A common charge of skeptics is that if Jesus was who he said he was, then the evidence should be more extensive, particularly if his execution was attended by things such as “a great darkness.”To the contrary, since Jesus was executed as a criminal (something the Romans did with tedious regularity), his death would be nothing special.Isaiah:53:9And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
See All... prophesied that the coming Messiah would make “his grave with the wicked,” clearly fulfilled when he was crucified between two thieves. It is reasonable to expect that Jesus would have been ignored by contemporary historians. His death would be a total humiliation, particularly to the Jews (Deuteronomy:21:23His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
See All... states, “he that is hanged is cursed of God”). The Romans would pay no particular attention to someone who died as a rebel or slave). Further, Jesus was hardly a threat when compared to other self-proclaimed messiahs. Rome called out the troops to stop the rebellion of an anonymous Egyptian (Acts:21:38Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?
See All...). No troops were needed to suppress Jesus' followers. In short, to the Romans Jesus would have been no different than thousands of other everyday criminals that were crucified.
See also, Sanders, E.P. - The Historical Figure of Jesus. New York: Penguin Press, 1993.