35.2 Why Did the Romans Crucify Jesus?

Note: Words and phrases within large braces { } within quotations are furnished by the author to explain such quotations. Words and phrases within square brackets [ ] within quotations are part of the quoted text. 
The Religious-Political Turmoil in Palestine during and after Jesus

            The gospels were intended to be used for spiritual edification, not as historical books. For this reason they provide scanty information about the historical background of Jesus. To understand the identity of Jesus one has to consider the history of Palestine and the Religious-political turmoil that took place during and after the lifetime of Jesus.

            Israel was occupied by other nations for several centuries; beginning in 576 BCE by the Babylonians, then the Persians, then in 331 BCE by the Greeks, and then in 63 BCE by the Romans. In 164 BCE a Jewish leader, Judas Maccabeus instigated a revolt against the Greeks, and succeeded in securing independence for the Jews. This independence lasted until 63 BCE, when the Romans conquered Palestine. A few decades later, the Jews renewed their aspirations for independence and began a series revolts against the Romans. They based their aspirations for freedom on certain prophecies of Daniel, Isaiah, Zechariah, and Jeremiah. Jeremiah wrote, “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch {a descendant of King David}, and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved {will be freed from the occupation by foreigners}, and Israel will dwell securely.” (Jeremiah 23:5-6 NRSV) Inspired by this prophecy, the writer of Psalms of Solomon wrote (he wrote in the 1st century BCE) the following: “See, Lord, and raise up for them {the Jews} their king, the son {descendant} of David ... undergird him with strength to destroy the unrighteous rulers, to purge Jerusalem from gentiles {the Romans} ... to smash the arrogance of sinners like a potter’s jar; To shatter all their substance with an iron rod ... their king {the king of the Jews} will be their lord Messiah.” (Psalms of Solomon 17:21-24, 32) He wrote this before the birth of Jesus. The Jews expected God to raise this King-Messiah to free them: “I {God} will take away the chariots from Ephraim {Israel} and the war-horses from Jerusalem {Judah}.” (Zechariah 9:10 NIV) They believed that through this King-Messiah, God was going to subject all nations to them: “Thus says the Lord God {to the Jews}, ‘Behold, I will lift up My hand to {against} the nations {the Gentiles} ... And they will bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders. Kings will be your guardians, and their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth and lick the dust of your feet.” (Isaiah 49:22-23 NASB)

            The period of the Jewish messianic revolts began after the death of Herod the Great (4 BCE) and peaked with the great revolt, the Jewish War (66-70 CE), which resulted in the destruction of the Jerusalem temple at 70 CE and the killing of thousands of Jewish men, especially Galileans. [1] Several obscure self-proclaimed King-Messiahs attempted to self fulfill the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. They based their activities in the wilderness, where they lead the Jewish multitudes, mostly the poor. Some of them performed miracles to convince the multitudes that they were sent by God. Josephus wrote, “And now these impostors and deceivers {referring to the Messiahs who failed} persuaded the masses to follow them to the wilderness, and pretended that they would exhibit plain wonders and signs, that would be performed by the providence of God. Moreover, there came … one that said he was a prophet, and advised the multitude … to go along with him to the Mount of Olives, as it was called … he said further, that he would show them from hence, how, at his command, the walls of Jerusalem would fall down.” [2] Like the other messianic contenders, Jesus drew the poor people to the wilderness: “... he {Jesus} … went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came to him ...” (Luke 4:42 KJV) Jesus performed wonders and signs to prove to the multitudes of Jews that God had appointed him as their Messiah, who would establish the kingdom of God (Israel). He told them, “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” (Matthew 12:28 NRSV) After the founding of Hellenistic Christianity, outside Palestine, the phrase “kingdom of God” acquired a different meaning, a spiritual meaning. But in Palestine, among the Jews, when Jesus used this phrase, it meant “kingdom of Israel” Israel was the nation of God.

            The wealthy Jews and those in high positions complied with the occupiers, the Romans, to protect their wealth and their interests, and to maintain their positions. Also, the Romans granted them special privileges. (This is normally the case in most occupations of nations.) In return the Romans held them accountable for the actions of their people. The Romans appointed the high priests, and the high priests bribed the Romans. Josephus wrote, “But as for the high priest, Ananias … was a great hoarder up of money: he therefore cultivated the friendship of Albinus {Roman procurator from 62 to 64 CE}, and of the high priest [Jesus], by making them presents.” [3] There was religious-political corruption, which caused a conflict between the common people and the high priests. The high priests were Sadducees and they collaborated with the rich Jews (which Josephus calls “men of power”). Josephus wrote, “… while the Sadducees are able to persuade none but the rich, and have not the populace obsequious to them {the crowds were not eager to obey them} …” [4] Since the high priests were appointed by the kings (who, in turn, were appointed by the Romans) they often took the side of the Romans in convincing people to stop rioting. For instance, when the Jews protested the taxation of Quirinius (around 6-7 CE) and Judas the Galilean instigated a revolt, the high priest Joazar, took the side of the Romans and persuaded the multitude to comply. [5] Because the leading priests were appointed by the kings and because they took the side of the Romans (in keeping order), the multitude of Jerusalem was against them. Josephus wrote, “About this time king Agrippa gave the high priesthood to Ishmael … And {as a result} now arose a sedition {revolt} between the high priests {Josephus uses this term to refer to the wealthy, leading priests – there was only one high priest} and the principal men of the multitude of Jerusalem.” [6]

            There was another reason for this conflict. To appease the Romans (who appointed them), the high priests accepted Roman offerings and sacrifices at the Temple. This offended the purists (such as, the Zealots, the Sicarii, the Essenes, and the Jewish Christians) who rioted and put a stop to the Roman offerings and sacrifices at the temple. The forbade even the entrance of non-Jews in the Temple. In response, according to Josephus, “… the men of power got together, and conferred with the high priests, as did also the principal of the Pharisees; and … took counsel what was to be done. … what they could do with the seditious by words {to convince the rioters by words}, and assembled the people before the … gate of the inner temple [court of the priests] … and told them {and tried to convince them} … that they {the rioters, the purists} did now irritate the Romans to {cause them to} take arms against them {against the Jews}, and invited them to make war upon them, … and determined to run the hazard of having their city condemned {by the Romans} for impiety, while {because} they would not allow any foreigner, but Jews only, either to sacrifice or to worship therein. And … they have no regard to the Romans or to Caesar, and forbid even their oblations {offerings} to be received also; … by thus rejecting their sacrifices … this city will lose its principality, unless they {the purists} grow wiser quickly, and restore the sacrifices as formerly, and indeed amend the injury [they have offered foreigners] before the report of it comes to the ears of those {the Romans} that have been injured.” [7] Paul was accused for polluting the Temple by bring in the some Greeks, “This is the man {Paul}… brought Greeks also into the temple, and has polluted this holy place.” (Acts 21:28 KJV) Later, some purists (probably Zealots or Sicarii) made an oath to kill Paul.

