INTRODUCTION

This is Israel.  And about 5 million tourists visit here each year.  Most of them are Christians who come to follow the footsteps of Jesus.  And that’s not surprising when you consider that Jesus has over 2 billion followers in the world today.  

Jesus Christ heads the list of the world’s top 10 most significant people ever, according to Wikipedia.  But although He’s the most significant person ever, there are still many people who question whether He ever really existed.   

So, how can we know? 

Well, there’s a way to find out.  We can check out the work of people who dig up the past – archaeologists.  And we can see if they’ve found any sign of Jesus ever being here.  Like detectives, archaeologists search for clues about the past, and evidence of people who lived thousands of years ago.  

They study the evidence they uncover, such as tools, pottery, jewellery, stone walls, and monuments, to learn about life in the ancient world, and unlock the mysteries of the past.  And some of the most important ancient and historical artifacts are written texts, inscriptions, and manuscripts.  

These manuscripts can provide a kind of record of the lives of important people of the past.  And that’s true for Jesus as well.  So, let’s go on a tour of some of these ancient texts and manuscripts to see if we can find any evidence for the existence of Jesus.

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EARLY ARCHAELOGICAL FINDS

In 1799 a French soldier digging a trench near the mouth of the Nile River in Egypt discovers the Rosetta Stone and unlocks the secrets of ancient civilisations.  In 1922 an English archaeologist uncovers a single step in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings that leads to the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun and a hoard of golden treasure.  

Twenty-five years later a Bedouin boy throws a stone into a cave near the Dead Sea in Israel that leads to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  These are some of archaeology’s greatest discoveries that give us a glimpse into the lives of ancient people of the past. 

Ancient historical texts or writings can be found in many forms, which can include clay tablets, stone, papyrus, leather, metal, wax, wood, paper, stele or monuments.

Virtually everything we know about Jesus comes from written texts or manuscripts, mostly of course, from the Bible – the four Gospels and other New Testament writings.  

But these are all Christian, and sceptics – doubters, and those who question the existence of Jesus – well, they argue that all of these written texts and manuscripts are biased and may not be historically reliable information.  So, yes, the Bible says that Jesus was real, but is there any other written proof that Jesus existed?  

TOP-10 NON-BIBLICAL SOURCES

Well, yes there is!  Within a few decades of his lifetime, Jesus was mentioned by Jewish and Roman historians.   We’re going to look at their writings, their manuscripts, that have been discovered by archaeologists and historians to see if they corroborate what the Bible tells us about Jesus.  

So, let’s embark on a tour of the top 10 ancient texts and manuscripts outside of the Bible to see if we can find any evidence for the existence of Jesus.  

LUCIAN OF SAMOSATA

At number 10, we start with Lucian of Samosata.  He was born in 120 AD at Samosata, on the right bank of the Euphrates River.  It was the capital of a small Hellenistic kingdom called Commagene, in Syria, until the Romans conquered it in 72 AD.  It is now the modern city of Samsat in present-day Turkey. 

Lucian received a Greek education and mastered the Greek language and became a famous Greek satirist.  In one of his works, entitled, ‘The Death of Peregrine, which he wrote around 165AD, he mocks Jesus and His followers, writing:

“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; and then it was impressed on them by their original lawgiver 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.” 

Now, although Lucian is mocking the early Christians here and ridiculing their beliefs, he does make some significant and revealing comments about them in the middle of the second century AD.  

He makes the following points: 1. Jesus founded the Christian religion.  2.  He introduced new teachings and beliefs.  3. His followers were converted and considered themselves spiritual brothers and sisters.  4. Jesus’ followers worshipped him as God.  5.  Jesus’ followers rejected the Greek gods, and  6. Jesus was crucified. 

CELSUS

At number 9 of our top 10 non-biblical manuscripts that refer to Jesus, we have Celsus, a second-century Greek philosopher who was an opponent of Christianity and wrote a treatise called The True Doctrine, attacking Christian beliefs, and in particular, the record of Jesus’ life.  Here’s what he wrote:

“Jesus came from a village in Judea and was the son of a poor Jewess who gained a living by the work of her own hands.  His mother had been turned out of doors by her husband, who was a carpenter by trade, on being convicted of adultery.

