by Giuseppe Monno
Non-Christian sources from the first centuries independently attest to the historical existence of Jesus Christ and to several essential facts concerning His life and the early Christian community.
The Roman historian and senator Publius Cornelius Tacitus (c. AD 55–117), one of the most authoritative Latin historians, records the persecution of Christians under Nero following the Great Fire of Rome (AD 64) and explicitly mentions Christ:
“Nero […] inflicted the most refined punishments on those people, hated for their alleged crimes, whom the crowd called Christians. The founder of this name, Christ, had been executed during the reign of Tiberius by order of the procurator Pontius Pilate” (Annals, XV, 44).
This testimony is generally regarded as authentic and confirms that Jesus was put to death under Pontius Pilate.
Pliny the Younger (c. AD 61–114), governor of Bithynia, in a letter to the Emperor Trajan, describes the practices of Christians:
“They were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and to sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god […]” (Letters, X, 96).
This passage shows that, already at the beginning of the second century, Christ was worshipped as divine.
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (c. AD 69–122), in his Life of Claudius, writes:
“He expelled from Rome the Jews who were continually making disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus” (Claudius, 25.4).
The name “Chrestus” is likely a variant of “Christus” or a misunderstanding; the passage is generally interpreted as an indirect reference to tensions between Jews and Christians within the Roman community.
Lucian of Samosata (2nd century AD), a Greek satirical writer, mocks Christians yet confirms key elements:
“Their lawgiver […] was crucified in Palestine” (The Death of Peregrinus, 11–13).
And again: “They worship that crucified man and live according to his laws.”
Despite his hostile tone, Lucian attests both the crucifixion and the worship of Christ.
Particularly significant is the testimony of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (AD 37–c. 100). In the so-called Testimonium Flavianum (Antiquities of the Jews, XVIII, 63–64), the transmitted text contains probable Christian interpolations, especially in statements that are explicitly confessional (such as “he was the Christ” or references to the resurrection). Nevertheless, the majority of scholars recognise an authentic core affirming the existence of Jesus, His activity, and His condemnation under Pilate.
Even more secure, and universally accepted as authentic, is another passage from the same work:
“Ananus […] convened the Sanhedrin and brought before it James, the brother of Jesus who is called Christ […] and had them stoned” (Antiquities of the Jews, XX, 200).
This reference indirectly confirms the historical existence of Jesus Christ.
Taken together, these testimonies—from pagan and Jewish authors, often hostile or indifferent to Christianity—converge on several essential points: Jesus truly existed; He was condemned to death under Pontius Pilate; His followers spread rapidly; and He was recognised and worshipped as a divine figure.
These are historical data independent of Christian faith, thereby confirming the solid historical foundation of the fundamental claims of the New Testament.