The second reference from Suetonius is again to the Christians who were tortured by emperor Nero: After the great fire at Rome . . . . Punishments were also inflicted on the Christians, a sect professing a new and mischievous religious belief.^12
Few facts are derived from the two references by Suetonius. The first relates (1)to the expulsion of Jews from Rome, but also makes the claim (2)that it was Christ who caused the Jews to make the uproar in Rome, apparently by his teachings. The second reference is quite similar to the longer statement by Tacitus, (3)including the use of the word “mischievous” to describe the group’s beliefs and (4)the term “Christians” to identify this group as followers of the teachings of Christ.
7 Chronicles 2:30.6.
8 Robert Graves, “Introduction” to Suetonius’ The Twelve Caesars, transl. by Robert Graves (Baltimore: Penguin, 1957), p. 7.
9 Amiot, “Jesus A Historical Person,” p. 8.
10 Suetonius, Claudius, 25.
11 Graves, The Twelve Caesars, p. 197; Bruce, Christian Origins, p. 21; Amiot, “Jesus,” p.8.
12 Suetonius, Nero, 16.
Josephus
Jewish historian Flavius Josephus was born in AD 37 or 38 and died in AD 97. He was born into a priestly family and became a Pharisee at the age of nineteen. After surviving a battle against the Romans, he served commander Vespasian in Jerusalem. After the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, he moved to Rome, where he became the court historian for emperor Vespasian.^13
The Antiquities, one of Josephus’ major works, provides some valuable but disputed evidence concerning Jesus. Written around AD 90–95, it is earlier than the testimonies of the Roman historians. Josephus speaks about many persons and events of first century Palestine and makes two references to Jesus. The first is very brief and is in the context of a reference to James, “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ.”^14 Here we find a close connection between Jesus and James and the belief on the part of some that Jesus was the Messiah.
The second reference is easily the most important and the most debated, since some of the words appear to be due to Christian interpolation. For instance, a portion of the quotation reports: Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man. For he was one who wrought surprising feats. . . . He was (the) Christ . . . he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him.^15
Since Josephus was a Jew, it is unlikely that he would have written about Jesus in this way. Origen informs us that Josephus did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah,^16 yet Eusebius quotes the debated passage including the words above.^17 Therefore, probably the majority of commentators believe that at least a portion of the citation (the distinctly “Christian” words, in particular) is a Christian interpolation. Yet, other scholars have also supported the original ending.^18 A mediating position taken by many holds that the passage itself is written by Josephus with the questionable words either deleted or modified. So the major question here concerns the actual words of Josephus.
13 Daniel-Rops, “Silence of Jesus’ Contemporaries,” pp. 19–21; Bruce, The New Testament Documents, pp. 102–103.
14 Antiquities20:9. The edition of Josephus used here is The Works of Josephus, transl. by William Whiston (Philadelphia: David McKay, n.d.).
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