supposed testimony of another. There was living in the same time with
Jesus a great Jewish scholar by the name of Philo. He was an
Alexandrian Jew, and he visited Jerusalem while Jesus was teaching and
working miracles in the holy city. Yet Philo in all his works never
once mentions Jesus. He does not seem to have heard of him. He could
not have helped mentioning him if he had really seen him or heard of
him. In one place in his works Philo is describing the difference
between two Jewish names, Hosea and Jesus. Jesus, he says, means
saviour of the people. What a fine opportunity for him to have added
that, at that very time, there was living in Jerusalem a saviour by
the name of Jesus, or one supposed to be, or claiming to be, a
saviour. He could not have helped mentioning Jesus if he had ever seen
or heard of him.

We have elsewhere referred to the significant silence of the Pagan
historians and miscellaneous writers on the wonderful events narrated
in the New Testament. But a few remarks may be added here in
explanation of the supposed testimony of Tacitus.

The quotation from Tacitus is an important one. That part of the
passage which concerns us is something like this:--"They have their
denomination from _Chrestus,_ put to death as a criminal by Pontius
Pilate during the reign of Tiberius." I wish to say in the first place
that this passage is not in the _History_ of Tacitus, known to the
ancients, but in his _Annals,_ which is not quoted by any ancient
writer. The _Annals_ of Tacitus were not known to be in existence
until the year 1468. An English writer, Mr. Ross, has undertaken, in
an interesting volume, to show that the _Annals_ were forged by an
Italian, Bracciolini. I am not competent to say whether or not Mr.
Ross proves his point. But is it conceivable that the early Christians