Being thus driven away by her husband, and wandering about in disgrace, she gave birth to Jesus, an illegitimate child.  Jesus, on account of his poverty, was hired out to go to Egypt.  While there he acquired certain magical powers which Egyptians pride themselves on possessing.  He returned home highly elated at possessing these powers, and on the strength of them proclaimed himself to be a God.”

Celsus’ account of Jesus’ life reports that: 1. Jesus was reportedly born of a poor virgin, but then argues that this was impossible and offers the idea that Jesus was an illegitimate child.  2. Jesus had an earthly father who was a carpenter.  3. Jesus possessed unusual powers and performed miracles.  4. Jesus claimed to be God.

ANCIENT JEWISH WRITINGS

At number 8 of our historical references to Jesus outside the Bible, we have ancient Jewish writings. These were written by Jewish theologians and leaders who were hostile to Jesus.  These writings are often very harsh, critical, and even demeaning of Jesus.

There is the Babylonian Talmud, a collection of Jewish rabbinical writings that cover a wide variety of subject matters integral to Jewish life and were compiled between approximately 70 – 500 AD.  

The most significant reference to Jesus from the earliest period states: 

“On the eve of the Passover, Yeshu was hanged.  For forty days before the execution took place, a herald… cried, ‘He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced magic and enticed Israel to apostacy.’”  

The Talmud declares that Jesus was executed on the eve of the Passover.  It uses the term ‘hanged’ which in ancient times could function as a synonym for ‘crucified’.  The Bible also uses the term in this way.  

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).  

 The Babylonian Talmud claims that Jesus was executed because He practiced magic, implying that He performed miraculous feats, or miracles, and enticed Israel to apostacy. 

The later Toledot Yeshu, whose oral traditions possibly date back to the second century AD, are anti Jesus, and present a negative interpretation of his life.  The Toledot portrays Jesus as an illegitimate child who practiced sorcery, was a heretic, and died a shameful death.  Nevertheless, it makes claims about Jesus that support the Gospel account of His life, death and resurrection.

PHLEGON OF TRALLES

Now, at number 7 of our non-biblical references to Jesus we have Phlegon of Tralles.  He was a historian who wrote a chronicle of history around 140 AD.  Although it’s no longer in existence, it’s referred to and quoted by other writers.  

Julius Africanus writes: 

“Phlegon records that, in the time of Tiberius Caesar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the sixth to the ninth hour.”  (Africanus, Chronology, 18:1)

Phlegon is also mentioned by Origen, an early church theologian and scholar born in Alexandria.  He writes: 

“Now Phlegon, in… his Chronicles, not only ascribed to Jesus a knowledge of future events… but also testified that the result corresponded to His predictions.”  (Origen Against Celsus, Book 2, Chapter 14)

“And with regard to the eclipse in the time of Tiberius Caesar, in whose reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place…”. (Origen Against Celsus, Book 2, Chapter 33)

“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.”  (Origen Against Celsus, Book 2, Chapter 59)

So, according to the ancient historian Phlegon, Jesus had the ability to accurately predict the future, was crucified during the reign of Tiberius Caesar, and demonstrated His wounds after He was resurrected.  

THALLUS

Now, number 6 in our search for ancient non-biblical manuscripts that refer to Jesus leads us to Thallus.  He’s an early historian who lived in the first century and wrote a three-volume history of the Mediterranean world.  He came from Miletus, in Iona, in Asia Minor. 

He’s perhaps the earliest secular or non-Christian writer to refer to Jesus. Most scholars date Thallus’ History to around 50 AD, just 20 years after Jesus’ crucifixion.

Unfortunately, Thallus’ work has been lost.  But the ancient historian Julius Africanus, writing around 220 AD, quotes Thallus in relation to the darkness that accompanied the crucifixion of Jesus.

“On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness Thallus in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun.”  (Julius Africanus, Chronography 18:1)

Thallus appears to be countering the argument of Christians that darkness accompanied the death of Christ.  But there are some important things that we can conclude from his account:  Jesus lived.  He was crucified, and there was an earthquake and darkness at the time of His crucifixion.

