The Jesus Archive
About this place

The imperial capital. A Christian community existed here by the 40s or 50s, when Paul wrote to it; Suetonius’ ‘Chrestus’ disturbances under Claudius may concern it. Tacitus describes Nero’s punishment of Christians after the fire of 64, and tradition places the deaths of Peter and Paul here.

Mark’s Gospel may have been written in Rome, as were 1 Clement, Justin’s Apology, Josephus’ Antiquities, the works of Tacitus and Suetonius, and the Refutation of All Heresies. Several of these appear in this archive.

Where to start

Tacitus, Annals: the Second Medicean manuscript, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence
Witnesses Outside the ChurchTacitus, Annals 15.38–44: the Great Fire and Nero’s punishment of the Christiansc. AD 115–117 · Publius Cornelius Tacitus
The New TestamentPaul’s Letter to the Romansc. AD 55–58 · Paul
The Early ChurchThe First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthiansc. AD 96 (traditional date) · Clement of Rome (attributed)
Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars: the opening of the Life of Tiberius, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (Ms. lat. fol. 28)
Witnesses Outside the ChurchSuetonius, Life of Claudius 25: the expulsion over “Chrestus”c. AD 120 · Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus

Written or found here

10
  1. AD 96c. AD 96 (traditional date)

    The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

    Clement of Rome (attributed)

    A letter from the church at Rome to the church at Corinth, traditionally dated c. 96. It recalls the deaths of Peter and Paul, quotes sayings of Jesus, and says the apostles were sent by Christ and appointed leaders after them.

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  2. AD 230c. AD 225–235

    Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies, Book IX

    Hippolytus of Rome (attributed)

    A Roman presbyter attacks teachers of his own day who said the Father and the Son were one and the same, including Bishop Callistus, and the Elchasaites. It shows how sharply Christians in Rome were arguing about who Christ is in the early 3rd century.

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  3. AD 153c. AD 150–155

    Justin Martyr, First Apology

    Justin Martyr

    A Christian philosopher’s defence addressed to Antoninus Pius. It says Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate, argues from the Hebrew prophets, and gives the earliest full description of baptism, the Eucharist and Sunday worship, where ‘the memoirs of the apostles’ were read.

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  4. AD 70c. AD 65–75

    The Gospel of Mark

    Anonymous; traditionally John Mark

    The shortest Gospel, which the earliest tradition traces to Mark, the interpreter of Peter. Its fast-moving account of the ministry in Galilee and the passion in Jerusalem, c. AD 65–75, gave Matthew and Luke their framework.

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  5. AD 57c. AD 54–62

    Paul’s Letter to the Philippians

    Paul

    Paul’s warm letter from prison to his first church in Europe. Its hymn to Christ (2:6–11), possibly older than Paul, shows that within about twenty-five years of the crucifixion Jesus was being confessed as Lord.

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  6. AD 85c. AD 75–95 (before c. 65 if by Peter)

    The First Letter of Peter

    Traditionally Peter; authorship disputed

    A letter from “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ” to Christians in Asia Minor facing hostility, used by Polycarp and accepted throughout the early church. Its writer calls himself a witness of Christ’s sufferings and reads the cross through Isaiah 53.

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  7. AD 93c. AD 93–94

    Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, Book 18: the Testimonium Flavianum and John the Baptist

    Flavius Josephus

    The Jewish historian Josephus’s passage on Jesus (Ant. 18.63–64), widely judged to be an authentic notice later expanded by Christian copyists, with his account of John the Baptist and Pilate’s governorship as context.

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  8. AD 93c. AD 93–94

    Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, Book 20: the death of James, brother of Jesus

    Flavius Josephus

    Josephus reports that the high priest Ananus had ‘the brother of Jesus who was called Christ, whose name was James’ stoned in AD 62. Most scholars accept the passage as authentic, making it a key non-Christian reference to Jesus.

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  9. AD 116c. AD 115–117

    Tacitus, Annals 15.38–44: the Great Fire and Nero’s punishment of the Christians

    Publius Cornelius Tacitus

    The Roman historian’s account of the fire of AD 64, after which Nero blamed and cruelly executed the Christians. Tacitus explains that their founder Christus was executed under Tiberius by the procurator Pontius Pilate.