            The Zealots and the Sicarii were the “Robin Hoods” of their times. They were on the side of the poor against the rich (as well as fighting the Romans). Josephus wrote that the Sicarii were stirring the “weaker people” to revolt against the wealthy Jews (whom Josephus calls “men of power”) and the leading priests: “… many of the Sicarii, who crowded in among the weaker people, (that was the name for such robbers {the word “robber: is not to be confused with “thief”; one who takes property by stealth} as had under their bosoms swords called Sicae,) they grew bolder, and carried their undertaking further; insomuch that the king's soldiers {the soldiers of king Agrippa II} were overpowered by their multitude and boldness; and so they gave way, and were driven out of the upper city by force. The others {the Sicarii} then set fire to the house of Ananias the high priest, and to the palaces of Agrippa and Bernice; after which they carried the fire to the place where the archives were reposited, and made haste to burn the contracts belonging to their creditors, and thereby to dissolve their obligations {the obligations of the poor} for paying their debts; and this was done in order to gain the multitude of those who had been debtors, and that they might persuade the poorer sort {the poor people} to join in their insurrection with safety against the more wealthy.” [8] It was a battle between the poor and the rich, and the rich were collaborating with the Romans. And the Sicarii, the “robbers,” were leading the poor. Josephus wrote, “…the men of power {were} oppressing the multitude, and the multitude earnestly laboring to destroy the men of power.” [9] The rich were oppressing the poor and dragging them to court to courts and taking their property away. The Sicarii put a stop to this. Here is evidence in the New Testament that this was going on: “But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?” (James 2:6 NIV) Jesus gave practical advice on how to settle the claims of the creditors: “Settle matters quickly with your adversary {creditor} who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.” (Matthew 5:25 NIV) This was going on during the times of Jesus. Jesus condemned the rich: “And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24 KJV) Jesus did not get this saying from the Old Testament. The Old Testament does not condemn the rich. Wealth was a blessing form God. Abraham was rich, and so were Isaac, Jacob, Solomon, King David, and others. Jesus said this because the wealthy Jews collaborated with the Romans and oppressed the poor.

            During festivals, and especially during the Passover festival, crowds of Jews came to Jerusalem from other cities to worship God. The gathering of large Jewish crowds triggered acts of rebellion. Josephus wrote, “And then it was that the Sicarii, as they were called, who were robbers, grew numerous. They made use of small swords, not much different in length than the Persian acinacae but somewhat crooked, like the Roman sicae {sickles} ... for they mingled themselves among the multitude at their festivals, when they {the people} were come up in crowds from all parts of the city {Jerusalem} to worship God … and easily slew those that they {the Sicarii} had in mind to slay.” [10] The Sicarii attacked the wealthy priests, the Sadducees. Josephus wrote, “The first man to be slain by them {the Sicarii} was Jonathan the high priest …” [11] Also, during a revolt against the Romans and against the leading Jews, the Sicarii participated in the burning of the house of the Sadducee high priest Ananias. [12] For this reason, during festivals the Roman procurators sent a regiment of the Roman army to stand in the temple cloisters. Josephus wrote, “When the feast that is called the Passover was at hand ... and a great multitude was gathered from all the areas to the feast ... {the procurator} Cumanus {served 48-52 CE} ... ordered one regiment of the army to take their arms, and stand in the temple cloisters, [13] to repress any attempt of rebellion ... and this was no more than what the former procurators of Judea {i.e. Pilate, served as governor [14] of Judea ca. 26-37 CE} did during such festivals.” [15] “The {Roman} guard ... went in several ways among the cloisters, with their arms, during the Jewish festivals, in order to watch the people, that they might not attempt any rebellions.” [16] Furthermore, the Sadducees employed their own police to keep peace at the temple. For instance, it was the temple police that arrested Peter and John: “Then the captain {of the temple police} went with the temple police and brought them ...” (Acts 5:26 NRSV)

            Josephus wrote, “It was one Eleazar, a potent man, and the commander of these Sicarii, that had seized upon it {the fortress Masada}. He was a descendant from that Judas {the Galilean, the founder of the Zealots} who had persuaded abundance of the Jews, as we have formerly related, not to submit to the taxation when Cyrenius was sent into Judea to make one; for then it was that the Sicarii {the “robbers”}got together against those that were willing to submit to the Romans, and treated them in all respects as if they had been their enemies, both by plundering them of what they had, by driving away their cattle, and by setting fire to their houses.” [17] At one time, the Jewish revolt against the Romans spread to Cyrene (Libya): “And now did the madness of the Sicarii, like a disease, reach as far as the cities of Cyrene; for one Jonathan, a vile person, and by trade a weaver, came thither and prevailed with no small number of the poorer sort to give ear to him; he also led them into the desert, upon promising them that he would show them signs and apparitions.” [18] Jonathan took the poor people to the desert to organize the revolt. This was the method of operation of the insurgents. Jesus led the multitude out in the countryside to talk to them. He used the method of operation of the insurgents. John the Baptist used the same method: “In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’” (Matthew 3:1-2 NIV) John was beheaded by Herod.

            Part of the poor Jews were the Essenes. Josephus wrote, “These men {the Essenes} are despisers of riches …” [19] As mentioned elsewhere in this book, the Essenes were plotting wars against the Romans. Their sacred writings read, “for You {God} will do battle against them {the Kittim i.e. the Romans} from the heave[ns] … For You have a multitude of holy ones in the heavens and hosts of angels … You {will be} … commissioning the hos[sts of] Your [e]lect by their thousands and tens of thousands together with Your holy ones [and] Your angels and directing them in battle  … the King of Glory {God} is with us {the Jews} together with the holy ones Migh[ty men and] a host of angels are with our commissioned forces.” ( 1QM, Col. 11:17, Col. 12:1, 4, 8) [20] The Essenes believed that the kingdom of God was at hand. (So did Jesus and John the Baptist. [21]) It would be ushered in with a climactic battle between God and the Evil one (Satan). After this battle they would live eternally in the presence of the holy angels of God, and even in God’s very presence. [22]

            The following passage of Josephus indicates that the Essenes participated in the revolt against the Romans, and that they were very brave: “Our war with the Romans gave abundant evidence what great souls they {the  Essenes} had in their trials, wherein, although they were tortured and distorted, burnt and torn to pieces, and went through all kinds of instruments of torment, that they might be forced either to blaspheme their legislator, or to eat what was forbidden them, yet could they not be made to do either of them, no, nor once to flatter their tormentors {the Romans}, or to shed a tear; but they smiled in their very pains, and laughed those to scorn who inflicted the torments upon them, and resigned up their souls with great alacrity, as expecting to receive them again.” [23]

            Also, among the poor Jews were the Jewish Christians, the Ebionites, the first followers of Jesus. “Looking at his disciples, he {Jesus} said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20 NIV)  Jesus led  the poor. James’ letter indicates that the Jewish Christians were poor: “Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5 NIV) The following verse indicates likewise: “… make a certain contribution for the poor saints who are at Jerusalem.” (Romans 15:26 KJV) James also indicates that the rich were exploiting the people: “But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?” (James 2:6 NIV) As Josephus mentioned above the Sicarii burned the debt contracts of the poor, [24] so that the rich could not drag the poor into court (and so that the poor would be eager to join the Sicarii).

