Why Did Pilate Execute Jesus?
Why did Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect of Judaea, hand Jesus over to be crucified?
Pilate had to balance several competing interests, keeping the peace at Passover, suspicion about the priest’s intentions, what would his boss in Syria think, how would the crowds react, etc. It’s not actually straightforward!
What follows is an excerpt from my forthcoming book about the historical Jesus.
To read further, consider joining the “Aviary” by taking out a paid subscription, only $7 per month or $75 per year, supports me in my ministry and scholarship, and gets you 3-4 posts per week on biblical studies, Christianity and gender relationships, cultural commentary, book reviews, previews of my forthcoming books, and some cool videos.