Cornelius Tacitus (c.55-c.117 A.D.) was a
Roman historian who wrote about events in Rome and Great Britain from
15-70 A.D. By his contemptuous tone, he certainly was no friend of
Christianity. In Annals 15:44 he wrote: "…But all human efforts,
all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods,
did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration [fire of Rome]
was the result of an order [of the Emperor]. Consequently, to get rid
of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite
tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by
the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the
extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our
procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus
checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first
source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and
shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become
popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded
guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was
convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred
against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths.
Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished,
or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to
serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired…."
Tacitus in Histories book 5 also discusses in detail how various Roman legions, the 5th, 10th, 15th, 12th and some men from the 18th and 3rd put down the revolt in Judea and destroyed Jerusalem.
Quotes of Tacitus are takes from The Annals and The Histories by P. Cornelius Tacitus, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. 1952.
Mara Bar-Serapion was an ordinary Syrian man who wrote a letter to his son, Serapion, sometime after 73 A.D. He encourages him to emulate the wise men of history who died for what they believed in, such as Socrates, Pythagoras, and the wise King the Jews executed. This document is in the British Museum, and F.F. Bruce mentions this in The New Testament Documents : Are They Reliable.
Josephus was a Jewish scholar, born 37/38 A.D., who wrote positively about Christ. There are two versions of this passage; the shorter 10th century Arabic and the longer Latin. The briefer Arabic version is generally thought to be the more correct one. But whichever version is correct, this is a testimony of the existence and crucifixion of Christ. See the next question for more discussion on this.
Lucian of Samosata, (also called Lucian the Greek) second century satirist, wrote about Christ, "…the man who was crucified in Palestine because he introduced this new cult into the world….Furthermore, their first lawgiver persuaded them that they were all brothers one of another after they have transgressed once for all by denying the Greek gods and by worshipping that crucified sophist himself and living under his laws." (The Passing Peregrinus -also called The Death of Peregrine 11-13) (quoted from Evidence That Demands a Verdict vol. 1 p.82.)
Clement of Rome was a Christian bishop who wrote to the Corinthian church, basically asking them why they were not obeying what Paul wrote 50 years earlier. Clement’s letter was written in 97/98 A.D..
Pliny the Younger was a governor of Bithynia who killed many Christians for their faith. He wrote Emperor Trajan in 112 A.D. asking if he should continue to kill the men, women, and children simply for not worshipping a statue of the Emperor. Pliny says of Christians, "they affirmed, however, that the whole of their guilt, or their error, was, that they were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verse a hymn to Christ as to a god, and bound themselves to a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft, adultery, never to falsify their word, not to deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up. Epistles 10.96. (quoted from Evidence that Demands a Verdict vol. 1 p.83.) Besides this, Pliny also gives us information on the Essenes.
Papias was another bishop who was a disciple of John the apostle. He wrote many volumes, somewhere between 110 to 130 A.D. Unfortunately his writings have been lost, except for a short description by Eusebius of Caesarea (writing around 325 A.D.) Eusebius tells us that among other things, Papias says that the Gospel of Matthew was first written in Hebrew, Mark was the interpreter of Peter, and that Papias taught premillennialism. (Eusebius was an amillennialist.)
Ignatius was a disciple of John the Apostle. He wrote letters to many churches, and died either 107 or 116 A.D. under Emperor Trajan.
Polycarp bishop of Smyrna, was a Christian martyr and disciple of Ignatius who spoke of Christ. He died c.163 A.D.
Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon (in France), was a disciple of Polycarp, and a martyr who lived from 120/140-202 A.D. He wrote a long work against heresies of this time from 182-188 A.D..
The Didache (or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) was an anonymous church manual, of uncertain date, probably written before 125 A.D.
Justin Martyr was a Greek philosopher who was born either 110 or 114 A.D. He converted around 138 and according to Him his First Apology was 150 years after Christ was born. In his first and second apologies, and his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, Justin he talks of Jesus being God. The Chronicon Paschale tells us he was martyred for his faith in 165 A.D.
Suetonius, the Roman historian and court official who wrote about 120 A.D., says "As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus (another spelling of Christus, i.e. Christ], he expelled them from Rome. Life of Claudius 25.4 (Quoted from Evidence that Demands a Verdict volume 1 p.83.)
Theophilus, bishop of Antioch was the first writer we know of to use a Greek term to mean Trinity (Triad) in To Autolycus book 2 ch.15 p.101. He wrote between 168 and 181/188 A.D.
Clement of Alexandria, not to be confused with the earlier Clement of Rome, lived from 193-217/220 A.D. He wrote extensively, including a hymn to Christ and a major work called The Miscellanies.
