Ancient Jewish Source: Historian Flavius Josephus
(AD 93)
Mentions James, who was the "brother
of Jesus who is called the messiah."
"About this time lived Jesus . . . a
doer of spectacular deeds . . . He attracted to himself many Jews and
many of the Gentiles. . . On the accusation of the leading men of our
people, Pilate condemned him to death upon the cross; nevertheless those
who had previously loved him still remained faithful to him. . . And to
the present day the race of those who call themselves Christians after
him has not ceased."
Pagan (Roman) Sources
"Christus . . . suffered the
extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our
procurators, Pontius Pilatus" . . . He is the source of a
"mischievous superstition."
the testimony of former Christians that "they met on a stated day
before it was light, and addressed a form of prayer to Christ, as to a
divinity . . ." and that he, Pliny, judged that Christians
professed "an absurd and extravagant superstition."
The Da Vinci Con: