Originally Posted by Mr. Clandestine
Flavius Josephus (c. 37ADâ??c. 100AD) was a Roman citizen who wrote "Jewish Antiquities" somewhere around 93AD, and mentioned Jesus at least twice that I know of. Read "Testimonium Flavianum" for the exact quotes, which I can't remember off the top of my head, but there's no mistaking who he was talking about. And Josephus was also a Jew, who would have had absolutely no reason to lie about the presence of Jesus... which would only have served to prove that Jesus' life, ministry, and crucifixion by the Romans was based on historical fact, not legend.
Cornelius Tacitus (c. 56AD-c. 115) is another historian (a secular one) who wrote in his most popular work, "The Annals", of Christians "who suffered under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius" and wrote that there was a man named Chrestus (or Christ) who lived during the first century (Annals 15.44) to whom the persecution could be attributed to. Again, Tacitus was vehemently opposed to religion, preferring instead to worship Ceasar, and would have had no reason whatsoever to fabricate the story of Jesus.