A Roman governor ordered Jesus’ crucifixion – so why did many Christians blame Jews for centuries?

Here’s a simple part of the Easter story: Roman governor Pontius Pilate had Jesus of Nazareth killed by his soldiers. He handed down the punishment that Roman judges often inflicted on social subversives: crucifixion.

The New Testament Bibles say this. Nicene CreedOne of the fundamental belief expressions of Christianity says that Jesus was “crucified during the reign of Pontus Pilate.” The testimony of Paul, whose preaching on behalf of Jesus Christ was the first person preserved in the New Testament, signifies crucifixion.

But this was common for some Christians in the last 2000 years. almost finding Pilate innocent Blaming Jews for the death of Jesus is a belief that has shaped the global history of antisemitism.

During the Middle Ages, Easter was often A dangerous time for Jewish communitieswho are christians Targeted as “Jesus killers”.” This perception was an integral part of the hatred that led to mass violence in Europe. until the 19th and 20th centuriesIncluding and even pogroms in Russia Nazi genocide.

Why did Christian teachings let Pilate off the hook? Why did many Christians claim that the Jews were guilty?

story of the gospels

In the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, Pilate believes Jesus to be innocent of any crime. In some cases even that declares it publicly.

But the high priests of the ancient Jewish temple in Jerusalem see Jesus as a charismatic and popular Jewish preacher who challenged their authority. During the Passover week, they arrested Jesus before Pilate and tried him.

Pilate makes plans for Jesus’ release, but there is a rebellious crowd cries out for his death. Pilate complies and decides to crucify Jesus, who Christians believe rose from the dead three days later.

Anyone who has read the Gospels knows this order, although it varies slightly in each. early Bibles, Composed at least one generation after Jesus’ deathHe accused the chief priests and the crowd of people of persuading Pilate to crucify Jesus. Gospel of JohnWritten several decades after the other three, the book generally portrayed Jews as responsible and likewise much of early Christian literature.

An account written in the mid-second century or later and not included in the New Testament even claimed that Jesus’ crucifixion was not ordered by Pilate. In its place, Herod accused AntipasJewish ruler of Galilee, the region where Jesus grew up. Other texts After the first few centuries AD, Pilate said he became a Christian.

roman history

Scholars have long debated the historical facts surrounding Jesus’ trial. Inside My 2025 book “Killing ChristSo am I.

bible testimonies capture basic information Criminal trials held in public before Roman judges. Judges asked questions of prosecutors and defendants, and one person was innocent or guilty and impose a penalty.

Writers living in the Roman Empire portrayed judges whimsical, unaccountable or Shaken by threatening crowds. The Gospels reflect this attitude by having Pilate appear being bullied to condemn an ​​innocent man.

However, from a historian’s point of view, there is a very important problem with the description of the Gospels. Roman judges could, and sometimes did, do this Facing dismissal, property confiscation, exile, or even death clearly for executing innocent people. In other words, it seems unlikely that Pilate would declare Jesus innocent, but then cave in to pressure and condemn him anyway.

Other ancient writers Describe Pilate as someone who is not above to disturb the Jews of Judea. According to the first-century Jewish philosopher Philo and the historian Josephus, Pilate had his soldiers carry to Jerusalem objects honoring Roman emperors that Jewish residents considered disrespectful. He sometimes backed down when the crowd protested. But his soldiers attacked the excited crowd who objected to Pilate’s use of Temple money to build an aqueduct. They also massacred the Samaritans’ uprising. It was claimed that it came from the Israelites.

Pilate did not indiscriminately bow to the hostile mob or do whatever the chief priests wanted. Because Roman governors like him had to cooperate with Jewish priests to govern Jerusalemhe probably viewed people who incited social unrest against them as subversives. Jesus could fall into this category, but neither Philo nor Josephus give examples of Pilate killing people after exonerating them.

growing division

So why did Pilate have Jesus crucified? Like many scientists we discussedThe simple answer would be that he believed Jesus did this. some kind of rebellion It’s not like the crowd was just pressuring Pilate to do this.

However, when the Gospels were compiled a generation after the crucifixion, they portrayed Pilate as convinced of Jesus’ innocence. As time passed, other works of ancient Christian literature also appeared. shifted responsibility from Pilate to the Jews.

Experiences Early followers of Jesus Help explain this change. They, like Jesus himself, were Jews and saw him as a Messiah sent from heaven. But throughout the first and second centuries they increasingly separated themselves from other Jews, until they began to think of themselves as Jews. members of a non-Jewish movement: Christianity.

In the eyes of Roman authorities, Christians were troublemakers and sometimes prosecution and death penalty. In addition, Rome had imposed persecution and punitive measures on the Jews following the revolts; This further motivated Jesus’ followers distance themselves. Their literature became increasingly hostile towards Jews.

Historians and Bible scholars continue To discuss why Pilate condemned Jesus. Was it because you suggested this? he was the messiahOr, in the words of Pilate, the “King of the Jews”? Did Jesus do it? Disturbing the crowd in the temple during Passover – or Were the authorities worried about what he might do?even unintentionally? Was it Jesus and his followers? engaged in armed insurrection?

But whatever the answer, as I claimed in my bookresponsibility for the crucifixion rests with Pilate; not to the chief priests and the crowd of Jews in Jerusalem.

This article is republished from: SpeechAn independent, nonprofit news organization providing facts and authoritative analysis to help you understand our complex world. Written by: Nathanael Andrade, Binghamton University, State University of New York

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Nathanael Andrade has received fellowship funding from the Andrew Mellon Foundation/Princeton Institute for Advanced Study, the University of Wisconsin Humanities Research Institute, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.