ncramer@bbn.com (Nichael Cramer) (05/27/89)
In article <May.25.23.51.51.1989.3601@geneva.rutgers.edu> ss6349@leah.albany.edu (Steven H Schimmrich) writes: > > > I am interested in finding historical references to the existence of Jesus >as an historical personage (i.e. sources which mention Jesus other than the >New Testament. I have heard some exist (Tacitus maybe?) but I'd like more >information. Also, I'd like to know how reliable scholars believe these >sources to be (I know it probably depends on the scholar!). Can anyone >recommend any reliable books? Thanks. STEVEN The moderator (as always) has given a very nice summary of the known historical, non-biblical references to Jesus. But to answer your specific request for books, two sound works that give good overviews of the issues involved in and the actual evidence of historicity are Thomas Sheehan's _The First Coming_ and Joseph Fitmyers' _A Christeological Catechism_. Both of these books give very good, popular statements of the current state of scholarly NT studies and contain copious pointers for those interested in delving deeper into the field; I heartily recommend both of them. (Of course, if you want to start at a somewhat deeper level --or you're having trouble sleeping-- you can always try your hand at Schillebeeckx's _Jesus_ or _Christ_. ;) NICHAEL
bill@emx.utexas.edu (Bill Jefferys) (05/27/89)
I know of two books devoted to the historical references to Jesus outside the NT. They are: F.F. Bruce, _Jesus and Christian Origins Outside the New Testament_, Eerdmans 1974. Bruce is (was?) Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis at the University of Manchester. R. Joseph Hoffman, _Jesus Outside the Gospels_, Prometheus 1984. This one is useful for its extensive quotations from the documents in question. Professor Bruce's book is out-of-print, but Hoffman's is still available. Bill Jefferys