            Also, the wealthy priests were mistreating the poor priests: “But as for the high priest, Ananias … was a great hoarder up of money: he therefore cultivated the friendship of Albinus {Roman procurator from 62 to 64 CE}, and of the high priest [Jesus], by making {giving} them presents; he also had servants who were very wicked, who … went to the thrashing-floors {at the Temple}, and took away the tithes that belonged to the priests {the poor priests} by violence, and did not refrain from beating such as would not give these tithes to them. So the other high priests {the wealthy ones} acted in the like manner, as did those his servants, without any one being able to prohibit them; so that [some of the] priests, that of old were wont to be supported with those tithes, died for want of food.” [25] The part about dying “for want of food” may be an exaggeration (Josephus has exaggerated a few times) but the basic fact is that the wealthy priests were mistreating the poor priests. And some of those poor priests were Jewish Christians. They are mentioned in the following verse. “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6:7 NIV) This implies that the Jewish Christians were embroiled in the conflict between the wealthy priests, and the poor priests. Josephus wrote that the Sadducee high priest Ananus condemned James, the priest of the Jewish Christians (the brother of Jesus) and had him stoned to death. [26] 

The History of the Jewish Messiahs before and after Jesus

            From the time that Jesus was born until 70 CE there was a chronic turmoil, which kept intensifying. In his book Antiquities of the Jews Josephus recounts several unsuccessful messianic revolts, which took place in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. The prime instigators of most revolts were the Zealots, the Sicarii, and presumably, the Essenes. For some unknown reason, Josephus does not mention specific events where the Essenes caused riots, but he mentions that during the war they heroically withstood punishments by the Romans. This implies that Essenes participated in the revolution. Josephus called the Sicarii “robbers.” He wrote, “… the robbers stirred up the people to make war with the Romans, and said not to obey them {the Romans} at all; and when any person would not comply with them, they set fire to their villages, and plundered them.” [27] The ‘robbers” were religiously motivated and plundered those who stood in the way of their religious goal: to purify the Temple from the abominations of the high priests. Josephus confirms that their basis for their uprising against the Romans was this “World Ruler” prophecy: “But now, what did most elevate them in undertaking this war, was an ambiguous oracle that was also found in their sacred writings, how, ‘about that time, one from their country should become the ruler of the habitable earth.’ The Jews took this prediction to belong to themselves …”  [28]

This prophecy of Isaiah fits the “World Ruler” profile: “Thus says the Lord God {to the Jews}, ‘Behold, I will lift up My hand to {against} the nations {the Gentiles} ... And they will bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders. Kings will be your guardians, and their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth and lick the dust of your feet.” (Isaiah 49:22-23 NASB) The inspiration for the Jewish War, as Josephus pointed out, were “the sacred writings.” The motivation of the Zealots and the Sicarii was definitely religious.

            Some of the Messiahs were Zealots, perhaps others were Sicarii. Jesus made reference to those Messiahs and called them “thieves” and “robbers”: “All {the Messiahs} who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” (John 10:8 NASB) They were Galileans [29] like Jesus, who operated out of the wilderness and led the poor, the “multitude.”  Jesus loved the multitude that followed him at the countryside: “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.” (“Matthew 14:14 KJV) “Then Jesus called his disciples to him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude…” (Matthew 15:32 KJV)

            The multitude was seeking a liberator. Josephus wrote, “… as the various companies {crowds} of the rebellious lighted upon anyone to lead them, he was made king {of the Jews} immediately.” [30] In like manner, the people sought Jesus: “... he {Jesus} departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came to him ...” (Luke 4:42 KJV) And, they wanted, or rather, demanded to make him King of the Jews: “When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king {king of Israel}...” (John 6:15 NRSV) Jesus was preaching to people who desperately wanted a King-Messiah, to liberate them from the Romans and get rid of the corrupt high priests. One of Jesus’ disciples was Simon the Zealot (his name indicates that he was part of the insurgents) and another one was Judas Isacriot (his name indicates that he belonged to the commando units of the Zealots, the Sicarii). The name Iscarios (Greek: Іσκαριώθ see Mark 3:19) is derived from Sicarios (Greek: Σικάριος) the basic difference between these names is the inversion of the iota (the letter “ι”) and the sigma (the letter “Σ” uppercase or “σ” lower case). [31]

            Josephus wrote that after the death of Herod the Great (at about 4 BCE), Herod’s son, Archelaus, who succeeded him, went to Rome to have his position confirmed by the Caesar. In the absence of Archelaus someone named Judas, the son of Ezekiah, revolted in the city of Sepphoris, in Galilee (Sepphoris was only a few miles from Nazareth, where Jesus lived.) Josephus wrote that Judas had “an ambitious desire for royal dignity,” [32] that is, an ambition to become the king of Israel. During his time there were several mini-revolts against the Romans. Josephus wrote, “Now, at this time there were ten thousand [33] other disorders in Judea, which were like riots ...” [34]

            At about that time, there was also Simon, a former slave of Herod the Great. He led a revolt and burned Herod’s royal palace in Jericho and set fire to several of Herod’s houses. Josephus wrote that during this revolt he boldly put a crown on his head while a number of people stood by him “and by them he was declared to be a king.” [35] He, too, attempted to become the King-Messiah, the liberator of Israel, but failed.

            Another, named Athronges, a candidate for messiah of the Jews", a former shepherd, led a revolt and declared himself the King of Israel. He, too, set a crown on his head. He was called “the king” by some Jews and he did as he pleased. He and his four brothers ruled over a band of men. The Romans eventually subdued them. [36]

            At about 6 or 7 CE Quirinius conducted a Roman census for the purpose of taxation (mistakenly, mentioned by Luke as taking place during the birth story of Jesus). At that time Judas the Galilean revolted against the Romans, claiming that this taxation was an introduction to slavery. Josephus wrote that Judas was the founder of the Judaic sect of the Zealots (he called it the “Fourth Philosophy,” the first three being, the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes), who rejected all earthly rulers. The Zealots considered God as their only Ruler and Lord. Josephus wrote, “These men {the Zealots} agree in all things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty; and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord.” [37] The Zealots were basically Pharisees, who wanted to purge the Temple from corrupt high priests. Josephus wrote that they thought little of dying for their cause: to re-establish the kingdom of Israel.

