Josephus and Jesus

Every once in a while a skeptic will bring up the writings of Josephus.  Specifically, they will attempt to discredit Josephus as an external source about Jesus.  For those that don’t know, Josephus lived from 37 AD to 100 AD.  He was a Jewish author captured by the Romans during the Jewish rebellion against Rome in the late 60s.  Josephus recorded the events of the Jewish War, and also a text called The Antiquities of the Jews.  In this second text is where Josephus mentions Jesus.

In his writings, he mentions Jesus.  And this testimony has been attacked by skeptics as having no credibility (though to be fair, most critics only attack the main text about Jesus and ignore that Josephus mentions Jesus twice.  Most likely don’t even know there is a second text).

Below is a response I wrote up some time back when asked about Josephus.  It shows that we need not reject Josephus outright.  Hopefully it will help should anyone raise this challenge with you.

The Corruption of Josephus’ Writings

Josephus is, indeed, one of the earliest extra-biblical historians to mention Jesus.  Your email seems to suggest that we can’t trust anything Josephus says because of some modifications to one of his quotes about Jesus.  But scholars seem to be in general agreement that, while this verse has been enhanced, the core text originally written by Josephus remains.  Here is the text in question:

“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 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, are not extinct at this day.” (Antiquities of the Jews, 18.63-64)

The CAPITALIZED portions of this text are the parts believed to have been added.  If we only accept the non-underlined portions, what are we left with? 

1. We have Jesus who is called a wise man

2. Jesus did wonderful works and men received his teachings with pleasure

3. He drew many Jews and Gentiles to him

4. Pilate condemned him to the cross

5. His followers continued to believe in him after his death

Even if we take out the disputed portions of this passage, we get some very powerful testimony to Jesus’ existence, what he did, and how he died (as well as how his followers responded after his death).

Further, if we consider the second passage in Josephus, we can see further evidence that Jesus is not merely a legend:

“Ananus…assembled the Sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, …, he delivered them to be stoned.”  (Antiquities of the Jews, 20.200) 

This verse is generally not disputed.  And even in absence of the first verse, we learn some things that are valuable.  Namely, that there was a man named Jesus who was called Christ.  He had a brother named James who was called before the Jewish Sanhedrin and sentenced to be stoned (we know from the Gospels that Jesus’ brother did not believe in him while Jesus was on earth, so this passage points to the conversion of James).

Summary

Ultimately, we see here extremely compelling evidence for the existence of Jesus, the rise and persecution of the early church, and the conversion of the brother of Christ who had formerly been a non-believer (what would it take to convince you that one of your siblings is really the risen Son of God?  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that Jesus appeared to James after his resurrection.  Josephus seems to corroborate that...James, after all, was willing to go to his death for the name of Christ).