Quote:
Originally Posted by JAD_333
glyn:
The first has to do with the official records of the Roman government you asked about. They did exist, but to what extent they survive I don't know. However, Roman historians were writing accounts of Jesus and his execution early on. They could have had archival information to work from. Here is an early account by Flavius Josephus a Roman historian (AD 37-97)
"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 surprising feats - 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 . . ." Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.3.
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JAD,
I'm not trying to dispute your point or take away from it, but as a student of Roman history I wanted to point out the reference to a disputed source.
Josephus was a jew captured by Vespasian's legionaries. He was later freed by Titus as attested by his taking 'Titus' as a his Prenomen.(And his work therefore has a very favorable view of the Romans and the Flavians in particular). More importantly for this discussion, surviving copies of his books are all from Christian sources and the part on Christ is often disputed as a later addition by a Christian author. I'm not sure what the contention was but I can dig it up if you like.
Hope that helps!