            There were Messiahs before Jesus, and, there were Messiahs after Jesus. According to Mark, Jesus prophesied about the Messiahs who would appear after his death. He warned his disciples: “And if anyone says to you at that time, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘Look! There he is!’--do not believe it. False Messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.’ ” (Mark 13:21 NRSV) Like Jesus, those Messiahs produced signs and omens to convince the Jews that God had sent them.

            The Samaritans expected a Messiah like Moses, a prophet. They based their expectation on Deuteronomy 18:15‑18. [38] They called the Messiah the “restorer,” and they believed that he would lead the Jews to Mount Gerizim and would miraculously reveal to them the true Jewish temple and the holy vessels of Moses, which, they believed, were buried there. Josephus wrote that during the time of Pilate (Pilate, served as governor of Judea ca. 26-37 C.E), a messianic candidate (who tried to fulfill the expectations of the Samaritans) convinced some Samaritans to follow him to the top of Mount Gerizim to reveal to them the holy vessels of Moses. Origen wrote, “And after the times of Jesus, Dositheus the Samaritan also wished to persuade the Samaritans that he was the Christ {the Messiah} predicted by Moses; and he appeared to have gained over some {of them} to his views.” [39] The Samaritans followed him. When they attempted to climb the mountain Pontius Pilate ordered his soldiers to slay them and their Messiah. [40] The Romans usually killed the people who supported the Messiahs. This is one reason the Jewish leaders were opposed to unqualified Messiahs.

            Josephus also wrote that when Cuspius Fadus was the procurator of Judea (45 or 46 CE) a certain magician named Theudas, another candidate for King of Israel, persuaded many Jews to take their belongings and follow him to the river Jordan. He convinced them that he was a prophet and that by his command he would divide the water of the river and walk them through it dry shod (as Joshua did when the Israelites entered the land of Canaan). Then he would free them from the Romans. Fadus sent a troop of horsemen, who attacked them unexpectedly and slew many of Theudas’ followers. They cut off Theudas’ head and carried it to Jerusalem. [41]

            Around 57 CE, when Paul returned to Jerusalem from his third missionary journey, he was arrested by the Romans. The Roman tribune who arrested Paul, said to him, “Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins {Gr. σικαρίων - the Sicarii, the commando division of the Zealots} out into the wilderness?” (Acts 21:38 NASB) The tribune mistook Paul as one of those religious rebels who tried to overthrow the Romans, to establish the kingdom of Israel. Josephus wrote, “But there was an Egyptian false prophet … he was a cheat, and pretended to be a prophet also, and got together thirty thousand men {the Roman tribune said “four thousand men”} that were deluded by him; these he led round about from the wilderness to the mount which was called the Mount of Olives, and was ready to break into Jerusalem by force … if he could but once conquer the Roman garrison… but Felix {the procurator of Palestine from 52–60 CE} prevented his attempt, and met him with his Roman soldiers … the Egyptian ran away while the greatest part of those that were with him were either destroyed or taken alive.” [42]

            In another instance Josephus mentions, “So Festus {the procurator of Judea ca. 59-62 CE} sent forces both horsemen and footmen, to fall upon those that had been seduced by a certain impostor {Messiah}, who promised them deliverance and freedom from the miseries they were under {i.e. the Roman occupation, and the corrupt high priests}, if they would but follow him as far as the wilderness. Accordingly those forces that were sent destroyed both him that had deluded them, and those that were his followers also.” [43] (When Jesus was arrested, his disciples abandoned him. Otherwise, they would have been killed by the Romans, like the followers of this impostor.)

            Toward the beginning of the great Jewish revolt in 66 CE there appeared another messianic candidate named Menahem the Galilean. He was the son to Judas the Galilean, the founder of the Zealots. Josephus wrote that Menahem raided Herod’s arsenal at Masada, took arms and, distributed them “to his own people” (the Zealots) and to other “robbers,” and “returned in the state of a king to Jerusalem,” [44] that is, as the king-Messiah of Israel. He led the revolt and directed a siege of the royal palace. However, the Jewish people did not support him. They ousted him. [45] (Likewise, the Jewish leaders did not support Jesus. They ousted him and turned him to the Romans.)

            Soon after Menahem, there arose Simon bar Giora. He became the foremost messianic candidate of the Jews during the 66-70 war. Simon was of a humble background and began as a leader of a guerrilla band. Josephus wrote that he led the “worthless and discontent.” (Jesus led the poor.) He challenged the Roman government until he received the support of the masses, including the support of some Jewish leaders, who acknowledged him as the King-Messiah. At the end, while the Romans were destroying the temple, when he realized that his revolution was failing, he made a dramatic surrender. He dressed himself in a white tunic and a royal purple (dark red) mantle. [46] (The Roman soldiers put on Jesus a royal purple [47] mantle and mocked him as King of the Jews. [48]) Then he arose out of the ground from the very spot where the original temple of Solomon stood. [49] He offered himself to the Romans to spare his people. His ceremonial surrender symbolically suggested that God offered his son, Menahem, to the Romans as a sacrifice so that they would spare his people. (Three decades earlier, the leading Jews offered Jesus to the Romans to spare the people.) The offering as sacrifice of the king’s son was a custom that appears in the Old Testament [50] and in the writings of Philo of Byblos. [51] The Romans arrested Simon and paraded him ceremoniously around Jerusalem with his royal robe, scourged him, and then executed him. [52] (They did likewise to Jesus.)

The Case of Jesus, the Jewish King-Messiah

            Those were the King-Messiahs who arose and fell before the writing of the gospels. The historical Jesus fits their mold: he is comparable to them. For this reason, Gamaliel (actually, the editor of Acts, who put the words in the mouth of Gamaliel) compared Jesus’ movement to the movement of Theudas and the movement of Judas of Galilee. [53] Jesus had many supporters, but, obviously, not enough for Josephus to write about him and his movement.

            The following pieces of evidence explain why Jesus was called King-Messiah of the Jews, why the leading priests turned him in to the Romans, and why the Romans crucified him.

1. Some Jews believed that Jesus was the awaited King-Messiah of Israel

1.             According to Matthew, the Magi believed that Jesus was the “King of the Jews.” They asked Herod, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2 KJV) Herod was alarmed because the awaited King of Israel was going to dethrone him and destroy him. Hence, he tried to kill Jesus by killing all the toddlers in Bethlehem. (Even though this account is fictional, it identifies of Jesus as King of the Israel.)