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  10. AD 120c. AD 120

    Suetonius, Life of Claudius 25: the expulsion over “Chrestus”

    Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus

    In a list of Claudius’s measures, Suetonius says he expelled from Rome the Jews who were constantly rioting ‘at the instigation of Chrestus’. Many historians see a garbled reference to Christ; others think of an unknown agitator, a question left to your discernment.

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Every mention

44 writings
  1. AD 50Paul’s First Letter to the ThessaloniansThe New Testament1×
  2. AD 52Paul’s Letter to the GalatiansThe New Testament1×
  3. AD 52The Gallio inscription (Delphi)Stones and Scrolls2×
  4. AD 54Paul’s First Letter to the CorinthiansThe New Testament1×
  5. AD 55Paul’s Second Letter to the CorinthiansThe New Testament1×
  6. AD 55Paul’s Letter to PhilemonThe New Testament2×
  7. AD 57Paul’s Letter to the RomansThe New Testament4×
  8. AD 57Paul’s Letter to the PhilippiansThe New Testament1×
  9. AD 70The Letter to the ColossiansThe New Testament1×
  10. AD 70The Gospel of MarkThe New Testament1×
  11. AD 75The Second Letter to the ThessaloniansThe New Testament1×
  12. AD 80The Letter to the HebrewsThe New Testament2×
  13. AD 85The Letter to the EphesiansThe New Testament1×
  14. AD 85The Gospel of MatthewThe New Testament1×
  15. AD 85The Acts of the ApostlesThe New Testament7×
  16. AD 85The First Letter of PeterThe New Testament2×
  17. AD 93Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, Book 18: the Testimonium Flavianum and John the BaptistWitnesses Outside the Church9×
  18. AD 93Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, Book 20: the death of James, brother of JesusWitnesses Outside the Church1×
  19. AD 95The Revelation to JohnThe New Testament2×
  20. AD 96The First Epistle of Clement to the CorinthiansThe Early Church3×
  21. AD 100The Second Letter to TimothyThe New Testament3×
  22. AD 110Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the SmyrnaeansThe Early Church1×
  23. AD 112Pliny the Younger and Trajan, Letters 10.96–97: on the trials of ChristiansWitnesses Outside the Church4×
  24. AD 116Tacitus, Annals 15.38–44: the Great Fire and Nero’s punishment of the ChristiansWitnesses Outside the Church7×
  25. AD 120Suetonius, Life of Claudius 25: the expulsion over “Chrestus”Witnesses Outside the Church7×
  26. AD 125The Gospel of ThomasThe Other Gospels1×
  27. AD 153Justin Martyr, First ApologyThe Early Church3×
  28. AD 160The Gospel of TruthThe Other Gospels1×
  29. AD 165Lucian of Samosata, The Passing of PeregrinusWitnesses Outside the Church2×
  30. AD 170Tatian’s DiatessaronThe Other Gospels4×
  31. AD 180Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, Book IThe Early Church2×
  32. AD 180Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, Book IIIThe Early Church7×
  33. AD 200The Alexamenos graffito (Palatine, Rome)Stones and Scrolls4×
  34. AD 200The Secret Gospel of Mark (the Mar Saba Letter)The Other Gospels1×
  35. AD 230Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies, Book IXThe Early Church12×
  36. AD 320Eusebius, Church History, Book IThe Early Church1×
  37. AD 320Eusebius, Church History, Book IIIThe Early Church12×
  38. AD 320Eusebius, Church History, Book IVThe Early Church8×
  39. AD 320Eusebius, Church History, Book VThe Early Church13×
  40. AD 400The Gospel of Nicodemus (Acts of Pilate) and the Pilate LettersThe Other Gospels3×
  41. 1994Common Christological Declaration of the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East (1994)Other Voices1×
  42. 2026Jesus’s life: a chronological catalogue of the canonical narrativesThe Dossier2×
  43. 2026The documentary record of Jesus and the movements that interpreted himThe Dossier7×
  44. 2026Sources and further readingThe Dossier3×