Ancient Witnesses to the Crucifixion? Thallus and Phlegon Reconsidered. Did pagan historians record the crucifixion signs? Explore how Thallus and Phlegon mentioned darkness and earthquakes in accounts tied to Jesus’ death.

The crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth remains one of the most consequential events in world history. While the Gospels record not only the execution but also cosmic signs — darkness covering the land and an earthquake shaking Jerusalem (Matthew 27:45, 51) — skeptics often ask: Are there non-biblical references to these events?

Two ancient writers, Thallus and Phlegon, emerge in this discussion. Although their works survive only in fragments preserved by later authors, their testimonies have intrigued both apologists and historians. What do they actually say, and how reliable are they as witnesses to the crucifixion?

Thallus: A Lost Historian’s Eclipse

• Who was he?
  Thallus was a Greek historian, probably writing around the mid-1st century AD, though some scholars date him later, into the 2nd century. His original histories are lost.

• What did he say?
  The Christian chronographer Julius Africanus (c. AD 160–240) preserves the key reference. Writing against pagan critics, Africanus notes that Thallus explained the darkness at the crucifixion as a solar eclipse.

• Why is this significant?
  Africanus immediately counters that this explanation is impossible: Passover occurs during a full moon, when a solar eclipse cannot occur. Thus, while dismissing Thallus’ naturalistic interpretation, Africanus treats him as evidence that a remarkable darkness had indeed been recorded by a pagan historian.

• Historical value:
  Even though we don’t have Thallus’ words directly, the fact that Africanus engaged with him suggests that a pagan chronicle of extraordinary darkness was circulating by the 2nd century.

Phlegon: The Roman Chronicler

• Who was he?
  Phlegon of Tralles was a freedman of Emperor Hadrian, active in the early to mid-2nd century AD. His work, the Olympiads, covered events from the 1st century BC into his own day.

• What did he say?
  Christian apologists Origen (Against Celsus 2.14, 2.33, 2.59) and later Philopon report that Phlegon mentioned:

  • A great eclipse of the sun,

  • An earthquake in Bithynia,

  • And unusual darkness during the reign of Tiberius (the time of Jesus’ crucifixion).

• Possible connection to the crucifixion:
  Origen debated the pagan critic Celsus using Phlegon’s testimony, implying the event was well known enough to be debated in the Greco-Roman world. Some scholars identify Phlegon’s record with the Gospel accounts of darkness and earthquake (Matthew 27:45, 51; Luke 23:44–45).

Biblical Parallels

The Gospel writers describe cosmic signs at the crucifixion:

• Darkness:
  “From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour” (Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44).

• Earthquake:
  “The earth shook, and the rocks were split” (Matthew 27:51).

Thallus appears to reference the darkness, though misattributing it to an eclipse. Phlegon explicitly mentions both darkness and earthquake during the right general period. Together, they provide external echoes of the biblical record.

Scholarly Debate

1. Supportive View

Apologists argue that these references are striking: two pagan writers, independent of Christianity, mention extraordinary cosmic disturbances during the time of Tiberius. This bolsters the case that the Gospels report genuine historical memory.

2. Skeptical View

Critical scholars caution against overconfidence:

• No original texts: We rely entirely on quotations preserved by Christian apologists.

• Ambiguity of events: Ancient writers often recorded eclipses, earthquakes, or unusual phenomena. These could be conflated with Christian claims.

• Apologetic use: Since the references survive only in polemical contexts, it is possible they were misunderstood or reframed by Christian authors.

3. Middle Ground

A balanced view recognizes that while these testimonies are not conclusive proof of the crucifixion signs, they are consistent with the Gospel tradition and show that reports of extraordinary phenomena were circulating beyond Christian circles.

Why It Matters

The testimonies of Thallus and Phlegon demonstrate three things:

1. Christ outside the Bible: The crucifixion was not an event confined to Christian memory; even hostile or indifferent historians felt compelled to explain cosmic disturbances.

2. The problem of explanation: Thallus naturalized the event (an eclipse), showing that non-Christians could not simply deny the reports but had to interpret them.

3. Historical ripple effect: Even fragmentary references remind us that Jesus’ death was not a mere private tragedy. It was perceived as cosmically significant, leaving its mark on pagan chronicles.

Conclusion

Thallus and Phlegon are not eyewitnesses, nor do they offer unambiguous confirmation of the Gospels. But their testimonies serve as independent echoes of extraordinary events associated with Jesus’ death.

For believers, they represent external corroboration of biblical truth. For historians, they show how the crucifixion reverberated through the ancient world, sparking attempts — whether apologetic or skeptical — to explain the darkness and the shaking of the earth.

Either way, these pagan fragments remind us that the crucifixion of Jesus was more than a local execution. It was an event that reached beyond Jerusalem, casting its shadow into the chronicles of the ancient world.