Crucifixion of Jesus

===Mara Bar-Serapion===
An early non-Christian reference to the crucifixion of Jesus is likely to be [[Mara Bar-Serapion on Jesus|Mara Bar-Serapion's letter]] to his son, written some time after AD 73 but before the 3rd century AD.<ref name=Ute>''Evidence of Greek Philosophical Concepts in the Writings of Ephrem the Syrian'' by Ute Possekel 1999 {{ISBN|90-429-0759-2}} pp.&nbsp;29–30</ref><ref name="Chilton455"/><ref name=Cradle110 >''The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament'' by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 {{ISBN|978-0-8054-4365-3}} p. 110</ref> The letter includes no Christian themes and the author is presumed to be neither [[Jewish]] nor Christian.<ref name=Ute/><ref name="Chilton455"/><ref name=VVoorst5355>''Jesus outside the New Testament: an introduction to the ancient evidence'' by Robert E. Van Voorst 2000 {{ISBN|0-8028-4368-9}} pp.&nbsp;53–55</ref> The letter refers to the retributions that followed the unjust treatment of three wise men: [[Socrates]], [[Pythagoras]], and "the wise king" of the Jews.<ref name=Ute /><ref name=Cradle110 /> Some scholars see little doubt that the reference to the execution of the "[[Jesus, King of the Jews|king of the Jews]]" is about the crucifixion of Jesus, while others place less value in the letter, given the ambiguity in the reference.<ref name=VVoorst5355/><ref name=Evans41 >''Jesus and His Contemporaries: Comparative Studies'' by Craig A. Evans 2001 {{ISBN|978-0-391-04118-9}} p. 41</ref>