Caiaphas the high priest While Judaea was a Roman province (from 6 CE) and had been under Roman control from 63 BCE, the Jews continued to practice their religion and their religious leader, the high priest, continued to have some power. Caiaphas and the other religious leaders can be seen as collaborators with the Romans.

Peter Peter was a disciple of Jesus. He was sentenced to death during Nero’s reign. St Peter’s Basilica in Rome was built on the supposed site of his tomb.

St Peter’s Basilica

the chief priests and the whole council Also known as the Sanhedrin – the governing body of the Judaism, in charge of the Temple

Christ Christ or Christos are Greek words for messiah. The TaNaKh prophesied the coming of a messiah who would precede the apocalypse. Christians were those Jews (initially) who believed Jesus of Nazareth was the prophesied messiah.

the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power This can be read as ‘an eternal ruler at the right hand of God’.

Jesus the Galilaean Jesus was from Nazareth in Galilee in the north of modern day Israel (although he was born in Bethlehem which is south of Jerusalem).

Pilate the governor Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect in charge of Judaea from 26 – 36 CE.

Judas Disciple of Jesus who betrayed him to the Jewish authorities for thirty pieces of silver. One man caught on a barbed wire fence/ One man he resist/ One man washed on an empty beach/ One man betrayed with a kiss

Jeremiah Jeremiah was a prophet and a book in the TaNaKh is named after him. Amongst other things, he prophesied the destruction of Solomon’s Temple.

Barabbas Barabbas was another Galilean who had been arrested after involvement in an insurrection in recent days.

Caesar The Roman Emperor (at the time, Tiberius)

he was of Herod's jurisdiction Galilee was immediately north of the Roman province of Judaea. It was ruled by Herod Antipas, a son of Herod the Great.

Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad Herod had imprisoned and then executed John the Baptist. John the Baptist was Jesus’ first cousin and, in a sense, Jesus was John’s successor.

‘Salome with the Head of John the Baptist’, Luini Bernardino 1525

Now he must needs release unto them at the feast one prisoner. The feast refers to the Passover festival which had brought multitudes to Jerusalem and during which Jesus was tried.

Questions 1. What was Jesus tried for? Who by? 2. In both biblical accounts, Pilate offers to release one prisoner. What reasons does Simon Sebag Montefiore give to suggest it is unlikely this really occurred? 3. How is Pilate portrayed in each of the gospel accounts of Jesus’ trial? 4. Who appears to be responsible for Jesus’ death in the two accounts? 5. Explain why the gospels, written in the second half of the first century CE, might have attributed responsibility for Jesus’s death in the way they did?