MARA BAR SERAPION

Number 5 in our ancient manuscript tour brings us to a Syrian philosopher named Mara Bar Serapion.  He [also] lived in Samasota, about 50km north of Edessa in the Roman province of Syria.  Sometime soon after 70 AD his city was destroyed by the Romans, and he was taken captive.  

From prison, he wrote a letter in Syriac to his son, encouraging him to pursue wisdom.  In it he refers to Jesus as the ‘wise king’ and compared the life and persecution of Jesus with that of other philosophers who were persecuted for their ideas.

“What benefit did the Athenians obtain by putting Socrates to death?  Famine and plague came upon them as judgment for their crime.  Or, the people of Samos for burning Pythagoras?  In one moment, their country was covered with sand.  

Or the Jews by murdering their wise king?  After that their kingdom was abolished and they were scattered through every nation.  God rightly avenged these men… The wise king… lived on in the teaching he enacted.”

From the account of this Syrian philosopher, Mara Bar Serapion, we discover that Jesus was a wise and influential man who died for His beliefs.  The Jewish leadership was somehow responsible for Jesus’ death.  Jesus’ followers adopted His beliefs and lived their lives accordingly.

SUETONIUS

Number 4, on our tour of ancient historical manuscripts that refer to Jesus, takes us to Rome and Suetonius.  He was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire.  His most famous work, Lives of the Caesars, written around 120 AD, recounts a brief history of the first twelve Roman Caesars, from Julius Caesar to the emperor Domitian.  

In his chapter on the life of Claudius, he explained the reason for the emperor’s decision to expel the Jews from Rome.  

“Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus (Christ), he expelled them from Rome.”

Now, this expulsion took place in 49 AD, and in another work, Suetonius wrote of the fire which destroyed Rome in 64 AD under the reign of Nero.  Nero blamed the Christians for this fire, and he punished Christians severely as a result.  

“Nero inflicted punishment on the Christians, a sect given to a new and mischievous religious belief.”

Suetonius’ reference demonstrates that, within a hundred years of the life of Jesus, he was known to have existed and that he was a popular and controversial figure who caused disturbances among the Jews during the reign of Claudius, affirming the Bible record.

PLINY THE YOUNGER

Now, number 3 on our tour of ancient non-biblical manuscripts that refer to Jesus, takes us to Bithynia, just south of the Black Sea, in modern day Turkey.   In 110 AD Pliny the Younger became the Roman Governor of the province of Bithynia.  

Now, Pliny the Younger was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of ancient Rome.  He was also an avid letter-writer, communicating with historians such as Tacitus, and particularly Emperor Trajan.  We have 247 of his surviving letters.

In 112 AD, Pliny wrote to Emperor Trajan on the problem of the Christians in the province.  He asked for advice on how to deal with the Christians he was prosecuting.  At one point in his letter, Pliny relates some of the information he had learned about these Christians:

“They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft, or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and reassemble to partake of food – but food of an ordinary and innocent king.”

Pliny’s letter to the emperor is significant, because it is one of the earliest descriptions of Christianity from an outsider’s viewpoint.  It also provides some important information regarding their beliefs and practices.  

It reveals that Christians regularly met on a certain fixed day for worship.  It also shows that Christians at the time believed in the divinity of Jesus and were meeting weekly to worship him.  It also shows that they took the teachings of Jesus seriously and made a solemn oath to follow those teachings in everyday life.  

JOSEPHUS

Now, we come to our number 2 position on our tour of ancient historical manuscripts that mention Jesus.   And we meet Josephus. Now, Josephus was a Roman-Jewish historian and military leader.

He was born into an aristocratic priestly family in Jerusalem just a few years after the crucifixion of Jesus.  He was a consultant for the Jewish rabbis at an early age, and became a Galilean military commander by the age of sixteen.

He initially fought against the Roman Empire during the First Jewish-Roman War as general of the Jewish forces in Galilee, until surrendering in 67 AD to the Roman army led by military commander Vespasian, after the six-week siege of Yodfat in northern Israel.  

Josephus predicted that Vespasian would become Emperor of Rome, and Vespasian did indeed become Emperor. He offered Josephus his freedom and allowed him to write a history of the Jewish people.  

Josephus wrote four main works that are major sources of information to us today about the history and life of Jews and Christians in the first century.  This history includes three passages about Christians.  