Hippolytus wrote from 225-235/6 A.D. and wrote The Refutation of All Heresies. Hippolytus was a disciple of Irenaeus.
Tatian lived from 110-172 A.D. and wrote a harmony of the gospels, containing about 79% of the verses in the gospels. Unfortunately he later left the faith and joining the Encratites, a Gnostic heresy.
Jewish Talmuds refer to Jesus in a number of places. See Evidence That Demands a Verdict volume 1 p.85-87 for quotes from the Babylonian Talmud, Tol’doth Yeshu, Barailu, The Amoa ‘Ulla’, Yeb. IV 3, and Baraita. See also Tractate Sanhedrin.
Phlegon was a Greek writer from Caria and freed slave of the Emperor Hadrian. He wrote soon after 137 A.D. that in the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad [33 A.D.] there was "the greatest eclipse of the sun" and that "it became night in the sixth hour of the day [12:00 noon] so that stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicea." (quoted from The Case for Christ p.111.) The entire quote according to The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics p.384 is: "Jesus, while alive, was of no assistance to himself, but that he arose after death and exhibited the marks of his punishment, and showed how his hands had been pierced by nails" and later "the eclipse in the time of Tiberius Caesar, in who reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquake which then took place" both in Origen Against Celsus book 2 ch.33 p.455 in the Ante-Nicene Fathers volume 4 and Julius Africanus Events in Persia ch.18 p.136. See also Origen Against Celsus book 2 ch.59 p.455
Thales (or Thallus) was a Palestinian historian referenced by Julius Africanus (writing 232-245 A.D.) Julius says about the darkness at the time of Christ, "This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun." (quoted from The Ante-Nicene Fathers volume 6 fragment 18 p.136.) The context is Julius discussing how the time from Artaxerxes’ decree to Christ’s crucifixion, fulfilled Daniel 9.
The Samaritan historian Thallus, not to be confused with the Greek philosopher Thales, was fairly well known. The following mention Thallus.
Justin Martyr’s Hortatory Address to the Greeks ch.9 p.277 mentions Thallus, Philo, Josephus, and others.
Theophilus to Autolycus ch.29 p.120 mentions Thallus, as well as the earlier Chaldean historian Berosus on p.121.
The Octavius of Minucius Felix ch.22 p.186
Tertullian’s Apology ch.19 p.33 mentions Thallus and Josephus.
Julius Africanus fragment 18 p.136.
The Shepherd of Hermas was an anonymous Christian work written about 160 A.D.
Athenagoras wrote to the Roman emperor a defense of Christianity about 177 A.D.
Aristides of Athens and Quadratus are also known to have written apologies defending Christianity, but we only have some of their writings preserved.
Tacitus in Histories book 5 also discusses in detail how various Roman legions, the 5th, 10th, 15th, 12th and some men from the 18th and 3rd put down the revolt in Judea and destroyed Jerusalem.
Quotes of Tacitus are takes from The Annals and The Histories by P. Cornelius Tacitus, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. 1952.
Mara Bar-Serapion was an ordinary Syrian man who wrote a letter to his son, Serapion, sometime after 73 A.D. He encourages him to emulate the wise men of history who died for what they believed in, such as Socrates, Pythagoras, and the wise King the Jews executed. This document is in the British Museum, and F.F. Bruce mentions this in The New Testament Documents : Are They Reliable.
Josephus was a Jewish scholar, born 37/38 A.D., who wrote positively about Christ. There are two versions of this passage; the shorter 10th century Arabic and the longer Latin. The briefer Arabic version is generally thought to be the more correct one. But whichever version is correct, this is a testimony of the existence and crucifixion of Christ. See the next question for more discussion on this.
Lucian of Samosata, (also called Lucian the Greek) second century satirist, wrote about Christ, "…the man who was crucified in Palestine because he introduced this new cult into the world….Furthermore, their first lawgiver persuaded them that they were all brothers one of another after they have transgressed once for all by denying the Greek gods and by worshipping that crucified sophist himself and living under his laws." (The Passing Peregrinus -also called The Death of Peregrine 11-13) (quoted from Evidence That Demands a Verdict vol. 1 p.82.)
Clement of Rome was a Christian bishop who wrote to the Corinthian church, basically asking them why they were not obeying what Paul wrote 50 years earlier. Clement’s letter was written in 97/98 A.D..
Pliny the Younger was a governor of Bithynia who killed many Christians for their faith. He wrote Emperor Trajan in 112 A.D. asking if he should continue to kill the men, women, and children simply for not worshipping a statue of the Emperor. Pliny says of Christians, "they affirmed, however, that the whole of their guilt, or their error, was, that they were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verse a hymn to Christ as to a god, and bound themselves to a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft, adultery, never to falsify their word, not to deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up. Epistles 10.96. (quoted from Evidence that Demands a Verdict vol. 1 p.83.) Besides this, Pliny also gives us information on the Essenes.
