Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Cause of his death
Pilate asked Jesus only whether he was a son of God. Jesus didn't deny and said as he said so. Virtually he admitted that he was a son of God. At that time a title son of God was only used for Caesar or more specifically for Epiphanes. Pilate must have known Jesus was guilty for high treason judging from the way he replied.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The Caesars didn't carry the title "son of god", but the title Divus which means divine. At the time of Jesus and until much later, the emperor was only considered divine after his death and alleged epiphany.
ReplyDeleteIn Roman religion, the gods had many sons with mortal women, e.g. Hercules. The upper class hardly believed it anymore, and Pilate probably thought Jesus was crazy, but what he said was neither blasphemy nor treason according to Roman law.
I have read somewhere it was Antiochus IV Epiphanes (215–164 BC) who was mainly called ' a son of God' , of course not all Caesars were called so though.
ReplyDeletePilate probably thought Jesus was crazy
I had just too many extra time in my 3rd grade in university, so I became a counsellor for about half a year. Then I had an strong impression that clients who have been suffered from schizophrenia showed a strong similarity with what Jesus said. One of the features I noticed in the schizophrenics is they are too logical to live in this illogical world, especially they were logic in language.
I'm not certain whether Jesus was suffered from schizophrenia, though, it's Ok even if he was so. In the end all people are more or less crazy. It's Ok as long as he doesn't do harm to others.
what he said was neither blasphemy nor treason according to Roman law.
I think he was crucified violating some statute in Roma Empire, otherwise we have to think he was executed in kangaroo court. Is it only me who thinks Romans were too proud of their judicial system to kill innocent people?
Antiochus Epiphanes was neither a Roman nor a Caesar, but a king in Asia Minor before the Romans got that far. He was a descendant of Seleucos, one of Alexander the Great's officers.
ReplyDeletePilate agreed to the execution of Jesus because the leading Jews demanded it, and Pilate didn't want them to start a riot. He put the life of his soldiers above that of one - as he saw it - religious fanatic. Political expediency.
The Romans considered all the Jews crazy fanatics and probably didn't care much about any of them as long as they were reasonably quiet.
I haven't said Jesus was crazy, I said that Pilate perhaps thought so. Please don't misquote me.
I am very sorry as to this. The quotation was susceptible to misunderstanding. You said 'Pilate probably thought Jesus was crazy, but what he said was neither blasphemy nor treason according to Roman law. and I quote what Pilate might have thought, not you. I think you defended Jesus very appropriately.
ReplyDeleteOK, Mer. It's just that if someone reads the thread a bit quickly, they'd get the wrong impression. And I happen to be very sure that Jesus was one of the most sensible persons who ever walked this earth. Not all of his alleged followers have been, but that's another story.
ReplyDeleteProbably these are the likely reason. I think arbitrary executions were often held under Roman rules. We don't know why only the case of Jesus had been much more highlighted than other cases. Probably the case of Jesus was particularly used as a symbol of oppressed governing by Romans.
ReplyDeleteThe case of Jesus became highlighted because a religion grew out of his teachings. Nobody remembered the little guy who wrote "Romans, go home" on the palace wall. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'd say the Romans generally followed their own laws - where Roman citizens were concerned. See what they did, or rather didn't do, to Paul. Jesus was not a citizen, Paul was.