Is there legal-historical proof Christ existed apart from the Bible?

Is there legal-historical proof for Christianity? Is there historical evidence that Christ existed, especially apart from the Bible?

Let us begin with the secular authorities on Jesus historicity. By secular, I mean non-Christian, non-Jewish, and generally hostile toward Christianity. 

First there was Cornelius Tacitus (AD 55-120). He was a Roman historian who lived through the reign of half a dozen emperors.

But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the bounties that the prince could bestow, nor all the atonements which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero from the infamy of being believed to have ordered the conflagration, the fire of Rome. Hence to suppress the rumor, he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished with the most exquisite tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were hailed for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time, broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also.

Second, Lucian, a Greek satirist of the second century, spoke scornfully toward Christ and the Christians, never assuming or arguing that they were unreal.

The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day-the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified.

You see, these misguided creatures start with the general convictions that they are immoral for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them; and then it was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take quite on faith, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them as common property.

Third, Suetonius, a Roman historian, court official under Hadrian, and annalist of the imperial House, stated...

As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus (another spelling of Christus) he (Claudius) expelled them from Rome. Punishment by Nero was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition. 

Fourth, Pliny the younger, the Governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor in AD 112.

They affirmed, however, that the whole of their guilt, or their error, was that they were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verse of a hymn to Christ as to a god, and bound themselves in a solemn oath, not to do any wicked deeds, but never commit any fraud, theft, adultery, never to falsify their word, not to deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up.

The legal-historical evidence proves that Jesus Christ existed in history, died on a cross, and had devout, though perhaps ignorant, followers. Since, Jesus Christ existed in history, who did he say that he was? That question will be addressed in the next blog.

*Who is Jesus?...Really By Josh Mcdowell