Papias was another bishop who was a disciple of John the apostle. He wrote many volumes, somewhere between 110 to 130 A.D. Unfortunately his writings have been lost, except for a short description by Eusebius of Caesarea (writing around 325 A.D.) Eusebius tells us that among other things, Papias says that the Gospel of Matthew was first written in Hebrew, Mark was the interpreter of Peter, and that Papias taught premillennialism. (Eusebius was an amillennialist.)
Ignatius was a disciple of John the Apostle. He wrote letters to many churches, and died either 107 or 116 A.D. under Emperor Trajan.
Polycarp bishop of Smyrna, was a Christian martyr and disciple of Ignatius who spoke of Christ. He died c.163 A.D.
Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon (in France), was a disciple of Polycarp, and a martyr who lived from 120/140-202 A.D. He wrote a long work against heresies of this time from 182-188 A.D..
The Didache (or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) was an anonymous church manual, of uncertain date, probably written before 125 A.D.
Justin Martyr was a Greek philosopher who was born either 110 or 114 A.D. He converted around 138 and according to Him his First Apology was 150 years after Christ was born. In his first and second apologies, and his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, Justin he talks of Jesus being God. The Chronicon Paschale tells us he was martyred for his faith in 165 A.D.
Suetonius, the Roman historian and court official who wrote about 120 A.D., says "As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus (another spelling of Christus, i.e. Christ], he expelled them from Rome. Life of Claudius 25.4 (Quoted from Evidence that Demands a Verdict volume 1 p.83.)
Theophilus, bishop of Antioch was the first writer we know of to use a Greek term to mean Trinity (Triad) in To Autolycus book 2 ch.15 p.101. He wrote between 168 and 181/188 A.D.
Clement of Alexandria, not to be confused with the earlier Clement of Rome, lived from 193-217/220 A.D. He wrote extensively, including a hymn to Christ and a major work called The Miscellanies.
Hippolytus wrote from 225-235/6 A.D. and wrote The Refutation of All Heresies. Hippolytus was a disciple of Irenaeus.
Tatian lived from 110-172 A.D. and wrote a harmony of the gospels, containing about 79% of the verses in the gospels. Unfortunately he later left the faith and joining the Encratites, a Gnostic heresy.
Jewish Talmuds refer to Jesus in a number of places. See Evidence That Demands a Verdict volume 1 p.85-87 for quotes from the Babylonian Talmud, Tol’doth Yeshu, Barailu, The Amoa ‘Ulla’, Yeb. IV 3, and Baraita. See also Tractate Sanhedrin.
Phlegon was a Greek writer from Caria and freed slave of the Emperor Hadrian. He wrote soon after 137 A.D. that in the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad [33 A.D.] there was "the greatest eclipse of the sun" and that "it became night in the sixth hour of the day [12:00 noon] so that stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicea." (quoted from The Case for Christ p.111.) The entire quote according to The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics p.384 is: "Jesus, while alive, was of no assistance to himself, but that he arose after death and exhibited the marks of his punishment, and showed how his hands had been pierced by nails" and later "the eclipse in the time of Tiberius Caesar, in who reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquake which then took place" both in Origen Against Celsus book 2 ch.33 p.455 in the Ante-Nicene Fathers volume 4 and Julius Africanus Events in Persia ch.18 p.136. See also Origen Against Celsus book 2 ch.59 p.455
Thales (or Thallus) was a Palestinian historian referenced by Julius Africanus (writing 232-245 A.D.) Julius says about the darkness at the time of Christ, "This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun." (quoted from The Ante-Nicene Fathers volume 6 fragment 18 p.136.) The context is Julius discussing how the time from Artaxerxes’ decree to Christ’s crucifixion, fulfilled Daniel 9.
The Samaritan historian Thallus, not to be confused with the Greek philosopher Thales, was fairly well known. The following mention Thallus.
Justin Martyr’s Hortatory Address to the Greeks ch.9 p.277 mentions Thallus, Philo, Josephus, and others.
Theophilus to Autolycus ch.29 p.120 mentions Thallus, as well as the earlier Chaldean historian Berosus on p.121.
The Octavius of Minucius Felix ch.22 p.186
Tertullian’s Apology ch.19 p.33 mentions Thallus and Josephus.
Julius Africanus fragment 18 p.136.
The Shepherd of Hermas was an anonymous Christian work written about 160 A.D.
Athenagoras wrote to the Roman emperor a defense of Christianity about 177 A.D.
Aristides of Athens and Quadratus are also known to have written apologies defending Christianity, but we only have some of their writings preserved.
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