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==== Tacitus ====

==== Tacitus ====

Tacitus was a Roman historian who, writing c. A. D. 116, included in his ''Annals '' a mention of Christianity and Jesus Christ. In describing Nero's persecution of Christians following the Great Fire of Rome in A. D. 64, he wrote:

Tacitus was a Roman historian who, writing c. A. D. 116, included in his ''Annals '' a mention of Christianity and Jesus Christ. In describing Nero's persecution of Christians following the Great Fire of Rome in A. D. 64, he wrote:

:''Nero fastened the guilt [of starting the blaze] and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. ''Christ'', from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius [14-37] at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and the most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular.''<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' 15.44.</ref>

:''Nero fastened the guilt [of starting the blaze] and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christ, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius [14-37] at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and the most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular.''<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' 15.44.</ref>

Tacitus was obviously hostile to Christianity and thus had no desire to give credence to the claims of the faith.  Nonetheless, he identifies “Christ” (Latin ''Christus'') as the origin of the religion, and even mentions his crucifixion at the hands of Pontius Pilate.  Tacitus's source was likely an imperial record, and it has been speculated that this may even have been one of Pilate's reports to the emperor.<ref>F.F. Bruce, ''Jesus and Christian Origins Outside the New Testament'', (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), p. 23.</ref>  No scholar doubts the authenticity of the passage, in part because, as R. E. Van Voorst noted, it would be most improbable that a Christian would have interpolated "such disparaging remarks about Christianity".<ref>Robert E. Van Voorst, ''Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence'' (Eerdmans, 2000), p. 43.</ref>

Tacitus was obviously hostile to Christianity and thus had no desire to give credence to the claims of the faith.  Nonetheless, he identifies “Christ” (Latin ''Christus'') as the origin of the religion, and even mentions his crucifixion at the hands of Pontius Pilate.  Tacitus's source was likely an imperial record, and it has been speculated that this may even have been one of Pilate's reports to the emperor.<ref>F.F. Bruce, ''Jesus and Christian Origins Outside the New Testament'', (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), p. 23.</ref>  No scholar doubts the authenticity of the passage, in part because, as R. E. Van Voorst noted, it would be most improbable that a Christian would have interpolated "such disparaging remarks about Christianity".<ref>Robert E. Van Voorst, ''Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence'' (Eerdmans, 2000), p. 43.</ref>