The Judas Brief: Who Really Killed Jesus?

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The Judas Brief challenges 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.

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Gary Greenberg is the author of four books on biblical and ancient Near Eastern history and has served as President of the Biblical Archaeology Society of New York for several years. He is a criminal defense attorney in New York.