Flavius Josephus (c. AD 37–100) was a first-century Jewish historian whose writings are among the most important non-biblical sources for understanding ancient Judaism and the world in which Christianity first emerged. Born in Jerusalem to a priestly family, Josephus was well educated in Jewish law and lived during the tense years leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple in AD 70.
At first, Josephus fought against Rome during the Jewish–Roman War. After he was captured, he was spared when he predicted that the Roman general Vespasian would soon become emperor. Josephus later lived in Rome under imperial protection, where he devoted himself to writing history.
His major works—The Jewish War, Antiquities of the Jews, Against Apion, and his autobiography, Life—preserve invaluable details about Jewish beliefs, religious groups, the Temple, and everyday life in first-century Judea. Without Josephus, much of what we know about this period would be lost.
Josephus is especially important because he briefly mentions figures also found in the New Testament, including John the Baptist, James the brother of Jesus, and Jesus himself. While scholars have long debated whether parts of one passage about Jesus were later altered by Christian scribes, most agree that Josephus independently confirms that Jesus existed and was executed under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.
This makes it especially interesting that in his recent book Josephus and Jesus, scholar T. C. Schmidt argues that the much-debated passage in Book 18 of Jewish Antiquities may actually be authentic after all. The passage reads as follows, with the disputed lines placed in brackets:
“About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man [if indeed one ought to call him a man]. For he was one who did surprising deeds and was a teacher of those who gladly accept the truth. He won over many Jews and many Greeks. [He was the Messiah.] When Pilate, after hearing him accused by men of the highest standing among us, condemned him to be crucified, those who had come to love him did not give up their devotion to him. [For he appeared to them alive again on the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold.] And the group of Christians, named after him, has not disappeared to this day.”1
As historian John Dickson explains in his review of Schmidt’s book, Schmidt offers four main reasons for taking the passage seriously: manuscript evidence, patterns in Josephus’s word choices, features of the Greek language, and how these claims about Jesus' resurrection were very public.
To learn more about these arguments, go here.
In is important to note that Josephus does not write as a Christian, nor does he attempt to promote Christian belief. Yet his testimony matters precisely because of that. As a first-century Jewish historian writing for a Roman audience, Josephus provides an independent historical anchor for key figures and events described in the New Testament. If scholars like T. C. Schmidt are correct that the disputed passage about Jesus is largely authentic, then Josephus offers an even stronger confirmation that Jesus of Nazareth was known in his own time as a teacher, a miracle worker, and a man executed under Roman authority—whose followers continued to grow long after his death. At the very least, Josephus reminds us that the story of Jesus is not a later legend, but one firmly rooted in real people, real places, and real history.
And, as if this wasn't exciting enough, due to a generous donor, you can get a free digital copy of Schmidt's book here!
To order your hard copy, go here.
Many thanks to John Dickson for his excellent review of the book that inspired this blog post.
You can find his excellent work here and his interview with T.C. Schmidt here.
Courage and Godspeed,
Chad
Footnote:
1. As quoted by John Dickson here,
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