2.             In the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, Zechariah identified Jesus as the King-Messiah of Israel. He made the following prophecy about Jesus: “{God} has raised up a horn of salvation {a mighty deliverer = Messiah} for us {the Jews} ... That we should be saved from our enemies {the Romans}, and from the hand of all who hate us {i.e. Herod and the Herodians: the Jews, the “men of power” who “sold out” to the Romans}; The oath which he {God} swore to our father Abraham, That he would grant to us, that we {Jews} being delivered out of the hand of our enemies {the Romans} ...” (Luke 1:69, 71, 73-74 KJV) Zechariah was a Jew, not a Hellenist Christian. (The Hellenist Christians appeared after the day of Pentecost.) When he said “us” he meant the Jews. When he said “our father Abraham,” he meant the father of the Jews. When he said “our enemies” he meant the Romans. He expected the “horn of salvation,” that is “the mighty deliverer,” to liberate the descendants of Abraham from the Romans and from the corrupt high priests. He said, “And he {Jesus} will reign over the house of Jacob {kingdom of Israel} for ever.” (Luke 1:33 KJV) “The house of Jacob” was the nation of Israel. Zechariah expected Jesus to reign over Israel.

3.             After Zechariah, Simeon identified Jesus the King-Messiah of Israel: “Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the comfort {the liberation} of Israel ... It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah {the King-Messiah of Israel}. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came in the temple, and ... took him {Jesus} in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant {to die} in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation {i.e. the Messiah who will save the Jews from the Romans}... {and} the glory of your people, [54] Israel.’ ” (Luke 2:25-32) [55] Simeon was a Jew; not a Hellenist Christian. He believed that Jesus was the glory of Israel, the savior of Israel, the Messiah of Israel (not the Savior of the world). 

4.             Right after Simeon an old woman, a prophetess named Anna, came, “... and began to praise God and to speak about the child {Jesus} to all who were looking for the redemption {the liberation} of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:38 NRSV) This verse does not mention “redemption of the world.” It implies that Anna considered Jesus as the redeemer of Jerusalem: the liberator Messiah of Israel.

5.             In those days, many Jews believed that when the Messiah will appear he will baptize. Since John the Baptist baptized they suspected that he might be the Messiah. “As the people were filled with expectation {for the liberation of Israel}, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah ...” (Luke 3:15 NRSV) They asked him if he was the Messiah and John said, No. Then they told him, “... Why {do} you baptize then, if you are not that Christ {the Messiah}? ...” (John 1:25 KJV) By baptizing, John was performing the task of the awaited Messiah. Herod Antipas probably understood this. Therefore, he executed John in anticipation of a possible rebellion. Josephus wrote, “Herod {Antipas}, who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put into his power and inclination to raise a rebellion (for they seemed ready to do anything he {John} should advise), thought it best, by putting him to death, to prevent any mischief {i.e. rebellion} he {John} might cause ...” [56] Jesus baptized. “And they came to John {the Baptist} and said to him, ‘Rabbi, He {Jesus} ... is baptizing and all are coming to Him.’ ” (John 3:26 NASB) This was another reason that some Jews accepted him as their Messiah.

6.             John the Baptist declared Jesus the Messiah. Then, Jesus delayed declaring publicly that he was the Messiah of Israel. This caused even John the Baptist to wonder if he was the one: “And {John the Baptist} said to him, Are you he that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3 KJV) There is a possibility that Judas turned Jesus into the Sadducees because he gave up waiting for Jesus and decided “to look for another” Messiah. The people were anxious and wanted him to hurry up and do it. Some Jews rushed to make him King-Messiah: “When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king {king-Messiah of Israel }, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” (John 6:15 NRSV) Jesus withdrew. He was not ready to declare himself the Messiah yet. He was planning to declare it publicly at a later time (when he entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey).

7.             The Jews believed that when their awaited Messiah appears, he will perform miracles. Jesus performed miracles to prove he was the Messiah and therefore some Jews believed in Him:  “Therefore many of the Jews who … saw what He {Jesus} had done, believed in Him.” (John 11:45 NASB) Note, these “many” who believe in Jesus, were not enough for Josephus to mention them in his historical accounts. “Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him {believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ}. They said, ‘When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?’ ” (John 7:31 NIV) The answer to this rhetorical question is, “No. therefore, this is the Messiah we have been waiting for.” Here is another verse that confirms the above: “After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, ‘Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.’ ” (John 6:14 NIV)  A crowd of Jews believed that Jesus resurrected Lazarus: “For on account of him {on account of Lazarus, who was resurrected} many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.” (John 12:11 NIV)  The next day that crowd welcomed Jesus as the King of Israel: “The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!’ ” (John 12:12-13 NIV)

8.             Jesus’ followers believed that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, who would liberate them from the Romans: “... Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty ... we trusted that it had been he who should have redeemed {liberated} Israel.” (Luke 24:19-21 KJV) The Jews who called Jesus “the Christ,” did not consider him the Savior of the world. They considered him their Savior of Israel, their liberator. “Then said some of them of Jerusalem ... Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ {the liberator, the King-Messiah of Israel}?” (John 7:25-26 KJV) The mother of Zebedee’s children expected Jesus to sit on a throne and rule the kingdom of Israel: “Then came to him {to Jesus} the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons … She says to him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on your right hand, and the other on the left, in your kingdom.” (Matthew 20:20-21 KJV) The disciple Nathanael declared Jesus “the Son of God ... the King of Israel”: “Nathanael answered and said to him, Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” (John 1:49 KJV) As mentioned earlier, “Son of God” was an auxiliary title of the King of Israel. Jesus accepted Nathanael’s declaration.

9.             The chief priests were afraid to arrest Jesus and turn him in to the Romans, because the people supported him: “... the scribes and chief priests ... wanted to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people.” (Luke 20:19 NRSV) The people supported him because they believed he was the Messiah of Israel.

10.          The following verse indicates that Jesus was known as “the Messiah”: “Pilate said to them {the Jews}, ‘Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ ” (Matthew 27:22 NRSV) When the Jews called Jesus “the Messiah,” they did not mean the savior of mankind. They meant the Messiah of Israel, the kind which Romans crucified.  “One of the criminals who were hanged there {on the cross} kept deriding him {Jesus} and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ ” (Luke 23:39 NRSV) When the rebel said “are you not the Messiah?” he meant the Messiah of Israel. The rebel was not a Hellenist Christian or a Gentile Christian. Only Hellenist and Gentile Christians used the word “Messiah” with the meaning “savior of the world.” Pilate acknowledged Jesus as the king of Israel: “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” (Mark 15:9 NASB) He ordered the superscription: “And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (Luke 23:38 KJV)

2. Jesus claimed the title King‑Messiah of the Jews

11.          Jesus often called himself “the Son of Man.” This was an alternative title for the Messiah of Israel. The Jews knew the meaning of this title. It appears in Intertestamental books (such as the Parables of 1 Enoch, which we examined earlier) and in Daniel: “... and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven ...” (Daniel 7:13 KJV) The following verse shows that the crowd of Jews knew the meaning of this title because they used the terms “Messiah” and “Son of Man” interchangeably: “The crowd answered him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?’ ” (John 12:32-34 NRSV) When Jesus called himself “the Son of Man,” he actually called himself “the Messiah of Israel.”

