A Deep Dive into Dr. Tom C. Schmidt’s Josephus and Jesus

Introduction

In the realm of historical Jesus studies, few topics have sparked as much debate as the authenticity of the Testimonium Flavianum (TF), a passage in Josephus’s Antiquities of the Jews that references Jesus of Nazareth. Dr. Tom C. Schmidt’s recent publication, Josephus and Jesus: New Evidence for the One Called Christ, offers a fresh perspective on this contentious subject. Published by Oxford University Press in May 2025, the book is available as an open-access title, allowing scholars and enthusiasts alike to engage with its findings.

Background: The Testimonium Flavianum

The TF is found in Book 18, Chapter 3 of Josephus’s Antiquities, written around 93–94 CE. It provides a brief account of Jesus, describing him as a wise man, a doer of wonderful works, and noting his crucifixion under Pontius Pilate. The passage has long been scrutinized for potential Christian interpolations, given its seemingly favorable portrayal of Jesus.

Dr. Schmidt’s Central Thesis

Dr. Schmidt challenges the prevailing scholarly consensus that the TF is partially interpolated. Through meticulous analysis, he argues for the passage’s authenticity, asserting that Josephus himself authored the TF without later Christian modifications. This bold claim is underpinned by several key arguments:

1. Stylometric Analysis

Employing stylometric techniques, Dr. Schmidt analyzes the linguistic patterns of the TF in comparison to Josephus’s broader corpus. His findings indicate a strong stylistic consistency, suggesting that the TF aligns with Josephus’s typical writing style. This counters the argument that the passage’s language is anomalously Christian.

To ignore this is to ignore the rapidly advancing capacity of computer science to detect patterns, stylometric signatures, and realistic authorial mannerisms that the human mind either overlooks or over-trusts. Artificial intelligence and statistical modeling can now trace internal coherence in texts with a precision that eclipses previous centuries of intuition-based scholarship. This is not merely a matter of literary taste; it is a measurable and testable domain. And as modern scholarship begins to reckon with this capacity, one cannot retreat to scholarly viewpoints formed before such tools existed.

2. Ancient Reception

Dr. Schmidt examines how early Christian writers interpreted the TF. Contrary to modern readings that view the passage as overtly pro-Christian, ancient commentators often regarded it as mundane or even slightly negative. This perspective supports the notion that the TF was authored by a non-Christian, as early Christians did not exploit it as a robust endorsement of their faith.

3. Josephus’s Sources

The book delves into Josephus’s potential sources of information about Jesus. Dr. Schmidt posits that Josephus may have had direct connections with individuals involved in the trials of Jesus and his apostles. This proximity could have provided him with reliable information, enhancing the credibility of his account.

Furthermore, this reevaluation touches upon what the apostles themselves believed about Jesus’s resurrection—within mere days of the crucifixion. The earliest Christian creeds, as preserved in passages like 1 Corinthians 15:3–7, affirm that belief in the resurrection was not a myth that grew over decades, but a conviction declared “as of first importance” and within the first three days. This timeframe aligns with the plausibility of Josephus hearing directly from contemporaries who were still alive—some of whom may have witnessed or even participated in the events surrounding Jesus. In light of Schmidt’s findings, the TF may not merely reflect post-Christian legend but contemporary historical memory.

Scholarly Reception

Dr. Schmidt’s work has garnered significant attention and praise within academic circles:

• Tobias Hägerland (University of Gothenburg): Describes the book as “an extraordinary scholarly achievement” with the potential to redefine discussions on the TF.
• Annette Yoshiko Reed (Harvard Divinity School): Highlights the book’s erudition and its impact on understanding early Jewish-Christian relations.
• Harold Attridge (Yale Divinity School): Commends the thorough and sophisticated analysis, stating that Josephus’s accounts can no longer be ignored in studies of early reactions to Jesus.

Implications for Historical Jesus Studies

If Dr. Schmidt’s arguments hold, the TF stands as a valuable non-Christian testimony to Jesus’s existence and crucifixion. This could bolster the historical reliability of certain Gospel accounts and provide a more nuanced understanding of early Christian history.

The implications are layered. On one hand, we are dealing with the recalibration of a long-contested text, now possibly vindicated by 21st-century methods. On the other, we are seeing a convergence between second temple historiography and apostolic proclamation. The earliest Christian beliefs are not isolated theological inventions but may now be recognized—even by an unsympathetic Jewish historian—as grounded in the actual events of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.

Conclusion

Dr. Tom C. Schmidt’s Josephus and Jesus offers a compelling reevaluation of a pivotal historical text. By challenging long-held assumptions and employing rigorous analysis, the book invites scholars to reconsider the authenticity of the TF and its implications for our understanding of Jesus’s historical footprint.

In the end, what Dr. Schmidt provides is not merely a revised interpretation of an ancient paragraph—it is an invitation to reexamine the methodological limitations of past scholarship in light of present tools, and to reconsider how close we really are to the historical Jesus. It suggests that the memory of Christ did not emerge from myth-making centuries later, but from testimonies so immediate, so persistent, that even a Romanized Jewish historian could not ignore them.

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References:

1. Schmidt, T. C. (2025). Josephus and Jesus: New Evidence for the One Called Christ. Oxford University Press. https://academic.oup.com/book/60034
2. Hägerland, Tobias. Endorsement in Barnes & Noble Review. https://www.barnesandnoble.com
3. Reed, Annette Yoshiko. Endorsement in Barnes & Noble Review. https://www.barnesandnoble.com
4. Attridge, Harold W. Review quoted in Barnes & Noble. https://www.barnesandnoble.com
5. Pearse, Roger. “T. C. Schmidt: Josephus and Jesus: New Evidence for the One Called Christ.” Roger Pearse Blog, May 30, 2025. https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/2025/05/30/t-c-schmidt-josephus-jesus-new-evidence-for-the-one-called-christ
6. Ancient World Online (AWOL). “New Book: Josephus and Jesus.” May 2025.
7. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. 1 Corinthians 15:3–7.