Is there a historical record of Jesus anywhere other than the bible?

Answer 1

There are no contemporary references to Jesus. The closest is Josephus, but it a matter of interpretation whether he refers to Jesus or not, though he does seem to refer to some of his followers. These are very much peripheral mentions, anyway.
Josephus was born in 37AD which was about the time Jesus is supposed to have died, so he could have had no first hand knowledge, although presumably could have spoken to those who did, if they existed. The most frequently quoted reference is generally regarded as a forgery.
All the other written records are even later.
Tacitus was born in 76AD approx, so anyone who was 20 when Jesus died would be 60 when he was born, and unlikely to be still alive when he was writing.
The Gospels are almost the only source of material about the life of Jesus. They are not contemporary, and of course have a point to make. It is generally believed that they were written between 68 and 110 AD. But there is no guarantee that there was no subsequent editing or alteration. Probably finalise about 185AD.
Clearly there are a great deal of mythical elements in the story as it has come down to us. What if any of it is true is hard to ascertain now.

Answer 2

Yes there are several well used non Christian primary sources.


Non-Christian sources for Jesus

• Tacitus (AD 55-120), a renowned historical of ancient Rome, wrote in the latter half of the first century that ‘Christus ... was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time, broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also.’ (Annals 15: 44).

• Suetonius writing around AD 120 tells of disturbances of the Jews at the ‘instigation of Chrestus’, during the time of the emperor Claudius. This could refer to Jesus, and appears to relate to the events of Acts 18:2, which took place in AD 49.

• Thallus, a secular historian writing perhaps around AD 52 refers to the death of Jesus in a discussion of the darkness over the land after his death. The original is lost, but Thallus’ arguments — explaining what happened as a solar eclipse — are referred to by Julius Africanus in the early 3rd century.

• Mara Bar-Serapion, a Syrian writing after the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, mentions the earlier execution of Jesus, whom he calls a ‘King’.

• The Babylonian Talmud refers to the crucifixion (calling it a hanging) of Jesus the Nazarene on the eve of the Passover. In the Talmud Jesus is also called the illegitimate son of Mary.

• The Jewish historian Josephus describes Jesus’ crucifixion under Pilate in his Antiquities, written about AD 93/94. Josephus also refers to James the brother of Jesus and his execution during the time of Ananus (or Annas) the high priest.

Answer 3

Historical books

Answer 4

I posit that the mention of, and respect for, Jesus in both the Bible and the Koran cannot be mere coincidence
There are many other debatable theories about the historical Jesus, but I wonder if they are not just exchanging one set of arguments for other sets of arguments.

Answer 5

The Koran also speaks of Jesus, but is a slightly different light. Local Historians also speak of a Messianic teacher in that period in Jerusalem. The over powering presence of the Roman Catholic Christian Church in the last 20 centuries have effectively silenced or placed in obscurity any other reference to Jesus. One does wish that this did not happen and we could learn and accept the truth. I am sure that the truth would have made no difference on the intensity of Christian faith.

Answer 6

Yes.

One of the best known references to Jesus is in Josephus's history titled Antiquities. (Flavius Josephus was born in AD 37 and died in AD 97).

Other ancient writers who mention Christ are Cornelius Tacitus (AD 55-120), Gaius Suetonius Tranquillas (secretary to Emperor Hadrian (AD 117-138), and Pliny the Younger who was a Roman author and administrator.

Writting in the year AD 221, Julius Africanus quotes from a history of the Eastern Mediterranean written in about AD 52 by Thallus. Julius Africanus writes concerning the time of Jesus' crucifixion


(DaVinci Code....Puhhleeez he said historical not fiction)

Answer 7

As other answers have shown, there is a wealth of non-biblical historical evidence of the life of a man called Jesus (or Joshua if you like) who caused quite a stir in 1st Century Israel.
For what it's worth, a historian I know claims there is better objective evidence of his life than of almost any other man of his time. Of course, whether that makes him anything more than a very remarkable man is another matter.

Answer 8

Metzger's right. There are Roman texts, both from executions and a census, that state that a Jesus did exist. Now, of course, they don't say "Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior" or anything, but they do mention a man of the right name, place of birth, and age as Jesus would have been. Now, you get to prove that it is The Jesus, because it was a common name then, and no one can prove WHO it is.

Answer 9

No!
I have searched for years, but I could not find any historical evidence on his existence!
Even the ones mentioned by many, the cloth, some historians, a letter, etc., are either composed/ made centuries after these times, or are falsified!

Answer 10

The Bible and Koran both mentioned Jesus.
But neither can be considered historical accounts.