence that Jesus was an historical figure.

1. Lucian

Lucian of Samosata was a Greek satirist of the Second Century. Lucian spoke rather derisively of Jesus and early Christians, but in the process of his critique of Christians, he relates some important facts.

“The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day — the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account … you see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self devotion which are so common among them by their original law giver 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 this they take quite on faith, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely as common property.”1

Without examining each detail of this quotation, it is easy to see the wealth of information with which Lucian provides us. Many of the facts which he mentions are not reported by other extra-New Testament authors.

2. Mara Bar—Serapion

The British Museum has the manuscript of a letter written some time between 73AD and the third century A.D. It’s author was a Syrian named Mara Bar — Serapion, who was writing from prison to motivate his son Serapion to emulate wise teachers of the past.

“What advantage did the Athenians gain from putting Socrates to death? Famine and plague came upon them as a judgement fro their crime. What advantage did the men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? In a moment their land was covered with sand. What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise King? It was just after that that their kingdom was abolished. God justly avenged these three wise men: the Athenians died of hunger; the Samians were overwhelmed by the sea; the Jews, ruined and driven from their land, live in com­plete dispersion. But Socrates did not die for good; he lived on in the teaching of Plato. Pythagoras did not die for good: he lived on in the statue of Hera. Nor did the wise King die for good: he lived on in the teaching which he had given”2

From this passage we learn:

  1. That Jesus was considered to be a wise and virtuous man.
  2. He is addressed twice as the Jews’ King, pos­sibly a reference to Jesus’ own teaching about himself, to that of his followers or even to the wording on the titulus placed above his head on the cross.
  3. Jesus was executed unjustly by the Jews, who paid for their misdeeds by suffering judgement soon afterwards, probably at least a reference to 70 A.D.
  4. Jesus lived on in the teaching of the early Christians, which is an indication that Mara Bar — Separation was almost certainly not a Christian. Rather, he follows Lucian and others in the popular comparison of Jesus to philosophers and other wise men of the ancient world.

3. Acts Of Pontius Pilate

The contents of this purportedly lost docu­ment are reported by both Justin Martyr (ca. 150 A.D.) and Tertullian (ca. 200 A.D.). Both agreed that it was an official document of Rome. Two types of archives were kept in ancient Rome. The Acta Senatus were composed of minutes of the Senatorial meetings, and as far as we know these contained no discussions of Christ or Christianity. The Commentarii Principis were composed of the correspondence sent to the Emperors from various parts of the Empire. Any report from Pilate to Tiberius would be­long to this second group.

Justin Martyr in his First Apology asserts that the details of Jesus’ crucifixion could be validated from Pilate’s report.

“And the expression, ‘They pierced my hands and my feet,’ was used in reference to the nails of the cross which were fixed in His hands and feet. And after He was crucified, they cast lots upon His vesture, and they that crucified Him parted it among them. And that these things did happen you can ascertain in the ‘Acts of Pontius Pilate.’3

Later in the same work Justin lists several healing miracles and asserts.

And that he did those things, you can learn from the Acts of Pontius Pilate.'[Justin Martyr, First Apology, XXXV.]

We must be careful in our use of this source, because there is little real evidence of the existence of this document. There are no known fragments of the Acts of Pilate or any evidence that it was specifically quoted by another writer. Nevertheless, it is an interesting addi­tion in our search through the non-New Testa­ment documents.

4. Phlegon

Phlegon was a freed man of the Emperor Hadrian who was born about 80 A.D. Origin relates that Phlegon mentioned that Jesus made certain predictions which had been fulfilled. This work of Phlegon is no longer in existence and we depend on Origin for this information.

5. Other Jewish Sources

There is a very significant collection of Jew­ish writings called the Talmud. This is a compilation of, and commentary upon, the oral tradi­tions which had been passed down from generation to generation. This was completed be­tween 135 and 200 A.D.

There is an interesting quotation concerning the death of Jesus in the section know as Sanhedrin 43A.

“On the eve of 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 practices sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Anyone 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 .’4

It should be noted that the Talmud is tradition and not necessarily fact. Hence the discrepancies which are glaringly obvious.

6.  Toledoth Jesu

This is another Jewish document which was compiled in the fifth Century. It was an anti-Christian document, yet it records things con­cerning the death and burial of Jesus, doing so according to Jewish traditions which had been passed down. Among other things it makes reference to the fact that the body of Jesus was stolen by the disciples — a story which, as we know, was popularly propagated even during the writing of the gospels (Matthew 27:62-64; 28:11-15).

It is interesting to see in these Jewish writings further evidence for the Historicity of Jesus of Nazareth. Although some of these , sources which we have outlined in this article are perhaps not as authoritative as previous quotations, it should be becoming increasingly obvious that the bulk of evidence is in favour of the conclusion that Jesus lived on this earth when the New Testament claims he did: that he did those things that the New Testament claimed he did: and as a result we can have confidence that he will do in the future those things that the New Testament claims he will accomplish.

  1. Lucian, The Death of Peregrine, 11-13, in The Works of Lucian of Samosata, translated by H.W. Fowler and F.G. Fowler, 4 volumes (Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1949), volume 4.
  2. British Museum, Syriac Manuscript. Additional 14,658. For this text, see Bruce, Christian Origins, Page 31.
  3. Justin Martyr, First Apology, XXXV.
  4. The Babylonian Talmud, translated by I. Epstein (London: The Soncino Press, 1935), volume III, Sanhedrin 43, page 281.