Crucifixion of Jesus

===Tacitus===
Early in the second century another reference to the crucifixion of Jesus was made by [[Tacitus]], generally considered one of the greatest Roman historians.<ref name=Voorst39 >Van Voorst, Robert E (2000). ''Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence''. Eerdmans Publishing. {{ISBN|0-8028-4368-9}}. pp.&nbsp;39–42.</ref><ref>Ferguson, Everett (2003). ''Backgrounds of Early Christianity''. {{ISBN|0-8028-2221-5}}. p. 116.</ref> Writing in ''[[The Annals]]'' (c. 116 AD), Tacitus [[Tacitus on Christ|described the persecution]] of Christians by Nero and stated ([[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 15#44|Annals 15.44]]) that Pilate ordered the execution of Jesus:<ref name=Theissen81 >Theissen 1998, pp.&nbsp;81–83</ref><ref name="Green1997">{{Cite book|last=Green|first=Joel B.|year=1997|title=The Gospel of Luke: new international commentary on the New Testament|page=168|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=koYlW6IoOjMC&q=Joel+B.+Green,+The+Gospel+of+Luke,+(Eerdmans,+1997),+page+168&pg=PR85|isbn=0-8028-2315-7|publisher=W. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.|location=Grand Rapids, Mich.|access-date=November 10, 2020|archive-date=April 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407154444/https://books.google.com/books?id=koYlW6IoOjMC&q=Joel+B.+Green,+The+Gospel+of+Luke,+%28Eerdmans,+1997%29,+page+168&pg=PR85|url-status=live}}</ref>
<blockquote>Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus.</blockquote>

Scholars generally consider the [[Tacitus on Christ|Tacitus reference]] to the execution of Jesus by Pilate to be genuine, and of historical value as an independent Roman source.<ref name=Voorst39 /><ref name= MAPowell33 >''Jesus as a Figure in History: How Modern Historians View the Man from Galilee'' by Mark Allan Powell, 1998, {{ISBN|0-664-25703-8}}. p. 33.</ref><ref name=CEvans42 >''Jesus and His Contemporaries: Comparative Studies'' by Craig A. Evans. 2001. {{ISBN|0-391-04118-5}}. p. 42.</ref><ref>''Ancient Rome'' by William E. Dunstan 2010 {{ISBN|0-7425-6833-4}} p. 293</ref><ref>Tacitus' characterization of "Christian abominations" may have been based on the rumors in Rome that during the [[Eucharist]] rituals Christians ate the body and drank the blood of their God, interpreting the symbolic ritual as cannibalism by Christians. References: ''Ancient Rome'' by William E. Dunstan 2010 {{ISBN|0-7425-6833-4}} p. 293 and ''An introduction to the New Testament and the origins of Christianity'' by Delbert Royce Burkett 2002 {{ISBN|0-521-00720-8}} p. 485</ref><ref>''Pontius Pilate in History and Interpretation'' by Helen K. Bond 2004 {{ISBN|0-521-61620-4}} p. xi</ref> Eddy and Boyd state that it is now "firmly established" that Tacitus provides a non-Christian confirmation of the crucifixion of Jesus.{{sfnp|Eddy|Boyd|2007|p=127}}