The Judas Brief Who Really Killed Jesus?

by Greenberg, Gary

• ISBN13: 9780826489999
• ISBN10: 0826489990
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-06-01
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

The Judas Briefchallenges the fundamental Gospel concept that at least some leading Jews played a key role in having Jesus executed. Author Gary Greenberg provides a detailed examination of all Gospel accounts of hostile interaction between Jesus and the Jews, with special attention to the Gospel accounts of the Jewish and Roman trials of Jesus. He then compares these Gospel reports with the historical evidence and reaches some surprising and controversial conclusions, including that: - there was never any organized Jewish hostility to Jesus - the only significant opposition came from Roman authorities - Judas was a close ally of Jesus and represented him in negotiations with the High Priest - the High Priest tried to protect Jesus and his followers from a Roman initiated massacre - Jesus willingly agreed to surrender himself to Pilate as a hostage to insure that his followers remained passive during the holiday - Judas and Caiaphas had expected that Jesus would be released after the holiday - Pilate broke his word and had Jesus executed - Judas committed suicide in grief over the unexpected death of Jesus and the role he had played 'The Judas Brief' is a comprehensive and clearly written account of the many Gospel portrayals of interaction between Jesus and the Jews. It may well provide modern Christian scholars and exegetes with some of the tools necessary to challenge the anti-Semitic reactions that flow from the Gospel accounts of Jewish hostility to Jesus.

Table of Contents

Notes on Terminology and Citations	p. ix
Jews in the Dock; Pilate in the Choir	p. 1
The Gospels: Fact, Fiction, or Speculation?	p. 19
Early Non-Gospel Passion Accounts	p. 54
Religious Outlaws in Roman Israel	p. 71
Pilate Outside of the Gospels	p. 89
Was Pilate That Bad?	p. 107
What Do We Really Know about Judas?	p. 131
Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, and Priests	p. 154
Jesus in Jerusalem	p. 168
The Arrest	p. 189
The Jewish Proceedings	p. 200
The Roman Proceedings: A Gospel Overview	p. 225
The Roman Proceedings: A Critical Review	p. 249
What Really Happened?	p. 264
Bibliography	p. 273
Index	p. 277
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