Showing posts with label punishment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label punishment. Show all posts
Wednesday, 22 April 2015
Thursday, 9 April 2015
Executed under Pontius Pilate v2
Edited
The accounts are unambiguous: Jesus of Nazareth was executed by crucifixion under the authority of Pontius Pilate.
Wednesday, 1 April 2015
Crucified under Pontius Pilate! (3)
The accounts are unambiguous: Jesus of Nazareth was executed by crucifixion under the authority of Pontius Pilate.
Rome, the imperial power, routinely used crucifixion as an exemplary punishment for the condemned. That empire did not invent crucifixion, nor was it normally used for their citizens. Many were crucified, with little or no note made of the victims. An example: In 72 BCE (or, BC) the Roman Marcus Licinius Crassus had 6,000 survivors of a slave revolt crucified along the Italian roadside. No procedure would be recorded, nor the names of those summarily punished - they had offended Rome by deserting from their slavery and taking up arms against their masters. They had only the one entitlement. (britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/141893/Marcus-Licinius-Crassus)
The Jerusalem Jewish establishment had found Jesus guilty of 'blasphemy' and thus worthy of death under the Law of the LORD (as interpreted by them). However, they wanted sentence carried out by their Roman authority. It is frequently written that at the time the 'Jews' could not impose capital punishment, even given Roman respect for indigenous law. However, in contrast to the assertion of limited power, I note that in Jerusalem, not long after the death of Jesus, a man named Stephen was stoned to death for blasphemy! That was during the same Roman domination. Moreover, not all that much later there were attempts to execute Paul, in the presence of Romans, by assassination.
An inconsistency? Why then might the Jewish powers use Pilate to eliminate Jesus via a political charge? I conjecture that the establishment figures had their purpose clear. Jesus had followers and had enjoyed a measure of public acclaim (especially amongst the poorer sort). The leaders would have an eye on the 'mob' and possibly they had the desire to 'keep their hands clean' anyway, as they observed a time great religious solemnity for the LORD. Watching Jesus' execution by heathen Romans would be preferred, and safer.
Rome, the imperial power, routinely used crucifixion as an exemplary punishment for the condemned. That empire did not invent crucifixion, nor was it normally used for their citizens. Many were crucified, with little or no note made of the victims. An example: In 72 BCE (or, BC) the Roman Marcus Licinius Crassus had 6,000 survivors of a slave revolt crucified along the Italian roadside. No procedure would be recorded, nor the names of those summarily punished - they had offended Rome by deserting from their slavery and taking up arms against their masters. They had only the one entitlement. (britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/141893/Marcus-Licinius-Crassus)
The Jerusalem Jewish establishment had found Jesus guilty of 'blasphemy' and thus worthy of death under the Law of the LORD (as interpreted by them). However, they wanted sentence carried out by their Roman authority. It is frequently written that at the time the 'Jews' could not impose capital punishment, even given Roman respect for indigenous law. However, in contrast to the assertion of limited power, I note that in Jerusalem, not long after the death of Jesus, a man named Stephen was stoned to death for blasphemy! That was during the same Roman domination. Moreover, not all that much later there were attempts to execute Paul, in the presence of Romans, by assassination.
An inconsistency? Why then might the Jewish powers use Pilate to eliminate Jesus via a political charge? I conjecture that the establishment figures had their purpose clear. Jesus had followers and had enjoyed a measure of public acclaim (especially amongst the poorer sort). The leaders would have an eye on the 'mob' and possibly they had the desire to 'keep their hands clean' anyway, as they observed a time great religious solemnity for the LORD. Watching Jesus' execution by heathen Romans would be preferred, and safer.
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