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Extra-Biblical references to historical Yeshua, or Jesus.
Why would the Roman government brutally persecute peaceful followers of a non-historical figure? Why were tens of thousands of first century Christians (almost exclusively Jewish believers in Jesus) who lived within forty years of the "mythical events," willingly suffer the loss of all possessions and status, and be murdered for a myth? Why would Saul of Tarsus, a Jewish Pharisee, a leader of the Jews, be willing to give up everything and join the crowd that he had admittedly been persecuting? These are some of the questions that the myth theory doesn't satisfactorily explain. Obviously, if Jesus of Nazareth was a true historical figure, and if he truly was who his disciples claimed he was, then there should be historical references to his existence other than the New Testament documents. As we search for "extra biblical" (i.e. non-Christian) sources for the existence of Jesus, we will discover that the skeptic hasn't a leg to stand on, when he argues that Jesus was a non historical figure.[1] There are numerous historical references to Jesus, from both neutral and antagonistic sources, as early as the mid first century. Mark Eastman, Historical Evidence for Jesus of Nazareth.
Extra-Biblical References (Non-Exhaustive):
Tacitus, Josephus, and the Talmud are extra Biblical references that affirm the existence of Yeshua, or Jesus. The Talmud and Josephus mention that Yeshua, or Jesus existed, and was indeed crucified. Tacitus and Josephus say this occurred under Pontius Pilate, and the Talmud concurs with the New Testament that it happened on the eve of Passover in accordance with Daniel 9:24-26, Nehemiah 2:8, Isaiah 53, and others. There are other references to the Christian belief in Jesus' resurrection in both Tacitus and Josephus, and Josephus records that Jesus' followers believed He was the Christ, or Messiah. These sources affirm the historical existence of Yeshua, or Jesus. These references, whether you accept Yeshua as Messiah or not, show the foundational teachings found in the New Testament, and arguably in the Tanachk, were not a later fabrication and that Yeshua lived among mankind, wrought many signs and wonders, taught the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, was crucified, and references to a resurrection. So, there are outside references corroborating the Holy Bible. Consider the following:
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 sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy.'
The Babylonian Talmud , transl. by I. Epstein (London: Soncino, 1935), vol. III, Sanhedrin 43a, 281, cited in Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 203.
Reporting on Emperor Nero's decision to blame the Christians for the fire that had destroyed Rome in A.D. 64, the Roman historian Tacitus wrote:
Nero fastened the guilt . . . 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 . . . 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.
Tacitus, Annals 15.44, cited in Strobel, The Case for Christ , 82.
Josephus, a prominent Jewish general taken captive by the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem in 70, knew quite a bit about the time period first hand. He lived there, and was in the know. He wrote a history of the Jews, and copies in other languages of these transcripts have surfaced for comparison further strengthening their trustworthiness. Living there himself during the times in such a position makes Josephus including fictitious people and events highly implausible. Some recent critics of Josephus' writings suggesting Yeshua never existed at all like to point out that there is no evidence Josephus really ever met Yeshua personally, and that he only "reported" on him to imply Yeshua never existed. Usually, those assuming this posture are from among those who do not want to believe in Yeshua. Otherwise, passages like Isaiah 53 in the Jewish Bible COULD apply to Yeshua from an objective standpoint if reading it at face value for there is no way that passage in context can refer to the nation of Israel since the nation is not without guile, or sin. In fact, Jewish scholars did not start interpreting Isaiah 53 to refer to the nation of Israel until thirteenth century Rashi. Rashi's thirteenth century views have been interpolated back upon the ancient text mainly because Isaiah 53 if taken at face value in context is problematic for many reasons. Among other things, it was written seven centuries before historical Yesuah, or Jesus, and clearly speaks of a coming man pierced and cut off for the transgressions of the people. Claiming Yeshua never existed in the first place using speculations like "Josephus never met Yeshua" is another convenient way of ducking all of these below the surface issues and implications when considering the striking parallels in events surrounding historical Yeshua, or Jesus. Even so, it is clear from Josephus' writings he at the very least met those eye witnesses of the EVENTS pertaining to Yeshua. For example, Josephus makes reference to James as the brother of Jesus in the course of explaining how the high priest Ananus took advantage of the death of the Roman governor Festus in 62 CE to organize a mob to stone James "the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ." Here are two references to historical Yeshua, or Jesus in Josephus' writitings:
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 the 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.
(Quoted in James H. Charlesworth, Jesus Within Judaism , (Garden City: Doubleday, 1988), 95, cited in Habermas, The Historical Jesus , 194).
Josephus makes reference to James as the brother of Jesus in the cource of explaining "how the high priest Ananus took advantage of the death of the Roman governor Festus in 62 CE to organize a mob to stone James. McDowell mentions this passage because Josephus identifies James as 'the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ'":
But the younger Ananus who, as we said, received the high priesthood, was of a bold disposition and exceptionally daring; he followed the party of the Sadducees, who are severe in judgment above all the Jews, as we have already shown. As therefore Ananus was of such a disposition, he thought he had now a good opportunity, as Festus was now dead, and Albinus was still on the road; so he assembled a council of judges, and brought it before the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ, whose name was James, together with some others, and having accused them as law-breakers, he delivered them over to be stoned.
Antiquities 20.9.1 §200-201. Cited by McDowell 1979, p. 83