1. Josephus Flavius (95 AD)
Perhaps the earliest non-Biblical account of Jesus comes from the 1st century historian Josephus Flavius. The Gospel of John, our latest Gospel coming in at +- 60 years after Jesus death (30 AD) comes very close to Flavius’ account. Nevertheless, this great Jewish writer from the 1st century attests to an important fact that James, the brother of Jesus, was martyred. In his work Antiquities 20 v.9, we read:
“…and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned”.
Now, before we look at the next reference we should note that the above reference to Jesus’ brother is, according to the world’s leading Josephus Flavius scholar, Louis Feldman “almost universally acknowledged”, and thus beyond dispute. Here we have a legitimate reference to the historical Jesus and his brother.
Now, the other reference we find in the Testimonium Flavium. Scholars have rightfully noted that the reference to Jesus in the text is suspicious since it mentions Jesus in a way that a Jew of the likes of Josephus, who was particularly unsympathetic towards Jesus or early Christianity, would never mention him. It is as if Josephus exalts Jesus more than he should, and the result is that scholars have questioned its authenticity, and thus concluded that it is a Christian interpolation.
However, scholars unanimously agree that Josephus did mention Jesus in the original before altered copy. But fortunately scholars have managed to reconstruct what they think the original writing of the Testionium Flavium actually looked and read like, they suggest the following:
“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man. For he was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. And he gained a following both among many Jews and many of Greek origin. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”
According to another authoritative Jewish scholar, by the name of Geza Vermes, the reconstructed edition of the Testimonium provides Josephus’ authentic portrayal of Jesus, depicting him as a wise teacher and miracle worker with an enthusiastic group of followers who remained faithful to him after his crucifixion by Pilate, up to the time of Josephus. According to scholar Michael Bird “Authors like Josephus, Pliny the Younger, Suetonius and Tacitus from the late first and early second century wrote about Jesus too… [which] sounds pretty early to me, as least in comparison to other historical figures.” So, what facts can we get about Jesus from these two references?
We find that Jesus lived in the first century, that he was an allegedly wise man, that he was a teacher and did startling and unusual deeds, that men believed that he taught the truth, that he gained a following of many Jews and many Greeks, that Pontius Pilate condemned him to the cross, that some were loyal to him and never forsook him, and that from him Christianity branched out and amassed a large following. That’s at least 8 facts, most of which are reported and confirmed within the New Testament.
