Chapter 7 The Trial of Jesus Revisited
in People and Institutions in the Roman EmpireSearch for other papers by Werner Riess in
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The trial of Jesus with its many unresolved problems has been debated for almost 2000 years. This contribution seeks to make a contribution to some of its aspects by combining legal and social history, the history of mentalities as well as epigraphy. It will be argued that the Sanhedrin found Jesus guilty indeed, but did not sentence him to death. For political reasons, this verdict was left to Pontius Pilate who convicted Jesus on grounds of unproven political charges. Jesus had been exposed to processes of marginalization and stigmatization. Before the Sanhedrin, several witnesses reproached him of serious misbehavior, indicated by the synoptic gospels with lacunae. Pontius Pilate was a circumspect Roman governor in so far as he acted in accordance with Roman legal practice and social expectations by granting clementia to Barrabas. Thus, Jesus had become the victim of political circumstances without being political himself.