The Trial of Jesus - A Judicial Review of the Law and Facts of the World's Most Tragic Court Room Trial

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THE TRIAL OF JESUS A Judicial Review of the Law and Facts of the Worlds Most Tragic Court Room Trial BY GEORGE W. THOMPSON. Contents include: I Introduction .... 1 II The Jewish Law ... 5 III Jewish Courts and Criminal Procedure . . . 13 IV The Authenticity of the Eecord 23 V Jewish Factions and Classes 31 VI The Promised Messiah . 38 VII Jesus 5 Attitude toward the People . .... 40 VIII The Pharisees Aroused . 43 IX Opposition to the Sadducees 47 X Spies and Paid Informers 49 XI Alarm at the Raising of Lazarus . ... 50 XII Meeting of the Sanhedrin 52 XIII Jesus Retirement . V . 5S XIV The Journey to J rasatoi , 5T XV The Supper at Simons Hotee 61 XVI Judas Bargains with the Priests . . 62 XVII Triumphal Entry mto Jena- C ON TENT S Continued CHAPTER PAGE XIX A New Deputation Sent to Jesus 70 XX Denunciation of His Enemies 76 XXI Another Consultation . . 78 XXII The Last Supper ... 80 XXIII The Agony of Gethsemane 84i XXIV The Arrest . ... 88 XXV Questioned by Annas . . 93 XXVI Peters Denial . . . 99 XXVn First Hearing before the Sanhedrin . ... 100 XXVUI The Crime of Blasphemy , 109 XXIX Dual Nature of Trial . . 118 XXX Violence and Insults . .121 XXXI Second Hearing before the Sanhedrin . ... 12 XXXII Authority to Execute the Death Sentence . . 132 XXXIII The Roman Form of Pro cedure 135 XXXIV The Trial before Pilate . 139 XXXV A New Charge .... 144 XXXVI The Charge of Sedition . 152 XXXVn Jesus Sent to Herod . . 155 XXXVHI Pilate Washes His Hands . 159 XXXIX Conclusion 169. INTRODUCTION: PERHAPS no event of the brief but re markable career of Jesus of Nazareth is of such abiding interest to both lawyer and layman as the great legal tragedy that resulted in his crucifixion. During the centuries that have elapsed since memorable event, much controversy been waged over the question of the legality or illegality of the prosecution conducted against him. Christians generally conclude that he was put to death by a mob of irresponsible men without any attempt to conform to the law of procedure then in force. On the other hand, it is claimed by certain Hebrew apologists that he was an offender against the Jewish laws, was guilty of a crime punishable by death, and that he was regularly tried, condemned and executed according to existing laws. The writer will endeavor to show that both of these views are, in the main, erroneous, and that instead Jesus was charged with a specific offense under existing laws, was tried by a regularly constituted judicial tribunal, but that the whole procedure was permeated with such gross illegality and such flagrant irregularities that the result can be considered nothing short of judicial murder. 2 INTRODUCTION The simple Gospel account reveals the various steps that were taken in the trial, but does not describe them in legal terms. The lawyer, versed in Jewish and Roman jurisprudence, can readily read between the lines and tell the story from a legal viewpoint. This it is proposed to do in these pages, confining ourselves to the facts and the law applicable to the case, and giving the subject such treatment as is applied to any other matter presented for judicial inquiry. The presentation may be likened to a lawyers brief in re view of a case on appeal...