Steven Carr

Did Pilate have Jesus executed?

How could Pilate have executed just Jesus and not rounded up others at the same time?

The standard claim is that Pilate knew that if he extinguished the ringleader, the movement would cease (That worked out well, didn't it)

History records what Pilate's second in command reported to him shortly after Jesus was executed.

However only one side of the conversation has been handed down through time.

'That Jesus business? All taken care of, as per your instructions.'

'Yes, there are groups of 500 plus Christians gathering together to say that their leader is still alive.'

'Do about it? Nothing, sir.'

'Their leader walks around Jerusalem freely. We could pick him up any time, but what would be the point?'

'But it isn't him, sir. It's his brother.'

'Somebody called James. No, I never heard of him either, sir.'

'He does look a lot like him, sir. It must be a family resemblance.'

'No sir, the public doesn't regard you as a laughing stock'.

'No sir, I can't see how anybody would regard your authority as undermined.'

'No sir, I am not incompetent. We picked up this Jesus guy and killed him, just as you said.'

'Of course it was the right guy. One of the gang members identified him.'

'No sir, it will never happen again sir.'

'Kill them all, sir? Yes sir, straight away sir.'


How did those Christians get away with having an executed criminal as the figure they claimed was still alive?

aa5874

Christians did NOT claim Jesus was still alive in the Gospels --It was the Guards.

Remember there were no Christians when Jesus was crucified.

Peter had denied knowing Jesus, Judas had betrayed him and the rest had abandoned Jesus after his arrest.

And in the short gMark, the visitors to the Empty tomb told no-one that Jesus was still alive.

outhouse

First, there is no historicity to Pilate having anything to do with the trial.


Second, after his death the movement was more or less over. It only found fame in Hellenistic Proselytes and gentiles decades after his death when Pilate was long gone.


Third, we dont know how long after his death before the resurrection legends actually began. The real apostles could have been stating "he lives on within us" that was later perverted as a spiritual ressurection. Who knows.


Forth, Romans didnt care about religious movements. If Pilate did have anything to do with a trial, his only concern was peace during the passover event and to stop the trouble maker to ensure the money kept flowing.

aa5874

Please, BC&H is not the place for imagination. We do Biblical history here.

The Romans, Tiberius the Emperor, and Pilate did indeed care about religious movements.

Examine the very Life of Tiberius in the Twelves Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius.

Life of TiberiusPilate brought in the army to ABOLISH the Laws of the Jews.

Examine Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.1 In another incident, Theudas the prophet got his head chopped off and his followers were massacred by order of the Roman Procurator Fadus.

Antiquities of the Jews 20.5.1 The Jesus story is utter fiction--never happened. There were NO Jesus cult of Christians in the time of Pilate and none who claimed Jesus was raised from the dead.

If Jesus was considered a false prophet then he and his followers, including the supposed Paul the Jew, would most likely be massacred and wiped off the face of the earth by Pilate's Army without a trial.

andrewcriddle

According to the Gospel accounts Pilate only executed Jesus because of complaints made by the Jewish authorities. The Gospels obviously have an agenda here but it is prima-facie quite plausible. Roman governors spent a lot of their time dealing with complaints brought by third parties.

Unless the Jewish authorities made a formal complaint to Pilate about Jesus' followers he may well have taken no action. (This obviously raises the question as to why the Jewish authorities did not complain to Pilate about say Peter's activities, but that is another issue.)

Andrew Criddle

Steven Carr

It does raise that question doesn't it?

Would Pilate kill anybody the Jewish authorities ask to be killed?

And if Pilate had people killed, would he have minded awfully if that person's followers started saying that the alleged dead person was not dead?

Pilate probably didn't know French but the phrase 'pour encourager les autres' springs to mind.

andrewcriddle

According to the Gospels Jesus did not make a proper defence. Given that prominent people were accusing Jesus of serious offenses this would have made it difficult for Pilate to acquit him. (There is no right of silence in Roman law.)

Andrew Criddle

Minimalist

What "history" might that be?

aa5874

Well, according to Gospel accounts Jesus was born AFTER his mother was made pregnant by some kind of Holy Ghost. See Matthew 1.18 and Luke 1.35

Unless when Jesus transfigured that he became a human being then this raises the question of the story of the death of Jesus.

Jesus was walking on the sea before it was claimed he was killed. See Mark 6.48.

It is obvious that the story of the death of Jesus of Nazareth does NOT reflect historical accounts.

Now, in the Gospels it is claimed the Pharisees identified Jesus as a false prophet and operating under the power of Beelzebub.

Pilate would have very good reason to exterminate Jesus and his followers once he was regarded as a false prophet.

Based on the story of Theudas, Jesus should have gotten his head cut off and followers killed WITHOUT a trial.

In another incidenct, an Egyptian prophet at Mount Olives was lucky to escape with his life after his followers were killed during the time of Felix procurator of Judea. See Wars of the Jews 2.13

outhouse

If Caiaphas running the temple said "hey kill this trouble making Jew disturbing the peace"

Do you really think Pilate even thought twice about it?




Knowing full well how good Romans were at killing those who opposed them.

Do you really think Pilate with so much other buisiness at hand, ever cared what some Jewish peasants thought religiously at a later date about a dead man?


We do not know how long it took after death for the ressurection mythology to surface, nor do we know any details of said mythology to think Pilate would ever hear a word.