Tacitus, Pliny, Josephus and Suetonius on Jesus and Early Christianity
Introduction
Did you know that many secular sources mention Jesus Christ and the early Christian movement in great detail? Below are examples from four first century secular authorities – Tacitus, Pliny, Josephus and Suetonius – that contain detailed accounts of Jesus and the early Christian movement.
While these examples are by no means exhaustive, they represent some of the most important comments made by early secular historians and writers on Jesus and early Christianity.
Important conclusions can be drawn from these sources about the authenticity, reliability and historical accuracy of God’s Word.
Cornelius Tacitus (56-120 AD)
In Annals Book 15 Chapter 44 Tacitus wrote that Nero (37-68 AD) persecuted believers, that Jesus died during the reign of Emperor Tiberius (42 BC-37 AD) under Pontius Pilate (died 36 AD), and that “Christians” were growing exponentially in number as was the Christian movement after originating in Judaea by a man (Jesus) named Christus.
Pliny the Younger (61-113 AD)
Pliny wrote to Emperor Trajan (53-117 AD) in his Letters 10.96-97 asking him how he should handle the growing influence of Christians in his part of the Roman Empire (Pontus/Bithynia/modern northern Turkey).
Pliny writes about how the monotheism of the Christians was hurting the Roman economy because it was keeping people from buying items to offer to the gods. He also highlights, like Tacitus, how the number of Christians (even in rural areas and among all classes) kept growing at a rapid pace.
Other noteworthy things that Pliny mentions are that Christians followed Jesus Christ, that they met regularly, ate, sang hymns to Christ and pledged to be honest, and to abstain from adultery, fraud and theft.
Flavius Josephus (37-100 AD)
Josephus, the famed Jewish historian, mentions in his Antiquities of the Jews 20:200 how Ananus brought James (the younger brother of Jesus) under trial and how James believed Jesus to be the Christ.
Moreover, Josephus also wrote about John the Baptist. Most importantly, Josephus wrote in Antiquities 18:63-64 about Jesus as being the Christ who died under Pilate and who rose on the third day and appeared alive to people. In the same passage he mentions that Christians were still thriving in his day and age.
Suetonius (69-122 AD)
Suetonius was a Roman biographer and antiquarian and friend of Pliny the Younger. In his work The Life of Claudius 25 he mentions how the Emperor Claudius (10 BC-54 AD) expelled Jews from Rome because of their constant disturbances which he claimed were instigated by Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
The historical writings from first century secular authorities like Tacitus, Pliny, Josephus and Suetonius confirm the claims of the Bible, inform us that Jesus was real and highlight how the early Christian movement grew.
J.R. Waller, MBA is a Christian lay-teacher, author, and Founder of Every Reason to Believe. He holds an MBA from Rollins College, B.S. in Psychology from The University of Central Florida, Certificate in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, and Bible Knowledge Certificate from The Master’s Seminary Institute for Church Leadership. He is also a two-time Fellow (UCF, The James Madison Institute).
Image Credit: Julius Caesar te paard, Adriaen Collaert (mentioned on object), 1587 – 1589. RP-P-1963-135. The Rijksmuseum: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200175138.