Evidence that Demands a Verdict: Chapter 5

This chapter lays important foundations, the historicity of Jesus Christ.

Christian sources for Jesus' historicity

• Books of the NT (27) - reliable (see ch. 4).
• Church Fathers - Polycarp, Eusebius, Irenaeus, etc.

Non-Biblical sources

• Cornelius Tacitus (born A.D. 52-54) - Crucifixion; Roman Christians.
• Lucian of Samosata - satirical, scornful of Christians and Christ.
• Flavius Josephus (born A.D. 37) - Jewish historian.
• Suetonius (A.D. 120) - wrote of persecution of Christians.
• Pliny the Younger (A.D. 112) - same.
• Tertullian (A.D. 197) - defended Christianity.
• Thallus (A.D. 52) - referenced the Crucifixion's darkness, at the wrong time for an eclipse.
• Phlegon - same.
• Mara Bar-Serapion - referenced Christ as among wise men.
• Justin Martyr (A.D. 150) - details of Crucifixion.
• Talmuds - historical details of Christ's life and death.
• Encyclopaedia Britannica - more than 20,000 words about Him (more than other famous historical figures. States that grounds for non-historicity are flimsy and illogical.).