Sources See also: Josephus on Jesus and Tacitus on Jesus

A 1640 edition of the works of Josephus, a 1st-century Roman-Jewish historian who referred to Jesus[221] The non-canonical Gospel of Thomas is an independent witness to many of the Jesus' parables and aphorisms.[222] Other select non-canonical Christian texts may also have historical value.[223]

Non-Christian sources used to establish the historical existence of Jesus include the works of first-century historians Josephus and Tacitus.[224][221][225] Josephus scholar Louis H. Feldman has stated that "few have doubted the genuineness" of Josephus' reference to Jesus in book 20 of the Antiquities of the Jews, and it is disputed only by a small number of scholars.[226][227] Tacitus referred to Christ and his execution by Pilate in book 15 of his work Annals. Scholars generally consider Tacitus's reference to the execution of Jesus to be both authentic and of historical value as an independent Roman source.[228]

Non-Christian sources are valuable in two ways.[11] First, they show that even neutral or hostile parties never evince any doubt that Jesus actually existed.[11] Second, they present a rough picture of Jesus that is compatible with that found in the Christian sources: that Jesus was a teacher, had a reputation as a miracle worker, had a brother James, and died a violent death.[11]

Archeology helps scholars better understand Jesus' social world.[229] Recent archeological work, for example, indicates that Capernaum, a city important in Jesus' ministry, was poor and small, without even a forum or an agora.[230][231] This archaeological discovery resonates well with the scholarly view that Jesus advocated reciprocal sharing among the destitute in that area of Galilee.[230]