First - century historian Josephus corroborates this account. He wrote: “A famine did oppress them at that time, and many people died. ”
(‏ اعمال ١١ :‏ ٢٨‏ )‏ ويؤكد المؤرخ يوسيفوس الذي عاش في القرن الاول وقوع هذه الكارثة .‏