12.          The Samaritan woman mentioned in the Gospel of John, expected the Messiah of Israel. Jesus led her to believe that he was that Messiah: “The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He’ ” (John 4:25-26 NASB) With his words and actions Jesus led the Jews to believe that he was the Messiah of Israel. Some Jews acknowledged him as their Messiah: “Others said, This is the Christ {the Messiah of Israel}.” (John 7:40 KJV)

13.          Most Jews who revered the book of Zechariah expected the fulfillment of the following prophecy: “Rejoice greatly... Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 9:9-10 NRSV) God promised to send his King-Messiah riding on a donkey to remove the “war horse from Jerusalem.” Jesus knew the Old Testament verses. He knew that his fellow Jews expected their Messiah to come riding on a donkey. To convince them that he was their Messiah, he self fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah. He told his disciples to go get a donkey and bring it to him so that he may ride it to Jerusalem. His disciples did what he asked and Jesus entered into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, on a colt (as the prophecy specified). The Jews recognized the sign and received him as their Messiah: “Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one {the Messiah} who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming {the restoration of the} kingdom of our ancestor David!’ ” (Mark 11:8-10 NRSV) The crowds expected Jesus to soon restore the kingdom of David. They declared him “the King of Israel”: “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord--the King of Israel!” (John 12:13 NRSV) Jesus led the masses to believe that he was the “King of Israel” and that the liberation from the Romans was at hand.

14.          According to Matthew and Luke, immediately after his messianic ride into Jerusalem Jesus committed a violent act at the temple: “Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.” (Matthew 21:12 NIV) With this commotion he attacked the Sadducees, who were in charge of the temple merchants and profiteering from the business that was conducted there. As mentioned earlier, the Sadducees were perceived by the Essenes, by the Zealots, by John the Baptist as turncoats. The Sadducees (and the Herodians) advocated the tribute to Caesar. Jesus’ messianic ride into Jerusalem and his attack on the money changers and merchants at the temple were acts of rebellion, warranting his immediate arrest. The account of the cleansing of the temple without the mention of an immediate arrest of Jesus is puzzling. [57] Mark implies that Jesus escaped the immediate arrest: “And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it {the commotion that Jesus caused at the temple}, they kept looking for a way to kill him.” (Mark 11:18 NRSV) Indeed, Jesus was arrested later as a rebel: “At that time Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?’ ” (Matthew 26:55 NIV) Mark mentions that an “insurrection” had taken place before Jesus’ trial: “Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection.” (Mark 15:7 NRSV) Perhaps two of those rebels who committed that murder were the two who were crucified with Jesus. Their “insurrection” coincided with the commotion that Jesus created at the temple.

15.          By claiming the he was the Christ, the Son of God (when he was interrogated by the high priest in front of the Sanhedrin) Jesus claimed that he was the King of Israel. For this reason when he was crucified the ones who rejected him scorned him: “He {claims he} is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him {i.e. believe that he is the King of Israel}. ... let God deliver him ... for {because} he said, ‘I am God's Son.’ ” (Matthew 27:42-43 NRSV)      “Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.” (John 19:21 KJV) Jesus indeed had claimed this several times.

3. The reasons the leading Jews turned Jesus in to the Romans

16.          For the most part of his ministry Jesus spoke of his messianic role privately. When he spoke about it in the presence of outsiders he used metaphors, so that his enemies would not find and turn him in to the Sadducees and the “men of power.” His enemies suspected that he claimed to be the Messiah and wanted him to declare it openly so they could turn him in: “The Jews {his enemies [58]} then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, ‘How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me.’ ” (John 10:24-25 NASB) Jesus did not want to tell them plainly that he was the Christ, neither did he want to lie about it. So, he gave a tricky answer and kept his enemies confused.

17.          In another instance his enemies asked him to produce a sign to prove he is the Messiah.  “And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, Why does this generation seek after a sign? Verily I say to you, There shall no sign be given to this generation.” (Mark 8:11-12 KJV) These Pharisees were not just any Pharisees. They were of this kind: “The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.” (Mark 3:6 NRSV) There were also Pharisees of this kind: “At that very hour some Pharisees came, and said to him {Jesus}, Get away from here, for Herod {Antipas} wants to kill you.” (Luke 13:31 KJV) There were common Pharisees who shared the beliefs of Jesus and there were the “men of power” type of Pharisees, who hung around the wealthy Sadducees: “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” (Matthew 3:7 NIV) Those kinds of Pharisees rejected Jesus, and Jesus did not welcome them where he was baptizing (he was probably baptizing common Pharisees).

18.          The candidates for king of Israel were against paying taxes to the Romans. Matthew wrote that the Jewish leaders sent their disciples and the Herodians to question and expose Jesus, as a rebel who advocated the non-payment of the tribute: “And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘... Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?’ But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, ‘Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites?’ ” (Matthew 22:16-18 NASB) Matthew wrote that Jesus evaded the questions: “Then he {Jesus} said to them, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.’ ” (Matthew 22:21 NIV) Had Matthew written that Jesus told the Jews not to pay taxes to the Romans, the Hellenist Christians would not have been able to spread their religion around the Roman Empire. The telltale evidence is in Luke’s account where those who rejected Jesus accused him of advocating the nonpayment of taxes: “And they began to accuse him {Jesus}, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar ...” (Luke 23:2 KJV) Jesus did not deny these, or any charges. Some have pointed out the Jesus accepted Jews who collected taxes, which would imply that he was not against paying taxes. “And as he {Jesus} sat at dinner in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples—for there were many who followed him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this, he said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’ ” (Matthew 2:15-17 NRSV) This passage does not indicate that Jesus approved of the tax collector. Like a doctor who cures the sick, he was trying to “cure the sinners.”

