Ancient Account of Jesus Authenticity Challenged by Scholar

A scholar has put forth a new argument that a nearly 2,000-year-old passage about Jesus, written by the ancient Jewish historian Josephus, is historically authentic and has not been altered by Christian scribes, challenging centuries of scholarly doubt.

T.C. Schmidt, an associate professor of religious studies at Fairfield University, details his findings in his 2025 book, "Josephus and Jesus: New Evidence for the One Called Christ." Josephus, who lived from approximately 37 to 100 A.D., is known for his work "Antiquities of the Jews," which includes one of the few surviving non-Christian accounts of Jesus' life.

The disputed passage describes Jesus as a wise man who attracted followers, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and whose followers reported that he appeared alive again after his death.

For centuries, scholars have debated the passage's authenticity, with some believing that Christian scribes likely modified it because it contains statements about Jesus that seem more favorable to Christianity than a non-Christian Jewish writer would typically make.

Schmidt, however, contends that his extensive research indicates the passage is genuine. He based his conclusion on a linguistic analysis of ancient versions of Josephus's account in Greek, Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Armenian, as well as a computer-assisted stylistic analysis comparing it to Josephus's other writings.

"I show that every single phrase in the passage can be indexed back to Josephus. It all sounds like something Josephus would say," Schmidt told Fox News Digital. He added that the language Josephus used to describe Jesus's reported supernatural deeds is ambiguous, potentially allowing for interpretations that align with a non-Christian perspective, such as attributing powers to demonic sources.

"This actually sounds like something a non-Christian Jew would have said," Schmidt stated. "We have other accounts of later Jews saying similar things about Jesus." He concluded, "So you add it all together and the style of the passage matches Josephus and the claims of the message match what Josephus would have said as a non-Christian Jew. In other words, the passage looks totally authentic."

Schmidt believes his findings can strengthen the historical evidence for Jesus's existence. He noted that Josephus's account corroborates details found in the Gospels, including Jesus's disciples, his reputation for performing miracles, and his crucifixion under Pontius Pilate. He also highlighted the passage's mention of the resurrection, interpreting it as historical evidence of early Christian beliefs.

"Josephus doesn't himself affirm the resurrection, but he does affirm that early Christians, the disciples of Jesus, believed that Jesus was resurrected on the third day," Schmidt explained.

While Schmidt's book has reportedly received positive feedback, the authenticity of Josephus's account remains a topic of ongoing scholarly discussion. Schmidt mentioned that he has identified potential new connections between Josephus and individuals linked to Jesus's crucifixion, which he plans to explore in future research. He encourages individuals to examine historical sources critically, noting that his own research led him to question previously held assumptions about the passage's authenticity.