Originally Posted by SteveB

As for realism, my cancer never quite seemed real to me, until the doctors began pulling tumors out of my body. Even after all these years, and 6 surgeries, scars and all, how do I really know that they were taking tumors out of my body, and not just using me for practice?

In spite of all the CTscans, MRI's, and PET Scans, blood work ups, chemo, radiation therapy, etc... how do I really know they weren't just trying to get my money as part of a greater scam to defraud insurance companies?

Do my questions of these things make the idea of it being an insurance fraud valid, and the truth that I really did have cancer, a lie just because I question it? Especially since according to all of the doctors, I've violated every statistic out there on my cancer-- advanced melanoma.

I'm sure that in 2000 years when the archeaologists find my medical records, they'll just laugh and say it was all a lie, and my cancer never really happened.

Originally Posted by JEST2ASK

Something has always puzzled me about claim that the Jewish leaders used Pilate to kill a man they had no power to condemn to death.

According to the Bible a few days later after the events of pentacost Stephen was stoned, supposedly Saul of Tarsus was one of those present.
This individual was later given the authority to travel with warrents (?) to persucute Jewish heretics either having them imprisioned or put to death.

Many things about the whole trial sequence just do not seem realistic to me.
:huh:

Originally Posted by JamesABrown

The Jews had no problem putting to death John the Baptist, either.

Originally Posted by andrewcriddle

John the Baptist was executed by Herod who was a client king. This is quite separate from the question whether or not the high priest and/or his council could execute on their own authority in a region directly controlled by a Roman governor.

Andrew Criddle

Originally Posted by storytime

If the Jews maintained their own laws by which they governed themselves, why would Pilate have wanted to interfer with their governing process? I don't see what's so odd about Pilate turning Jesus back over to Herod and Herod taking Jesus back to Jerusalem for interrogation by the ruling High Priest. The High Priest then concluding by Jesus' words a confession of his guilt and so said away with him, need you hear more from this blasphemer?

How much power was Herod given through his Roman alliance? An army of soldiers who could carry out excutions? If Herod was a client king, did he also claim to be a Jew?

Originally Posted by andrewcriddle

Herod ruled Galilee as a client king, (technically he was a tetrarch ruling only part of a kingdom).
Pilate administered Judea and Samaria as Roman Governor.

John the Baptist was apparently executed by Herod as a threat to his own authority in the Galilee.

The procedure for trying Jesus, a Galilean, for offenses allegedly committed in Judea is not entirely certain. (This uncertainty may be why Luke has Pilate refer Jesus to Herod) However, the ultimate authority and responsibility for punishing offenses relating to Judea and Samaria almost certainly lay with Pilate.

A cllient king could raise taxes, use the taxes to hire soldiers and use the soldiers to kill people on his own authority. However his actions were subject to review by the Romans.

(The Herod family claimed to be Jews. IIUC strict Jews queried their true Jewish descent.)

Andrew Criddle

Originally Posted by storytime

Thank you Andrew

Seems Pilate did review the situation and declared no guilt that he could see personally but Jewish persuasion(the crowd) prevailed. Herod seems to be a character out of place, always fearful of the Jews even with Roman backing. He doesn't want to kill John the Baptist because he's superstitous about John, but the oath he swore to Herodius kinda put his authority on the line, or his manhood. John is a brave character in his condemning Herod for taking his brother Philip's wife while Philip is still alive, which was against Jewish law in John's way of thinking, and this, Herodius didn't seem to like in being made to look like a whore in waiting to sit next to Herod on his throne or something. Maybe Herodious saw herself as the next Queen of Jerusalem. :huh: A dangerous thought as Herod was suspected of killing his own wives and children to maintain his position as client king.