Contemporaneous Historians are Silent Concerning the Resurrection of Jesus.
Philo, Josephus, Seneca, Pliny the elder, and Pliny the younger, Diogenes, Socrates, Pausanias, Suetonius, Tacitus, Adrian, Marcus Aurelius, Lucian, and others have not one word to say about it.
In answer to this a certain minister replies that: “Seneca, Diogenes, Laertes, Pausanias, Tacitus, and Marcus Aurelius, were Pagans, who certainly in works of stoic philosophy, travels, and geography would not discourse of Jesus.” In answer to this I maintain that it is altogether probable, if not certain, that some of these writers would have recorded the “darkness over all the earth,” which lasted some three hours ([Luke 23 : 44]) and the opening of the graves out of which many of the dead came and went into the city and showed themselves unto many: besides, there were several earthquakes. ([Mat. 27 : 51], and [28 : 2], also [Acts 16 : 26].) Such marvels, especially the darkness over all the earth, and the earthquakes could not have escaped the pen of all such historians and philosophers.
“Each of these philosophers (Pliny the Second and Seneca) in a laborious work, has recorded all the great phenomena of nature, earthquakes, meteors, comets, and eclipses which his indefatigable curiosity could collect; neither of them has mentioned or even alluded to the miraculous darkness at the crucifixion.”—Gibbon.
The Resurrection of Jesus.
Comparing now the several narratives of the resurrection with one another, we find this general result:
In Mark Jesus is said to have appeared three times.
1. To Mary Magdalene.
2. To two disciples.