There is a significant amount of historical evidence that supports the existence of Jesus of Nazareth as a real historical person.
Non-Christian Sources: Roman historians Tacitus and Suetonius both mention Jesus in their writings. Jewish historian Josephus also wrote about Jesus in his book "Jewish Antiquities." These sources are not biased towards Christianity, making their accounts of Jesus more credible.
The Bible: The New Testament contains several historical accounts of Jesus' life, including details about his birth, ministry, teachings, miracles, crucifixion, and resurrection. The Gospel accounts were written within decades of Jesus' life, by eyewitnesses or those who had access to eyewitnesses.
Archaeological Evidence: Archaeologists have discovered numerous artifacts and sites that provide evidence of the historical accuracy of the biblical accounts. For example, the discovery of the ossuary of James, the brother of Jesus, in Jerusalem in 2002 is a significant archaeological discovery that supports the existence of Jesus as a historical person.
Early Christian Writings: Several early Christian writings, such as the letters of Paul and the Didache, also reference Jesus and his teachings.
Overall, the combination of historical, non-Christian sources, archaeological evidence, and early Christian writings provide strong verifiable evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical person.
Tacitus and Suetonius were both ancient Roman historians who lived in the first and second centuries CE.
Tacitus mentioned Jesus in his book "Annals," which was written around 116 CE. In this book, Tacitus describes the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Nero, and refers to Jesus as the founder of Christianity. Tacitus also describes the crucifixion of Jesus by Pontius Pilate.
Suetonius, in his book "Lives of the Caesars," also mentions Jesus in a brief passage about the reign of the Emperor Claudius. Suetonius writes that Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome because they were "constantly making disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus." Scholars believe that "Chrestus" refers to Christ, and that Suetonius was referring to conflicts between Jews and Christians in Rome during the first century.
While Tacitus and Suetonius did not provide detailed accounts of Jesus' life or teachings, their references to him as a real person and the founder of Christianity provide strong historical evidence for his existence.
The ancient Roman historian Tacitus was born in approximately 56 or 57 CE, in either Gallia Narbonensis (now southern France) or Rome.
Tacitus was a member of the equestrian class, a social rank in ancient Rome below that of the senatorial class. He began his political career as a young man and served as a military commander in Britain around 77-78 CE.
Tacitus later returned to Rome and pursued a career in politics. He held several important positions, including consul in 97 CE, and served under several emperors, including Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian.
During his political career, Tacitus also wrote several historical works, including "Annals" and "Histories," which covered the history of the Roman Empire from the reign of Augustus to the death of Domitian.
The ancient Roman historian Suetonius was born in approximately 69 CE, in Rome.
Suetonius also held various political positions during his career, serving as a secretary under Emperor Hadrian and as the director of the imperial archives under Emperor Trajan.
In addition to his political career, Suetonius wrote several influential works on ancient Roman history and culture, including "Lives of the Caesars," which is a biographical account of the first 12 Roman emperors, and "The Twelve Caesars," which focuses on the lives of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors.
Suetonius was known for his vivid descriptions of the lives and personalities of the emperors, and his works have been valued by historians for their detailed accounts of Roman society and culture during the first and second centuries CE.
There is no clear evidence that Suetonius traveled to the eastern Mediterranean or visited Galilee during his lifetime.
Suetonius primarily lived and worked in Rome, and his writings mainly focus on the history of the Roman Empire and the lives of its rulers. While he does briefly mention Jesus in his book "Lives of the Caesars," his references to Christianity and its founder are limited.
It's possible that Suetonius may have had access to information about Jesus and early Christianity through his contacts with Christians in Rome or through his research, but there is no definitive evidence to suggest that he traveled to the eastern Mediterranean or had firsthand knowledge of the region.
The attestations of Tacitus and Suetonius in their writings about Jesus of Nazareth are considered strong evidence for his existence for several reasons, despite the fact that they never visited Judea:
Tacitus and Suetonius were both respected Roman historians who wrote about the history of the Roman Empire. They were not Christians and had no vested interest in promoting the existence of Jesus as a historical figure. Therefore, their references to Jesus lend credibility to the idea that he was a real person.
Tacitus and Suetonius were writing within a few decades of Jesus' death, which makes their references to him more reliable than later accounts. While they did not personally witness the events of Jesus' life, their writings are based on information that was available to them at the time.
Tacitus and Suetonius both wrote independently of each other, which means that their references to Jesus were not influenced by one another. This increases the likelihood that their accounts are accurate.
While Tacitus and Suetonius did not provide detailed accounts of Jesus' life or teachings, their references to him as a real person and the founder of Christianity are consistent with what we know about Jesus from other sources, such as the New Testament and early Christian writings.
Overall, the references to Jesus in the writings of Tacitus and Suetonius provide additional evidence that supports the idea that he was a real historical figure, even though they never visited Judea.