Evidence For Jesus, Outside The Bible

Many people may not realize it but there is evidence of Jesus outside of the Bible in non-Christian sources.  Few scholars would suggest that Jesus never existed because the evidence is too great that he did exist.  Three of the most important non-Christian sources are Josephus, Tacitus, and Pliny the Younger.  

Josephus was a first century Jewish historian.  His writings actually mention John the Baptist and the fact that he was killed by Herod Antipas.  Josephus also identifies James as the brother of Jesus.  He mentions that Jesus was called Christ.  He is described as a wise man and a teacher. Josephus states that Jesus won over many Jews and Greeks.  He also reports that Jesus was condemned to be crucified by Pilate.  He says Christians were named after Christ and they were still present when he wrote. 

Another important source is Tacitus, the Roman historian.  He wrote around A.D. 115.  He records that the Emperor Nero (54-68) blamed Christians for the fire in Rome in A.D. 64.   Nero tried to shift the blame from himself onto the Christians.  He mentions that Christians get their name from Christus, that is Christ.  Tacitus says that Jesus was crucified during the reign of Tiberius (14-37) by Pontius Pilate (26-36). He informs us that Christianity had spread to Rome by the 60's.  

A third source is Pliny the Younger.  He was the nephew of Pliny the Elder.  He was governor of Bithynia and wrote to the Emperor Trajan around A.D. 111.  In his letter he mentions that Christians regularly meet together on a fixed day.   He also reports that they worship Christ as God.  

So from non-Christian sources outside of the Bible we have much information about Jesus and his followers.  We know that Jesus was a Jewish teacher and a wise man.  He had a brother named James and he had many followers.  We know he was crucified under Pontius Pilate during the reign of the emperor, Tiberius.  We know that his followers had spread to Rome by A.D. 64,  despite his death by crucifixion.  And we know that Jesus was worshiped as God by his followers.