19.          Jesus admitted in from of the Sanhedrin that he was the King-Messiah of Israel: “Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’ Jesus said, ‘I am; and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ ” (Mark 14:61-62 NRSV) After he admitted that he was the Messiah of Israel (he said ‘I am’) then he turned his admission into a declaration by paraphrasing the following prophecy in Daniel: “... behold, one like the Son of man {the Messiah of Israel} came with the clouds of heaven ...” (Daniel 7:13 KJV) The high priest and the Sanhedrin already knew the meaning of this Messianic verse. By quoting this verse, Jesus, in effect, declared to the high priest and to the Sanhedrin that he was the Messiah mentioned in Daniel. “Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?’ All of them condemned him as deserving death.” (Mark 14:61-64 KJV) It is unlikely that the high priest used the word “blasphemy.” In Judaism to blaspheme was to spurn, condemn, despise, or abhor God, or to use the name of God in vain. Jesus did not commit any of these offenses. His claim that he was the awaited King of Israel was not a blasphemy. Had the charge been blasphemy Pilate would not have handled the case. The Jews would have stoned Jesus to death immediately, like they stoned Stephen. The editor of Acts wrote that Paul said, “Even though they {the Jews} found no cause {under their law} for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him killed.” (Acts 13:28 NRSV) This verse indicates first, that the Jews did not accuse Jesus of blasphemy, and second, that it was not the Jews who made the decision to kill Jesus (“they asked Pilate”). The Jewish leaders became angry at Jesus because he claimed to be the King of Israel without being a descendant of King David, and without having an army to deliver them from the Romans, and because his claim endangered their lives and the lives of the people.

20.          The Jewish leaders believed Jesus did not have the credentials for King of Israel because he was not a descendant of David. Jesus himself implied that he was not a descendant of David. He argued that the Messiah could not be a descendant of David: “And Jesus ... said ... How say the scribes that Christ {the Messiah} is the Son of David? ... whence is he ... his son?” (Mark 12:35, 37 KJV) Furthermore, he was a Galilean: “The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’ ” (Matthew 21:11 NRSV) “... some asked, ‘Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?’ ” (John 7:41-42 NRSV) No one proposed that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. As we will examine later, manuscript copyists/editors added the story that Jesus was born in Bethlehem to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. (The genealogies in Matthew and Luke, which attempt to link Jesus to King David, were appended to those gospels.)

21.          Obviously, the Jewish leaders rejected Jesus as the King-Messiah because he did not have an army to fight the Romans. This is not mentioned in the gospels but it is a realistic reason. If Jesus had twelve legions of soldiers and a thousand chariots, the Jewish leaders would have gladly accepted him as their Messiah. After all, even though they enjoyed privileges under the Romans, they longed for liberty. Jesus did not commit violent acts (other than the commotion at the Temple) like the other Messiahs. He was not a pragmatic revolutionary leader. He was a righteous dreamer. Jesus’ dream was that at the right moment God would supply him with an army of  “more than twelve legions of angels.” He told one of his disciples, “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?"” (Matthew 26:53-54 NASB) He said, “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled?” He was waiting for the Scriptures to be fulfilled. He said, “it must happen this way.” He believed that: God would send more than twelve legions of angels. He believed that this was prophesied in the scriptures. He said, “The Son of Man {the Messiah of Israel} will go just as it is written about him.” (Matthew 26:24 NIV) Where did Jesus read that God will send legions of angels? We don’t have to look too far. The War Scroll of the Essenes reads: “for You {God} will do battle against them {the Kittim i.e. the Romans} from the heave[ns] … For You have a multitude of holy ones in the heavens and hosts of angels … You {will be} … commissioning the hos[sts of] Your [e]lect by their thousands and tens of thousands together with Your holy ones [and] Your angels and directing them in battle  … the King of Glory is with us {the Jews} together with the holy ones Migh[ty men and] a host of angels are with our commissioned forces.” ( 1QM, Col. 11:17, Col. 12:1, 4, 8) [59] Josephus wrote that at about the time the Romans destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem some trustworthy people saw chariots and soldiers in the clouds: “Besides these, a few days after that feast, on the twenty-first day of the month Artemisius [Jyar], a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared; I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sunsetting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen  running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities.” [1] This report confirms that Jesus and the Essenes believed God would send his celestial forces to save Israel.

22.          The chief priests explained to the Sanhedrin: “If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” (John 11:48 KJV) When the chief priests said “all men will believe on him,” they meant that all the people would believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah of Israel. If so, the Romans would surely slaughter the people (the Romans slaughtered the followers of the Messiahs). For this reason, during Jesus’ ministry, when his followers tried to declare him King of Israel the priests tried to silence them: “... for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah {of Israel [60]} would be put out of the synagogue.” (John 9:22 NRSV) To save the nation from an inevitable massacre, the leading Jews decided to turn Jesus in to the Romans: “And one of them, named Caiaphas ... spoke up ... it is expedient for us, that one man should die ... and that the whole nation perish not.” (John 11:49 KJV) That they turned Jesus over to the authorities to save the nation was not an exceptional case. In another case, three decades later, when the Jewish multitude (through the instigation of Zealots, Sicarrii, “robbers,” and Essenes) revolted, the wealthy priests (the Sadducees) and the Jewish “men of power” did similarly. Josephus wrote, “So the men of power, perceiving that the sedition {the riot} was too hard for them to subdue, and that the danger which would arise from the Romans would come upon them first of all, endeavored to save themselves, and sent ambassadors; some to Florus {the Roman procurator} and others to {king} Agrippa {who was appointed by the Romans}… and they desired of them both that they would come with an army to the city and cut off the sedition before it should be too hard to be subdued.” [61] The wealthy priests and the Jewish “men of power”, were concerned for the lives of the people, so they turned the insurrectionists over to the Roman appointees (to be subdued by them) before the Romans themselves would come and devastate the city of Jerusalem and slaughter the people.  The Romans gave wealth and privileges to the “men of power” and to the leading priests but held them accountable for the conduct of their people. The Roman procurator Florus (served from 64 to 66 CE) told the Jewish “men of power” and the leading priests to deliver the insurgents or else: “… the high priests {i.e. the leading priests}, and the men of power, and those of the greatest eminence in the city, came all before that tribunal {the tribunal of Florus}; upon which Florus commanded them to deliver up to him those that had reproached him, and told them that they should {will} themselves partake of the vengeance …. Belonging {to the criminals}, if they did not produce the criminals.” [62]

23.          Perhaps another reason the Jewish “men of power” rejected Jesus is that he was not anointed by Elijah. Many Jews expected Elijah to appear before the day of liberation [63] to anoint the Messiah. Justin Martyr wrote, “And Trypho said {to Justin Martyr}, ‘... For we {Jews} all expect that Christ will be a man [born] of men, and that Elijah when he comes will anoint him. But if this man {will} appear to be Christ, he must certainly be known as man [born] of men; but from the circumstance that Elijah has not yet come, I infer that this man {Jesus} is not He [the Christ].” [64]  The Hellenist Christians added in their gospels the transfiguration account to fulfill the prophesy about Elijah: “And {Jesus} was transfigured before them. ... And, behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him.” (Matthew 17:2 KJV) But the Jews did not see Elijah anointing Jesus. Therefore, the Jewish leaders did not accept Jesus as the Messiah. Matthew tried to fulfill the prophecy in a different way. He claimed that John the Baptist was Elijah. Jesus said, “And if you will receive it, this {John the Baptist} is Elias {Elijah}.” (Matthew 11:14 KJV) He also said, “... but I {Jesus} say to you, that Elijah, already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished ... Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:12-13 NASB) This was a spiritual interpretation. The interpretation of John the Baptist as Elijah is a Hellenist Christian belief, which they wrote their gospels. The Jews expected Elijah to anoint the Messiah, and this was one more reason that the Jewish leaders did not accept Jesus.

