NonBiblicalReferencestoJesusJosephus(37/38toabout100A.D):twomentionsAntiquities20.9.1200:Beingthereforethiskindofperson,Ananus,thinkingthathehadafavorableopportunitybecauseFestushaddiedandAlbinuswasstillonhisway,calledameetingofjudgesandbroughtintoitthebrotherofJesuswhoiscalledMessiah,Jamesbyname,andsomeothers.Hemadeaccusationthattheyhadtransgressedthelaw,andhehandedthemovertobestoned.(fromJohnP.Meier,AMarginalJew:RethinkingtheHistoricalJesus,vol.1[Doubleday,1991],p.57).Antiquities18.3.36364:AtthistimethereappearedJesus,awiseman,ifindeedoneshouldcallhimaman.Forhewasadoerofstartlingdeeds,ateacherofpeoplewhoreceivethetruthwithpleasure.AndhegainedafollowingbothamongmanyJewsandamongmanyofGreekorigin.HewastheMessiah.AndwhenPilate,becauseofanaccusationmadebytheleadingmenamongus,condemnedhimtothecross,thosewhohadlovedhimpreviouslydidnotceasetodoso.Forheappearedtothemonthethirdday,livingagain,justasthedivineprophetshadspokenoftheseandcountlessotherwondrousthingsabouthim.AndupuntilthisverydaythetribeofChristians,namedafterhim,hasnotdiedout.(FromMeier,p.60.MostscholarsthinkthatallorpartofthisisaChristianinterpolation).Tacitus(55/56toabout120).Annals15.44:Therefore,tosquelchtherumor[thathewasresponsibleforthegreatfireinRome],NerocreatedscapegoatsandsubjectedtothemostrefinedtorturesthosewhomthecommonpeoplecalledChristians,[agroup]hatedfortheirabominablecrimes.TheirnamecomesfromChrist,who,duringthereignofTiberius,hadbeenexecutedbytheprocuratorPontiusPilate.Suppressedforthemoment,thedeadlysuperstitionbrokeoutagain,notonlyinJudea,thelandwhichoriginatedthisevil,butalsointhecityofRome,whereallsortsofhorrendousandshamefulpracticesfromeverypartoftheworldconvergeandareferventlycultivated.(FromMeier,p.8990).Suetonius(70toabout130A.D.)Claudius25.4:BecausetheJewsatRomecausedcontinuousdisturbancesattheinstigationofChrestus,heexpelledthemfromtheCity.(Suetonius,TheTwelveCaesars.PenguinClassics,p.197;scholarsdebatewhetherthisChrestusisChrist,whoinanycasewasneverinRome).PlinytheYounger(61to120)InBookX,96,inaletterfromPlinytotheEmperorTrajan,PlinyexplainshispolicytowardChristiansinBithyniaandPontus(innorthcentralTurkey),includinghiseffortstogetthemtorecanttheirbelief.HementionsthattheChristiansmet

regularlybeforedawnonafixeddaytochantversesalternatelyamongstthemselvesinhonourofChristasiftoagod.(TheLettersoftheYoungerPliny;PenguinClassics,p.294).Thereareafewother,lessnotablereferences,namelyabriefmentioninaletterof(thepagan)MarabarSarapion,probablyfromsometimeafter73A.D.,whichislikelydependentuponSyrianChristiansources);theJewishBabylonianTalmud,bSanh43a;andLucianofSamosata(about115200)inhissatiricalThePassingofPeregrinus.