Tacitus places Jesus's execution under Tiberius Caesar while Pontius Pilate was procurator; both Tacitus and Lucian are hostile to Christianity

Tacitus reports Jesus's execution during the reign of Tiberius Caesar while Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea — providing specific temporal and administrative context. Critically, both Lucian (who mocks Christians) and Tacitus (who calls Christianity an "evil and mischievous superstition") are hostile sources, making their attestation more credible, not less.