Is This the Earliest Extra-Biblical Confirmation of the Gospel Accounts?
Thallus the Historian and the Darkness at the Crucifixion
By Simon Brown
One of the questions often asked by skeptics is:
"Is there any evidence outside the Bible that confirms the events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ?"
While the New Testament remains our primary historical source, many researchers have pointed to ancient writers who may provide independent confirmation of some of the events recorded in the Gospels.
One of the earliest and most debated examples is Thallus, an ancient historian whose writings may date to around AD 50–52, although the exact date remains disputed among scholars. Unfortunately, Thallus' original works have not survived. What we know of them comes through quotations preserved by later writers.
The Gospel Accounts
The Gospels record that extraordinary events accompanied the death of Jesus.
"And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour."
— Mark 15:33
"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour."
— Matthew 27:45
Matthew also records:
"And, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split."
— Matthew 27:51
These remarkable events—the darkness, the earthquake, and the splitting of the rocks—are central features of the Gospel narrative.
Thallus and the Darkness
Although Thallus' original writings have been lost, an important quotation survives through the third-century Christian historian Sextus Julius Africanus, whose work was later preserved by the ninth-century chronicler George Syncellus.
Africanus wrote:
"On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun."
According to Africanus, Thallus attempted to explain the darkness as a natural solar eclipse.
However, Africanus objected to this explanation.
Could It Have Been a Solar Eclipse?
Africanus argued that a normal solar eclipse would have been impossible during Passover.
Passover always occurs during a full moon, when the Moon is opposite the Sun. A solar eclipse can occur only during a new moon, when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun.
Because of this, Africanus concluded that the darkness described at Jesus' crucifixion could not have been an ordinary eclipse.
Whether one agrees with his conclusion or not, this demonstrates that early Christian writers were engaging with historical reports rather than simply accepting every explanation without question.
Eusebius and the History of Thallus
The fourth-century church historian Eusebius also refers to Thallus' three-volume history.
According to an Armenian translation of Eusebius, Thallus wrote a history covering events from the fall of Troy to the 167th Olympiad.
Some scholars believe numerical errors entered the Armenian manuscripts during transmission, leading to debates over the exact chronology. Consequently, the dating of Thallus' work remains one of the major points of discussion among historians.
Dr. William Lane Craig
Christian philosopher Dr. William Lane Craig discusses this subject in his article "Thallus on the Darkness at Noon."
Craig reproduces Africanus' quotation and notes that Africanus rejected the eclipse explanation because of the timing of Passover.
Africanus also mentions the ancient writer Phlegon, who likewise recorded an unusual darkness during the reign of Emperor Tiberius. Africanus argued that while darkness might be explained naturally, it could not account for the accompanying earthquake, the splitting of rocks, and the other extraordinary events recorded in the Gospel accounts.
What Do Historians Say?
Scholars hold differing views regarding Thallus.
Some believe Africanus preserves genuine material from an early non-Christian historian who attempted to explain the darkness naturally.
Others argue that because Thallus' original work has been lost, it is impossible to know exactly what he wrote or whether he was referring to the crucifixion of Jesus.
For this reason, historians continue to debate the evidence.
Nevertheless, many Christian researchers consider the surviving quotation significant because it appears to show that an early historian acknowledged an unusual darkness occurring around the time traditionally associated with Jesus' death—even if he sought to explain it as a natural phenomenon.
A Balanced Conclusion
Can Thallus be considered proof of the Gospel accounts?
Probably not by himself.
However, when his testimony is considered alongside other ancient writers such as Tacitus, Josephus, Mara bar Serapion, Lucian of Samosata, Phlegon, and the Babylonian Talmud, many Christians believe a cumulative body of historical evidence emerges that supports the existence of Jesus and confirms important aspects of the Gospel narratives.
Whether Thallus was directly referring to the crucifixion remains debated.
Yet his testimony continues to attract the attention of historians because, if authentic, it represents one of the earliest extra-biblical references connected with the extraordinary events surrounding the death of Jesus Christ.
I encourage every reader to examine the evidence carefully and consult the original sources before reaching a conclusion.
"Test all things; hold fast what is good." — 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Thank you for reading.
Simon Brown
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