 4. The Romans crucified Jesus as an insurgent, with two other insurgents.

24.          “At that very hour some Pharisees came, and said to him {Jesus}, Get away from here, for Herod {Antipas} wants to kill you.” (Luke 13:31 KJV) Herod Antipas was appointed by the Romans as king, and served the Roman interests. As a Roman appointee, his job was to crush insurrections. When he could not handle the insurrections, the Romans would step in. He wanted to kill Jesus for the same reason he had killed John the Baptist. His agenda was the political stability of Judea. He was not concerned with the religious teachings of Jesus. The Romans and their appointees were not concerned with the religious matters of the Jews. [65] Antipas was concerned with Jesus’ claim of being the awaited King of Israel. As King of Israel, Jesus was Antipas’ adversary. Indeed, Jesus had an adversarial attitude towards him. He called him a “fox.” He said, “go and tell that fox {Herod Antipas} ...” (Luke 13:32 NASB) This was verbal attack. Jesus was against Herod Antipas. This puts him on the side of the insurgents.

25.          The Herodians were Herod Antipas’ supporters and collaborators. They were “men of power,” who accommodated the Romans and thus enjoyed political and economic privileges. They were against Jesus: “And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.” (Mark 3:6 KJV)  [66] Jesus was against the “men of power.” This puts him on the side of the insurgents.

26.          John indicates that Roman soldiers were in charge of Jesus’ arrest: “So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials ...” (John 18:3 NIV) The Roman army did not arrest Jesus for his theological teachings or because he blasphemed the god of the Jews, or because he broke the Sabbath rules. The function of the Roman army was to suppress civil disturbances, not to solve the religious differences of the Jews. Roman soldiers arrested Jesus because he presented himself as the King of Israel. Before the crucifixion, the Roman soldiers mocked Jesus, calling him “King of the Jews”: “And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ ” (Mark 15:17-18 NRSV) the did not call him “Messiah of the world,” or “Savior of the world.” These labels were applied to Jesus after his death, by the Hellenist Christians.

27.          Prior to his arrest in Gethsemane, Jesus told his disciples, “... whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.” (Luke 22:36 NASB) His disciples said, “And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords.” [67] (Luke 22:38 KJV) Those swords were in all likelihood daggers curved, made to be concealed under the loose garments of that era. Josephus wrote that the insurgent Sicarii,  “made use of small swords, not much different that the Persian acinacae, but somewhat crooked, like the Roman sicae {sickles} ...” [68] The disciples carried swords intending to use them; and they did: during Jesus’ arrest, they asked Jesus, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” (Luke 22:49 NRSV). Then one disciple, Peter, struck with his sword the servant of the high priest and cut his ear. This puts Peter on the side of the Zealots and the Sicarii: against the high priests.

28.          Anyone who called himself King of Israel was the enemy of the Romans: “... the Jews cried out, saying ... whosoever makes himself a king {of Israel} speaks against Caesar.” (John 19:12 KJV) Jesus portrayed himself as King of Israel. The Romans had zero tolerance for the Kings of the Jews.

29.          Jesus was a Galilean. Galilee was the fountain of insurgents. Josephus wrote, “... the Galileans are accustomed to war from their infancy.” [69] His disciples were Galileans. [70] One of his disciples, Simon, was a Zealot. [71] Another one, Judas Iscariot was a Sicarios. (Both were, presumably, active participants in the messianic movement.) The Romans punished the Galileans harshly. The burned Sepphoris and made slaves of its inhabitants [72] and did likewise to the inhabitants of Japha. [73] Jesus began his mission by performing his first miracle in Galilee, the home of the revolutionary instigators: “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” (John 2:11 NIV) He became popular among the Galileans: “When he {Jesus} arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there.” (John 4:45 NIV) The popularity of Jesus among the Galileans would put him on the black list of the Romans. “But they {the Jews} insisted, ‘He {Jesus} stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here {to Jerusalem}.’ On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean.” (Luke 23:5-6 NIV) When Pilate heard that Jesus “stirred the people” he proceeded promptly to ascertain whether Jesus was a Galilean. Jesus met the qualifications of an insurgent.

30.          Jesus was brought in front of Pilate as a rebel against the Romans: “Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, ‘You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion ...’ ” (Luke 23:13 NASB) The Jews did not accuse Jesus for his religious teachings (they did not accuse him of preaching Christianity). They accused him of inciting the people to rebellion. The Messiahs incited people to rebel against the Romans. “The Jews answered him {Pilate} ... he {Jesus} ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God {that is, King of Israel}.” (John 19:7 KJV) “And they {the Jews} began to accuse him {accused Jesus of} ... saying {claiming} that he himself is Christ a King.” (Luke 23:2 KJV) They accused him to save their own lives. When the Jews said “he made himself the Son of God,” and accused him of “saying that he himself is Christ a King,” they accused Jesus of claiming to be the King-Messiah of Israel. “ ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ asked Pilate. ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied.” (Mark 15:2 NIV) Jesus admitted to Pilate that he was the King of the Jews. The penalty for this accusation was death. When Jesus admitted to Pilate that he was the King of Israel the case closed: Pilate made his decision to crucify him. This is not written in the Gospels, but this is, realistically, the case.

31.          Pilate was in charge of the trial, not the Jews. He told Jesus, “Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” (John 19:10 NIV) Pilate, on behalf of the Romans, crucified Jesus. Pilate was in charge. For this reason Joseph of Arimathea went to obtain permission from Pilate to remove Jesus’ body from the cross. Jesus was crucified by the same authority that crucified the two rebels (“robbers”). [74] The Romans often executed rebels by crucifixion. [75] (They displayed their dead bodies on the cross to terrorize the Jews so that they would not dare rebel again.)

32.          Jesus was crucified with “two robbers”: “Two robbers {Gr. λησταί} were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.” (Matthew 27:38 NIV) At least one of the insurgents crucified with Jesus was God‑fearing: “But the other criminal rebuked him {the first criminal}. ‘Don't you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence?’ ” (Luke 23:40 NIV) Notice, the insurgents were “under the same sentence” with Jesus. This implies that Jesus was convicted for insurrection.

Note: The book contains over 2,500 footnotes (quotations and references), which explain or document the facts presented. Those footnotes are not included in most excerpts presented in this web site. 

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