One in which he describes the death of John the Baptist; one in which he mentions the execution of James, the brother of Jesus; and a final passage which describes Jesus as a wise man.  Now, many scholars believe that his final passage about Jesus in its Greek form was altered by a Christian scribe at some point in antiquity and so contains some pro-Christian additions which were not part of the original writings of Josephus.

But then, in the 1970s, an Arabic version of this passage was discovered and published that did not contain the pro-Christian additions.  It reads:

“At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus.  His conduct was good, and he was known to be virtuous.  And many people from among the Jews and other nations became his disciples.  Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die.

But those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship.  They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion, and that he was alive; accordingly he was perhaps the Messiah concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders.” ( Schlomo Pines, An Arabic Version of the Testimonium Flavianum and its Implications.)

From these passages of Josephus it is clear that he accepted the existence of Jesus.  And he clearly stated that:  

Jesus lived in Palestine, was a wise man and teacher, worked amazing deeds, was accused by the Jews, was crucified under Pilate, and had followers called Christians.

TACITUS

Our number 1 position on our tour of ancient historical manuscripts that mention Jesus brings us to Tacitus and Rome.  Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus, was a Roman historian and politician.  He was born less than 30 years after the crucifixion of Jesus, and after receiving a good education he embarked on a successful political career, becoming a senator under Emperor Vespasian.  

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most reliable Roman historians, by modern scholars.  He was known for his analysis and examination of historical documents.  

He left two major works, the Annals, covering Roman history from 14 – 68 AD, and the Histories, covering the period 69 – 96 AD.  In his Annals, Tacitus writes:

“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 Judea, 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.”

Now, this passage is considered to be the most important reference to Jesus outside the New Testament.  There are several reasons for this.  First, it was written relatively soon after Christ – about 80 years after his crucifixion.  Secondly, there is no question as to its authenticity.  

Thirdly, Tacitus is seen as an independent source.  There does not seem to be any literary or oral dependence between his description and the gospel accounts.  Fourthly, it affirms numerous details about Jesus, called Christus, including his historicity, his death under Pontius Pilate, and the persecution of his disciples.  

REMARKABLY DETAILED SUMMARY

So, there we have them – our Top 10 historical manuscripts that refer to Jesus outside the Bible.  Now, each of these sources, on their own, provides limited information regarding the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth.  But taken together, though, they provide a remarkably detailed summary of Jesus’ life:  

He was reported to have been born of a poor virgin and that his father was a carpenter.

He was a teacher, and his disciples passed on his teaching to others.

He prophesied and performed miracles.

He was known for his wisdom and virtuous life.

He claimed to be God.

He was crucified by Pontius Pilate in Judea during the reign of Tiberius Caesar

An earthquake and darkness accompanied his death

His followers reported that he had risen from the dead, appeared to them, and showed them the wounds in his hands.

His followers worshipped him as God

Belief in Jesus caused disturbances with the Jews, which led to Emperor Claudius’ decree for Jews to leave Rome.

JESUS’ EXISTENCE BEYOND DOUBT

So, there’s plenty of evidence among the ancient historical manuscripts to confirm the existence of Jesus beyond any doubt. 

The evidence is in.  Jesus is real.  So, what are we going to do?  Well, here’s a good place to start:   Believe who He says He is.  Accept him.  Trust Him and allow Him to change our hearts and lives.  Find out more about him by reading the Bible and talking to him in prayer. 

SPECIAL OFFER AND CLOSING PRAYER

If you would like to know more about Jesus, and the manuscript, archaeological and historical evidence that verify his existence, then I’d like to recommend the free gift we have for all our Incredible Journey viewers today.

It’s the booklet, Ancient Manuscripts: Evidence for Jesus. This booklet is our gift to you and is absolutely free. I guarantee there are no costs or obligations whatsoever. So, make the most of this wonderful opportunity to receive your free gift today.

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Be sure to join us again next week, when we will share another of life’s journeys together. Until then, let’s pray to the great God of the Bible.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for Jesus, and all the manuscript evidence that’s available to show that he’s real and that the Bible’s true. But above all we want to thank you for the Good News about Jesus and how He can bring lasting peace and happiness into our lives.  Please grant each of us that peace and happiness, we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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