▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁p . ▁ 7 0 ▁ ▁These ▁books ▁mention ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁prominent ▁political ▁figures ▁as ▁the ▁New ▁Testament ▁books ▁and ▁are ▁cru cial ▁for ▁understanding ▁the ▁historical ▁background ▁of ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁Christian ity . ▁Joseph us ▁also ▁mentions ▁Jesus ▁and ▁the ▁execution ▁of ▁John ▁the ▁Bapt ist ▁although ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁contemporary ▁of ▁either . ▁A part ▁from ▁Joseph us , ▁information ▁about ▁some ▁New ▁Testament ▁figures ▁comes ▁from ▁Roman ▁histor ians ▁such ▁as ▁T ac it us ▁and ▁Su eton ius ▁and ▁from ▁ancient ▁co ins ▁and ▁ins cri ptions . ▁ ▁The ▁central ▁figure ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Testament ▁is ▁Jesus ▁of ▁Naz are th . ▁Despite ▁on going ▁debate ▁concerning ▁the ▁author ship ▁of ▁many ▁of ▁its ▁books , ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁cons ensus Co og an ▁et ▁al ., ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁p . ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁ ▁among ▁modern ▁sch ol ars ▁that ▁at ▁least ▁some ▁were ▁written ▁by ▁a ▁contemporary ▁of ▁Jesus , C ate , ▁Robert ▁L ., ▁One ▁un tim ely ▁born : ▁the ▁life ▁and ▁min istry ▁of ▁the ▁Apost le ▁Paul ▁Mer cer ▁University ▁Press , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁p . ▁ 4 8 ▁ ▁namely ▁the ▁ep ist les ▁of ▁Paul , ▁parts ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁considered ▁und is put ed . ▁However , ▁outside ▁the ▁New ▁Testament , ▁no ▁contemporary ▁references ▁to ▁Jesus ▁are ▁known , ▁unless ▁a ▁very ▁early ▁d ating ▁is