The Village Church in Greenwich Village

The Life of Jesus Christ From Afar

Given on May 07, 2006

Given By

Rev. Sam A. Andreades

Ancient Secular Greco-Roman Writings

Therefore, to scotch the rumor, Nero submitted as culprits, and punished with the utmost refinements of cruelty, a class of men, loathed for their vices, whom the crowd styled Christians. Christus, from whom they got their name, had been executed by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate when Tiberius was emperor; and the pernicious superstition was checked for a short time, only to break out afresh, not only in Judea, the home of the plague, but in Rome itself, where all the horrible and shameful things in the world collect and find a home.
—Cornelius Tacitus, historian and Governor of Asia, Annals 15:44 (AD 115)

...they were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang an anthem to Christ as God, and bound themselves by a solemn oath not to commit any wicked deed, but to abstain from all fraud, theft and adultery, never to break their word, or deny a trust when called upon to honor it; after which it was their custom to separate, and then meet again to partake of food, but food of an ordinary and innocent kind.
—Plinius Secundus, Governor of Bithynio, Epistles X.96 (AD 112)

What advantage did the Athenians gain from putting Socrates to death? Famine and plague came upon them as a judgement for their crime. What advantage did the men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? In a moment their land was covered with sand. What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise king? It was after that that their kingdom was abolished. God justly avenged these three wise men: The Athenians died of hunger; the Samians were overwhelmed by the sea; the Jews, ruined and driven from their land, live in complete dispersion. But Socrates did not die for good; he lived on in the teaching of Plato. Pythagoras did not die for good; he lived on in the statue of Hera. Nor did the wise King die for good; He lived on in the teaching which He had given.
—Mara Bar-Serapion, Syrian prisoner (AD 73)

...Thallus, in the third book of his histories, explains away this darkness as an eclipse of the sun—unreasonably, as it seems to me.
—Julius Africanus, writer on chronology (AD 221), quoting Thallus, Greek historian (AD 52)

Ancient Jewish Writings

Rabbi Shimeon ben ‘Azzai said: I found a genealogical roll in Jerusalem wherein was recorded, “Such a one is a bastard of an adulteress.”
—Yeb. IV 3; 49a (c. AD 80)

On the eve of Passover, they hanged Yeshua (of Nazareth) ... he hath practiced sorcery and beguiled and led astray Israel … Yeshua had five disciples, Mattai, Naqai, Netser, Buni and Todah.
—Sanh. 43A (c. AD 100)

It happened to Rabbi Eliezer ben Dama [son of Rabbi Ishmael’s sister] that a serpent bit him; and Jacob of Kefar Sama came to heal him in the name of Yeshu ben Pandera. But rabbi Ishmael forbade him. He said, “Ben Dama, you are not permitted!” He (Rabbi E. ben Dama) answered, “I will bring thee a proof that he may heal me (I will bring thee a verse from the Law showing that it is permitted).” But ere he could bring a proof he died. Rabbi Ishmael said: “Happy art thou Ben Dama, that thou hast gone in peace (that thy body is clean and thy soul has gone forth in purity) and hast not broken down the fence of he wise.”
—T. Hul. II 22-23: 8. Ab. Zar. 27b; J.Shab end of XIV (p. 14d); J.Ab.Zar II 2 (p. 40d &41a) (c. AD 100)

...He [The Christian philosoph)] said to them [abbi Gamaliel and Imma Shalom, sister of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus], “I have looked further to the end of the book [the Evangelion] and in it is written, ” I have not come to take away from the Law of Moses but I have come to add to the Law of Moses…”
—Shab. 116a and b, (Talmud version) (from an episode occurring c. AD 73.)

And there arose about this time one Jesus, a wise man. He was a doer of marvelous deeds, a teacher of men who receive truth [strange things] with pleasure. He led away many Jews, and also many of the Greeks. This man was the [so-called] Christ. And when Pilate had condemned him to the cross on his impeachment by the chief men among us, those who had loved him at first did not cease; for he appeared to them, [as they said], on the third day alive again, the divine prophets having spoken these and thousands of other wonderful things about him: and even now the tribe of Christians, so named after him, has not yet died out.
—Flavius Josephus, Antiquities XVIII.63, tamed version (AD 93-4)

“Is it proper for the Shepherd to save a lamb from the Lion?” “You have only asked me about the lamb.” “Is it proper to save the Shepherd from the lion?” “You have only asked me about the Shepherd.”
—From trial of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Yoma 66b (c. AD 90s)

Tags: Ancient Texts, Featured, He has Spoken in the Scriptures