Talk:Sources for the historicity of Jesus

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Created new article - as a daughter article of Historicity of Jesus, which is getting too long, and which is the subject of discussion about its reason for existence. Wdford (talk) 10:01, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

Marcus Aurelius

An addition has been made to the article "Emperor Marcus Aurelius, A.D. 121 - 180, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, well known persecutor of Christians, much has been written about the persecutions he perpetrated against the early Church". This is sourced to Fox's Book of Martyrs, a work of Protestant propaganda more than four hundred years old,and a reference to the Catholic Encyclopedia, more than 100 years old, which however when you click on the link takes you to an article on Aurelian, not the same person as Marcus Aurelius. The article in the Catholic Encyclopedia on Marcus Aurelius [1] says first that he put a stop to persecution of Christians due to a miracle he experienced, then that there were persecutions during his reign but these were as the result of local mobs rather than an imperial edict. Our article on Marcus Aurelius states "The number and severity of persecutions of Christians in various locations of the empire seemingly increased during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. The extent to which Marcus Aurelius himself directed, encouraged, or was aware of these persecutions is unclear and much debated by historians." This is sourced to a modern secular biography of him "McLynn, Frank (2009). Marcus Aurelius: A Life." But even if he were a persecutor of Christians, which is highly doubtful, I do not see how that fact could in any way be considered a source for the historicity of Jesus, so I am removing it.Smeat75 (talk) 21:59, 29 September 2016 (UTC)

Islam

Are there any Islamic sources that could contribute to the historicity of Jesus? Al.barbee296 (talk) 12:51, 14 September 2020 (UTC)

Emperor Domitian

In the book "Universal History" by Agapius of Hierapolis we can find the following pagan fragments dating from the year 9 of Domitian's reign (90AD): At that time [90AD] Apollonius, master of talismans, became celebrated. He opposed the disciples of Christ by his works, which thwarted those of Christ, and he said, "What a misfortune for me, that I was preceded by the son of Mary!" At the same time, the philosopher Patrophilus said to his master Ursinus, "I have intended to speak, master, of this man in whom all the peoples and the nations of different languages believe. According to what is said of him, he was crucified, died; then he came back to life and went up to heaven, according to the testimony of his companions, who believe in him. And we see that Theodore, chief of the sages of Athens, with Africanus of Alexandria, Martianus (Martinus) of drourousah (?) and Mark (?) gave up their gods in order to worship Him and call upon Him. They were freed from the business of this vile world, they have neither riches nor goods, and they are powerful in word and work." Ursinus responded to his disciple, "All the people have become his disciples and worship the Galilean of Nazareth. We quote the names of eminent scholars who after seeing him renounced their gods and worshipped Him. As for me, I think that all the peoples and their posterity will become his disciples. You say that his disciples live a good life; what is also good, is that they do not abandon themselves to the evil hidden in the flesh."

Eusebius of Caesarea in his most famed work (Book 3, Chapter 20) contains the following story related by the christian historian Hegesippus (chronicler), which cannot be classified as pretentious or fanciful involving the Domitian emperor: Concerning the Relatives of Our Saviour.

There still survived of the kindred of the Lord the grandsons of Judas, who according to the flesh was called his brother. These were informed against, as belonging to the family of David, and Evocatus brought them before Domitian Cæsar: for that emperor dreaded the advent of Christ, as Herod had done.

So he asked them whether they were of the family of David; and they confessed they were. Next he asked them what property they had, or how much money they possessed. They both replied that they had only 9000 denaria between them, each of them owning half that sum; but even this they said they did not possess in cash, but as the estimated value of some land, consisting of thirty-nine plethra only, out of which they had to pay the dues, and that they supported themselves by their own labour. And then they began to hold out their hands, exhibiting, as proof of their manual labour, the roughness of their skin, and the corns raised on their hands by constant work.

Being then asked concerning Christ and His kingdom, what was its nature, and when and where it was to appear, they returned answer that it was not of this world, nor of the earth, but belonging to the sphere of heaven and angels, and would make its appearance at the end of time, when He shall come in glory, and judge living and dead, and render to every one according to the course of his life.

Thereupon Domitian passed no condemnation upon them, but treated them with contempt, as too mean for notice, and let them go free. At the same time he issued a command, and put a stop to the persecution against the Church.

When they were released they became leaders of the churches, as was natural in the case of those who were at once martyrs and of the kindred of the Lord. And, after the establishment of peace to the Church, their lives were prolonged to the reign of Trajan. Tuxzos22 (talk) 12:43, 26 October 2021 (UTC)

the question is whether this information is valid to be added to the article? Tuxzos22 (talk) 12:44, 26 October 2021 (UTC)