DID YOU KNOW?
Non-Christian Historians Confirm the Darkness at Christ’s Crucifixion.
When Jesus Christ was crucified, something extraordinary happened: for three hours, darkness covered the land. This event is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44–45). What makes it even more remarkable is that this darkness was not only witnessed by those who followed Jesus—it was also noted by non-Christian historians of the time.
Thallus, a historian writing around AD 52, is one of the earliest to mention it. Although his original writings are lost, later historian Julius Africanus preserves Thallus’s attempt to explain the darkness as a solar eclipse. Africanus points out that this explanation doesn’t work, since Passover occurs at a full moon and solar eclipses only happen at new moons. Thallus’s effort to explain it actually shows that the event was widely known and taken seriously.
Another historian, Phlegon from Tralles (modern Turkey), writing around AD 137, also records unusual darkness at noon and even mentions that stars appeared in the sky. He also notes an earthquake around the same time. Like Thallus, Phlegon tries to attribute it to an eclipse, but the timing, duration, and the earthquake make a natural explanation impossible. His account lines up with the Gospel descriptions, showing that people outside the Christian faith recognized something extraordinary had happened.
Tertullian, a writer in the second century, mentions that the darkness was recorded in Roman archives. Africanus, writing in the early third century, also confirms the darkness and the earthquake. Together, these sources—from Rome, Tralles, Palestine, and Carthage—show that the event was noticed across the ancient world and recorded by multiple observers.
The evidence is clear: this was not just a story or legend. Non-Christian historians independently documented the unusual darkness, often struggling to explain it naturally. Their accounts, along with the Gospel records, provide strong historical confirmation that the crucifixion was accompanied by extraordinary events. Both Africanus and Tertullian, who preserved these accounts, would go on to become Christians, showing the lasting impact and significance of what they recorded.
Non-Christian Historians Confirm the Darkness at Christ’s Crucifixion.
When Jesus Christ was crucified, something extraordinary happened: for three hours, darkness covered the land. This event is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44–45). What makes it even more remarkable is that this darkness was not only witnessed by those who followed Jesus—it was also noted by non-Christian historians of the time.
Thallus, a historian writing around AD 52, is one of the earliest to mention it. Although his original writings are lost, later historian Julius Africanus preserves Thallus’s attempt to explain the darkness as a solar eclipse. Africanus points out that this explanation doesn’t work, since Passover occurs at a full moon and solar eclipses only happen at new moons. Thallus’s effort to explain it actually shows that the event was widely known and taken seriously.
Another historian, Phlegon from Tralles (modern Turkey), writing around AD 137, also records unusual darkness at noon and even mentions that stars appeared in the sky. He also notes an earthquake around the same time. Like Thallus, Phlegon tries to attribute it to an eclipse, but the timing, duration, and the earthquake make a natural explanation impossible. His account lines up with the Gospel descriptions, showing that people outside the Christian faith recognized something extraordinary had happened.
Tertullian, a writer in the second century, mentions that the darkness was recorded in Roman archives. Africanus, writing in the early third century, also confirms the darkness and the earthquake. Together, these sources—from Rome, Tralles, Palestine, and Carthage—show that the event was noticed across the ancient world and recorded by multiple observers.
The evidence is clear: this was not just a story or legend. Non-Christian historians independently documented the unusual darkness, often struggling to explain it naturally. Their accounts, along with the Gospel records, provide strong historical confirmation that the crucifixion was accompanied by extraordinary events. Both Africanus and Tertullian, who preserved these accounts, would go on to become Christians, showing the lasting impact and significance of what they recorded.
DID YOU KNOW?
Non-Christian Historians Confirm the Darkness at Christ’s Crucifixion.
When Jesus Christ was crucified, something extraordinary happened: for three hours, darkness covered the land. This event is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44–45). What makes it even more remarkable is that this darkness was not only witnessed by those who followed Jesus—it was also noted by non-Christian historians of the time.
Thallus, a historian writing around AD 52, is one of the earliest to mention it. Although his original writings are lost, later historian Julius Africanus preserves Thallus’s attempt to explain the darkness as a solar eclipse. Africanus points out that this explanation doesn’t work, since Passover occurs at a full moon and solar eclipses only happen at new moons. Thallus’s effort to explain it actually shows that the event was widely known and taken seriously.
Another historian, Phlegon from Tralles (modern Turkey), writing around AD 137, also records unusual darkness at noon and even mentions that stars appeared in the sky. He also notes an earthquake around the same time. Like Thallus, Phlegon tries to attribute it to an eclipse, but the timing, duration, and the earthquake make a natural explanation impossible. His account lines up with the Gospel descriptions, showing that people outside the Christian faith recognized something extraordinary had happened.
Tertullian, a writer in the second century, mentions that the darkness was recorded in Roman archives. Africanus, writing in the early third century, also confirms the darkness and the earthquake. Together, these sources—from Rome, Tralles, Palestine, and Carthage—show that the event was noticed across the ancient world and recorded by multiple observers.
The evidence is clear: this was not just a story or legend. Non-Christian historians independently documented the unusual darkness, often struggling to explain it naturally. Their accounts, along with the Gospel records, provide strong historical confirmation that the crucifixion was accompanied by extraordinary events. Both Africanus and Tertullian, who preserved these accounts, would go on to become Christians, showing the lasting impact and significance of what they recorded.
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