Can You Prove It?

2.2.iii Suetonius

Suetonius was a Roman historian and an official under the emperor Hadrian. In his 'Life of Claudius', he says (25:4) 'As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus [= Christ?], he [Claudius] expelled them from Rome.' This expulsion took place in AD 49, and is identified with the event described by Luke in Acts 18:2

In his 'Lives of the Caesars', Suetonius says (26:2) of the fire of Rome in AD 64, that 'Punishment by Nero was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition.'

Although Suetonius does not provide direct historical evidence for Christ, he does provide evidence for the existence of a significant Christian community in the capital of the empire by the 60's AD (i.e. just after the end of the book of Acts). He also provides possible evidence for the existence of a Christian community there as early as AD 49.