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Chapter 5

Tales of the Young
Nazarene and the Magi

Beyond the Gospels there are few historical documents that provide evidence and detail of Jesus’ existence. The most famous and widely accepted as authentic comes from the writings of the historian Flavius Josephus (37 to 100 CE) who wrote the following description of Jesus in his Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18, chapter 3:

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 Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal 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 the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, is not extinct at this day.

In Book 20, chapter 200, Josephus wrote about the stoning of Jesus’ brother in 62 CE, including this line that clearly indicates the existence of both Jesus and his brother: “James, the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ . . .” See the publication James the Brother of Jesus: The Key to Unlocking the Secrets of Early Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls by American archaeologist and Biblical scholar Robert H. Eisenman, (Penguin, 1998). It’s worth noting that even the Gospels indicate that Jesus had brothers: “While he (Jesus) was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.” (Matthew 12:46) And according to the Edgar Cayce readings, Jesus had two brothers, James and Jude, explaining that after Jesus left the family home to travel, Mary and Joseph had more children, as was the custom in those days: “(Q) Did Mary and Joseph have any other children? (A) James, Jude, and the daughter [Ruth].” (5749-7)

There are more of these non-biblical sources, but they have limited scholarly support for their authenticity. One is a letter that appears to have been written by Pontius Pilate to Caesar. In this letter Pilate describes Jesus: “His golden-colored hair and beard gave to his appearance a celestial aspect. He appeared to be about thirty years of age. Never have I seen a sweeter or more serene countenance.” I can’t image Pilate writing “celestial” and “sweet” as a description of one of his defendants unless he, Pilate, was indeed a sympathizer with Jesus and his message, as some texts do suggest, and his wife, Claudia Procula, had a frightening dream warning not to harm Jesus. (Matthew 27:19) The early Christian scholar Origen of Alexandria suggested in his “Homilies on Matthew” that Claudia Procula had become a secret follower of Jesus Christ.

Another description comes from a Roman official in Judea at the time of Jesus named Lucius Lentulus, ca. 30 CE. It appears in a Latin manuscript, MS 22, in the library of the University of Chicago. The manuscript appears to have been written in Europe, probably Italy, between 1466-1469. In some other medieval manuscripts, the letter is described as being from “Publius Lentulus, Governor of Judea, to the Roman Senate.” Since there is no record of a governor of Palestine called Lentulus, the letter is suspect. There was, however, a Publius Cornelius Lentulus (both a father and a son) mentioned by Cicero, who lived in the first century before Christ. There was also a Lucius Lentulus who held the office of consul in Rome, not Judea. Perhaps the letter is from this Lentulus, while he was visiting Judea. While we will never know for sure, here’s what the letter says:

There lives at this time in Judea a man of singular virtue whose name is Jesus Christ, whom the barbarians esteem as a prophet, but his followers love and adore him as the offspring of the immortal God. He calls back the dead from the graves and heals all sorts of diseases with a word or touch. He is a tall man, well-shaped, and of an amiable and reverend aspect; his hair of a color that can hardly be matched, falling into graceful curls, waving about and very agreeable crouching upon his shoulders, parted on the crown of the head, running as a stream to the front after fashion of the Nazarites. His forehead high, large and imposing; his cheeks without spot or wrinkle, beautiful with a lovely red; his nose and mouth formed with exquisite symmetry; his beard, and of a color suitable to his hair, reaching below his chin and parted in the middle like a fork; his eyes bright blue, clear and serene. Look innocent, dignified, manly and mature. In proportion of body most perfect, and captivating; his arms and hands delectable to behold. He rebukes with majesty, councils with mildness. His whole address whether in word or deed, being eloquent and grave. No man has seen him laugh, yet his manners are exceedingly pleasant, but he has wept frequently in the presence of men. He is temperate, modest and wise. A man for his extraordinary beauty and perfection, surpassing the children of men in every sense.

Of solid authenticity are documents from later periods, long after Jesus’ incarnation, giving evidence to his life and influence. For example, Roman historian Tacitus wrote in 110 CE his account of the persecution of Christians under the emperor Nero, which occurred at the same time as the burning of Rome in 64 CE. Nero blamed the burning on the Christians, who were already hated by the Romans. Tacitus wrote: “Their name is derived from Christ, whom the procurator Pontius Pilate had executed in the reign of Tiberius.” Tacitus explained that the “pernicious superstition” to which Christ had given rise to in Judea had spread far and wide, even to Rome. Tacitus never uses the name “Jesus,” only “Christ,” when referring to the founder of the faith. We know that very early the followers of Jesus began referring to him by the Greek word for messiah, “christos,” meaning the same as the Hebrew word mashiach (first used in Daniel 9:25-26 by the archangel Gabriel), which is transliterated to messiah. As we have already seen, the word literally means “anointed one.” Tacitus’ writings give support to the existence and ultimate sentence, crucifixion, of an individual in Palestine known as Christ, who began a movement that gained widespread influence some eighty years after his execution.

A letter, written in 111 CE, by Pliny the Younger, the governor of Asia Minor (modern Turkey), asks Emperor Trajan (97-117 CE) how Pliny should deal with Christians. It describes the Christians as adherents to a superstition who sing hymns to Christ “as to a god.”

In a biography of Emperor Claudius (41-54 CE), Roman historian Suetonius wrote that in 49 CE the emperor “expelled the Jews from Rome, who had on the instigation of Chrestus continually caused disturbances.” These disturbances may have been due to the Jews in Rome becoming either angered or inspired by a Christian agitator named Chrestus. Or Chrestus may also be a Latin variation of the name Christ. Emperor Claudius’ expulsion of the Jews from Rome is actually mentioned in the Bible in Acts 18:2.

In the Talmud, a handbook of Jewish law, lore, and teachings, Jesus (Yeshu