The Trials of Jesus: Evidence, Conclusions, and Aftermath
Paul BarnettPaperback 2024-09-03
See the Passion narrative like you’ve never seen it before.
The Gospels describe a complex chain of events from Jesus’s arrest to his crucifixion—interrogations from multiple high priests, a confrontation with Herod the Tetrarch, and finally Pontius Pilate’s unusual hesitancy leading to Jesus’s execution. The narrative raises several questions: Why was Jesus interrogated so many times? Why was he executed not by the high priests, but by the Romans? What are serious readers of Scripture to make of this narrative, central as it is to the Christian faith?
Paul Barnett sheds light on the story behind the Passion, Resurrection, and the subsequent birth of the church. Barnett fills readers in on the four hundred years of history between Malachi and Matthew, setting the geopolitical stage for the very crux of salvation history. With rich context and expert storytelling, The Trials of Jesus will intrigue and enlighten scholars and everyday Christians alike.
Table of Contents
- The Night He “Was Betrayed”
- The Persians
- Hellenism
- “Zeal” for the Lord
- The Maccabean Dynasty
- The Romans
- The Intruding Idumeans
- Alliance of Antony and Herod
- Herod the “Great”
- Archelaus, Ethnarch of Judea, Idumea, and Samaria
- Judea
- The Governor of Judea and the Outbreak of Prophecy
- Jesus, Prophet and Rabbi
- The Galilean Blasphemer
- Annas and Caiaphas
- Pontius Pilate
- Herod Antipas
- The Jewish Trials
- The Roman Trial of Jesus according to Mark, Matthew, and Luke
- The Roman Trial according to John
- Herod Antipas, Jesus, and Pilate
- The Testimonium Flavianum
- The Lamb without Blemish in the Gospel of Mark
- The Annas Vendetta
- The Passing of the Judges
- Antinomy
- The Birth of the Church
Endorsements:
“With his characteristic mastery of the historical sources, clarity, and utterly compelling conclusions, Paul Barnett has produced a book that puts the trials of Jesus in their historical context, illuminating the underlying political, religious, and social elements that underpin the Gospels’ portrayals of these pivotal moments in human history. I highly recommend it as a book deserving of careful study and reflection.” —Constantine R. Campbell, professor of Biblical Studies, Sydney College of Divinity
“Paul Barnett's detailed study of the historical and cultural background and the individual characters of the trial narratives is both fascinating and enlightening. The information provided by the trials serves as a window into the meaning and historical significance of the crucifixion, relating it not only to the history preceding it, but also to the history that follows it, in the birth of the church. I know of no other book that provides such a brilliant and helpful synthesis.” —Donald A. Hagner, George Eldon Ladd Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary
“Here we have another ‘classic Barnett’: a historical investigation combined with theological considerations, a consistent focus on the biblical and relevant extrabiblical texts, and a refreshing refusal to engage with (and drown in) secondary literature. The general reader will benefit immensely from reading Barnett’s latest study of Jesus and the early church.” —Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mary F. Rockefeller Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
“Paul Barnett is a serious and experienced scholar and ancient historian. The latter training comes to the fore in this book, which sheds clear light on the historical background to the life, trial, and death of Jesus.” —Alanna Nobbs, professor emerita, Macquarie University
“Respected senior scholar Paul Barnett sets Jesus’s trials in an informatively wider sociopolitical context than is typical in other discussions. The book is eminently readable and finds cohesiveness in the ancient evidence.” —Craig S. Keener, F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary
“This volume provides a sweeping backdrop to the context of Jesus’s ministry, arrest, and trials. Deeply informative, accessible, and fascinating, Barnett tells the story not just about Jesus, but about all of Israel’s history leading to the climactic finale of the messiah’s death.” —Gary M. Burge, Calvin Theological Seminary
“Informed by a deep grasp of the history, cultural forces, and major players (political and religious) leading up to Jesus’s public appearance in the late AD 20s, this book is a gamechanger for making sense of many New Testament complexities and crosscurrents. Best of all, it accounts for how ‘a culture of hatred of Jesus’ (Barnett’s words) saw his death kick-start what became the largest religion in the world today. This is the best short book on the subject from this angle that I have ever read.” —Robert W. Yarbrough, professor of New Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary
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See the Passion narrative like you’ve never seen it before.
