1. Greek and Roman Historians:

• These demonstrate Jesus' existence and execution by the Roman government; they provide no useful information regarding his career
• Pliny the Younger, Epistle 10 (to Imp. Trajanus about how to handle the Christians)
• Tacitus, Annals XV re: the fire in Rome; the subsequent persecution of the Christians
• Suetonius, Claudius 25.4 re: the edict of expulsion from Rome
• Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars
• Josephus, Antiquities XVIII.3.3, XX.9.1
• The Works of Flavius Josephus

2. Jewish Literature

• mostly the references are responses to the Christian community, not independent memories
• the earliest ones attest to Jesus' death, gathering disciples, and an accusation of sorcery
• e.g., the Talmud

3. The Apocryphal Gospels

• most of these are late, and are known only via fragments from later authors
• The Gospel of Thomas is an exception; it is both relatively early (dated between 50-150 CE) and also intact; see also The Gospel of Thomas Homepage

4. Other information pertinent to Jesus' time (e.g., the social history of Palestine ca. 30 CE)

• Check out the JCU Bible Web
• How useful the NT and extra-canonical materials will prove depends upon ones answer to the question of what kind of history is sought:
  • Historie (i.e., how it actually happened)
    v.
  • Geschichte (what it really meant)