Why Does Tacitus Incorrectly Refer To Pilate As A Procurator?

But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor [Nero], and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration [the Great Fire of Rome, July 18, 64 CE] was the result of an order [by Nero]. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judæa, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their 

CHRISTIANS ACCUSED OF INCENDIARISM

centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.

–Tacitus in Annals, Book 15, section 44

Gary: Tacitus (c 55 – c. 120 CE) was a Roman historian and politician. He became governor of a province in western Asia Minor in 113 CE. Christian apologists often appeal to the above brief mention of a “Chrestus” in Tacitus’ work, The Annals, as confirmation of the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth and the historical reliability of the Gospels.

Michael Alter, Jewish author and counter-apologist: [Evangelical Christian apologists] Habermas and Licona cite Tacitus in support of Jesus’ resurrection. [This] excerpt requires careful, critical, and assiduous analysis from those of both sides of the religious aisle.

The academic debate surrounding this passage has mainly concerned two issues. First, what were the sources of Tacitus’ information? Second, questions exist about its authorship. Some detractors argue that 15:44 is a [Christian] interpolation. Consequently, they question its reliability.

-[Tacitus’] mistake in calling Pilate a procurator instead of a prefect shows that he is not directly citing any official record.

-Where would Tacitus have learned this [information]? It is very unlikely any such records would have survived in Rome for Tacitus to consult, the capitol’s libraries having been burned to the ground at least twice in the interim, once under Nero, and again under Titus.

[Gary: Is it nothing more than second century rumor and hearsay?]

-Tacitus refers to the founder as “Christus” while written records would presumably have used the name, Jesus. Why did Tacitus fail to use the personal name “Jesus”? [Gary: Sounds like a “Christianism”, to me, indicating this passage is another Christian Interpolation.]

-What witness outside Tacitus do we have to the persecution of Christians by Nero in association with the [Great] fire? There is none from Christian sources until the fourth century.

-The early Christian [Church] Fathers Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen did not cite Tacitus’ work. Neither do other Christian writers acquainted with Tacitus, such as Sidonius, Appolinaris, Sulpicius, Severus, and Cassiodorus. No one seems to have ever known that Christians were in any way connected with it [the Great Fire of 64 CE], until late in the fourth century.

-No historical evidence exists that Nero persecuted Christians. However, he did persecute Jews, so perhaps Tacitus was confused.

-Tacitus has in no other part of his writings alluded to Christ or Christians.

-The Annals is suspiciously [and conveniently?] missing information from 29 CE to 32 CE, a highly relevant timeframe for those who believe in Jesus. Professor of Classics Robert Drews theorized that the only plausible explanation for this gap is “pious fraud”; the embarrassment [to Christians and the Church] of Tacitus’ making no mention of Jesus’ crucifixion, or darkness covering the world, or appearances of resurrected saints, led to Christian scribes destroying this portion of the text—and perhaps later fabricating the Book 15 reference [above].

-Given the immensity of the persecution [inflicted on Christians by Nero] which Tacitus describes, what are the odds that no Christian [author] would ever have heard of it or made use of it or any reference to it for over three hundred years?

Conclusion: The end of the matter is that nobody knows with certitude the source of Tacitus’ presumed information. Noteworthy, it is unverified that Tacitus wrote the paragraph. Consequently, Annals is not an independent source that provides evidence that Jesus suffered crucifixion.

Excerpts from chapter 6, The Resurrection and Its Apologetics: Jesus’ Death and Burial, Volume 1 by Michael Alter

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