The Gospels describe a complex chain of events from Jesus’s arrest to his crucifixion—interrogations from multiple high priests, a confrontation with Herod the Tetrarch, and finally Pontius Pilate’s unusual hesitancy leading to Jesus’s execution. The narrative raises several questions: Why was Jesus interrogated so many times? Why was he executed not by the high priests, but by the Romans? What are serious readers of Scripture to make of this narrative, central as it is to the Christian faith?
Paul Barnett sheds light on the story behind the Passion, Resurrection, and the subsequent birth of the church. Barnett fills readers in on the four hundred years of history between Malachi and Matthew, setting the geopolitical stage for the very crux of salvation history. With rich context and expert storytelling, The Trials of Jesus will intrigue and enlighten scholars and everyday Christians alike.
Table of Contents
- The Night He “Was Betrayed”
- The Persians
- Hellenism
- “Zeal” for the Lord
- The Maccabean Dynasty
- The Romans
- The Intruding Idumeans
- Alliance of Antony and Herod
- Herod the “Great”
- Archelaus, Ethnarch of Judea, Idumea, and Samaria
- Judea
- The Governor of Judea and the Outbreak of Prophecy
- Jesus, Prophet and Rabbi
- The Galilean Blasphemer
- Annas and Caiaphas
- Pontius Pilate
- Herod Antipas
- The Jewish Trials
- The Roman Trial of Jesus according to Mark, Matthew, and Luke
- The Roman Trial according to John
- Herod Antipas, Jesus, and Pilate
- The Testimonium Flavianum
- The Lamb without Blemish in the Gospel of Mark
- The Annas Vendetta
- The Passing of the Judges
- Antinomy
- The Birth of the Church
Endorsements:
“With his characteristic mastery of the historical sources, clarity, and utterly compelling conclusions, Paul Barnett has produced a book that puts the trials of Jesus in their historical context, illuminating the underlying political, religious, and social elements that underpin the Gospels’ portrayals of these pivotal moments in human history. I highly recommend it as a book deserving of careful study and reflection.” —Constantine R. Campbell, professor of Biblical Studies, Sydney College of Divinity
“Paul Barnett's detailed study of the historical and cultural background and the individual characters of the trial narratives is both fascinating and enlightening. The information provided by the trials serves as a window into the meaning and historical significance of the crucifixion, relating it not only to the history preceding it, but also to the history that follows it, in the birth of the church. I know of no other book that provides such a brilliant and helpful synthesis.” —Donald A. Hagner, George Eldon Ladd Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary
“Here we have another ‘classic Barnett’: a historical investigation combined with theological considerations, a consistent focus on the biblical and relevant extrabiblical texts, and a refreshing refusal to engage with (and drown in) secondary literature. The general reader will benefit immensely from reading Barnett’s latest study of Jesus and the early church.” —Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mary F. Rockefeller Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
“Paul Barnett is a serious and experienced scholar and ancient historian. The latter training comes to the fore in this book, which sheds clear light on the historical background to the life, trial, and death of Jesus.” —Alanna Nobbs, professor emerita, Macquarie University
“Respected senior scholar Paul Barnett sets Jesus’s trials in an informatively wider sociopolitical context than is typical in other discussions. The book is eminently readable and finds cohesiveness in the ancient evidence.” —Craig S. Keener, F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary
“This volume provides a sweeping backdrop to the context of Jesus’s ministry, arrest, and trials. Deeply informative, accessible, and fascinating, Barnett tells the story not just about Jesus, but about all of Israel’s history leading to the climactic finale of the messiah’s death.” —Gary M. Burge, Calvin Theological Seminary
“Informed by a deep grasp of the history, cultural forces, and major players (political and religious) leading up to Jesus’s public appearance in the late AD 20s, this book is a gamechanger for making sense of many New Testament complexities and crosscurrents. Best of all, it accounts for how ‘a culture of hatred of Jesus’ (Barnett’s words) saw his death kick-start what became the largest religion in the world today. This is the best short book on the subject from this angle that I have ever read.” —Robert W. Yarbrough, professor of New Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary