Did Jesus Really Exist? Jesus Outside the New Testament part 3

Bismillah ir rahman ir raheem,

As salamu 'alikum wr wb,  (May the Peace, Mercy of Allah and Blessings be upon you).

Seutonius: The Instigator Chrestus.

"The Roman writer Gaius Seutonius Tranquillus (ca. 70-ca. 140) practiced law in Rome and was a friend of Pliny the Younger (Pliny, Letters 1.18) He served for a short time around 120 as a secretary to Emperor Hadrian until he was dismissed, perhaps over allegations of incivility towards Hadrian's wife (Spartianus, Life of Hadrian 11.3)
Other than this, we know little for certain about the main events of his life."

(pg 29 Jesus Outside of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence" by Robert E. Van Voorst)

"Seutonius was a prolific writer of several different types of literature, but only his 'Lives of the Caesars (De vita Caesarum) has survived basically intact. Published around 120, this book covers the lives and careers of the first twelve emperors, from Julius Caesar to Domitian."

(pg 29 Jesus Outside of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence" by Robert E. Van Voorst)

"After reporting how Claudius dealt with Greece and Macedonia, and with the Lycians, Rhodians, and Trojans, Seutonius writes tersely in 25.4,

"He [Claudius] expelled the Jews from Rome, since they were always making disturbances because of the instigator Chrestus (Judaeos impulsore Chresto assidue tumultuantis Roma expulit).

(pg 30 Jesus Outside of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence" by Robert E. Van Voorst)

"Some historians have recently argued that Chrestus is indeed an otherwise unknown agitator in Rome, and not to be identified with Christ."

(pg 32 Jesus Outside of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence" by Robert E. Van Voorst)

"The source of Suetonius's information is, as usual, not named."

"More likely is the supposition that Seutonius is using a Roman source, perhaps from the imperial archives."

"Suetonius may have copied a mistake from his source, and the source may have been written near to the event when the name "Christ" was not widely known in Rome. Repeating a mistake in his sources is characteristic of Suetonius, who often treats them uncritically and uses them carelessly."

"Seutonius followed whatever source attracted him, without caring much whether it was reliable or not"
 (M.C. Howatson, ed., The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature, [2nd ed.; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989] 542).

"From his initial misunderstanding came the idea that this Chrestus was actually present in Rome as an instigator in the 40s. Although Seutonius did view Christ as an historical person capable of fomenting unrest, his glaring mistakes should caution us against placing too much weight on his evidence for Jesus or his significance for early Christianity."

(pg 38-39Jesus Outside of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence" by Robert E. Van Voorst)

Conclusion: So much for the testimony of Seutonius as well!