The existence of extra-Biblical documentations only helps to confirm the validity of the Bible, and provides incentive for the serious consideration of the Bible's messages.
"Secular" Collaborating Information
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Regarding |
Artifact |
Date |
Significance |
Further Info |
|
Dating of the Bible Documents |
War Of The Jews / Antiquities Of The Jews Flavius Josephus |
77 or 78 A.D / 93 A.D. |
Describes the horrendous torture and slaughter of the Jews by the Romans in 70 A.D. Every historical writing after this period discusses this event. The gospels are silent, however, providing rational circumstantial evidence that they were written prior to 70 A.D. |
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Confirming the Execution of John the Baptist |
Antiquities Of The Jews Flavius Josephus; Book 18, Chapter 5. |
93 A.D. |
Describes that "John, that was called the Baptist", was murdered by Herod. |
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Confirming Existence and Importance of Jesus |
Antiquities Of The Jews Flavius Josephus; Book 18, Chapter 3. There is much controversy over the validity of this passage, whether is was entirely written by Josephus or added manipulated by Christians. |
93 A.D. |
"Now, there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, -a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principled men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again on the third day, as the divine prophet had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him' ant the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day." |
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Confirming Death of Jesus, and the Persecution of Christians |
Tacitus – A Roman Historian (60 – 120 A.D.) |
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Refers to fact that "Chrestus…was executed at the hands of the procurator Pontius Pilot in the reign of Tiberius." Also mentions that Nero put many of his followers to death |
Chalmers; Evidences of the Christian Revelation Tacitus; Annales xv.44 Documents of the Christian Church |
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Confirming Persecution of Christians |
Suetonius – A Roman Historian (TBD) |
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Refers to Jews who were 'continually making disturbances at the instigation of Crestus' were expelled by Claudius from Rome. |
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Confirming Death of Jesus, and the resulting Darkness That Fell Over The Land |
Julius Africanus |
221 A.D. |
Refers to a work by Thallus, who wrote in ~52 A.D. mentions the crucifixion of Jesus. Thallus describes the event as a solar eclipse, but Africanus disputes this, since the moon was full at the time of the Passover. (Thallus' work has been lost, but its significance is confirmed by the mentioning by Africanus. |
The New Testament Documents – Are They Reliable? 113 |
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Confirms Existence and Execution of Jesus |
The 'Mishnah', which is part of the Jewish Talmud. |
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"On the eve of Passover they hanged Yeshu (of Nazareth)." This confirmation comes from a Jewish source (non-Christian), which was a record of events sanctioned by the Jewish Sanhedrin. |
Habermas; Ancient Evidence For the Life Of Jesus, Pg 98 |