Why Did Rome Execute Jesus?
From Rome's perspective, the execution of Jesus was an act of provincial administration rather than theology. Pilate was faced with a figure who had entered Jerusalem to popular acclaim, disrupted activity in the Temple precincts, and attracted a following that — in the febrile atmosphere of Passover — could easily become a public order problem. The charge on the cross — 'King of the Jews' — was a political one: Rome executed people for claiming or being claimed as kings, because kings were rivals to Caesar. Whether Pilate believed Jesus posed a genuine threat, or was simply managing pressure from the Temple authorities, or was acting out of the casual indifference of a busy administrator, is a question the historical sources leave genuinely open. The novel takes that ambiguity seriously.
Enjoyed this article? John writes regularly about the historical world behind the Maximus novels.