4. The clandestine trial of Jesus took place on Passover, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar at that time. Jews not only didn't know about Jesus' trial, they were preoccupied with intense preparations for Passover. Furthermore, thousands of Roman soldiers were on duty to prevent protest and violence. The hundreds of thousands of Jews who came to Jerusalem each year for Passover frequently generated violent protests against the Roman presence and occupation. At some Passover celebrations thousands of Jews and scores of Roman soldiers were killed in uprisings. That's why the Roman military was out in force and would surely not allow crowds-- particularly angry emotionally aroused crowds--to move across Jerusalem to Pontius Pilate's Palace.
5. In preparation for Passover Jews had to perform cleansing and purification rituals. To appear at Pontius Pilate's palace during Passover would have been an unclean act requiring seven days of purification. It would have excluded them from the celebration of this most important holiday. Punctuating that point, the members of the Sanhedrin who delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate's palace refused to enter because it was unclean and would have required the seven day purification ritual: "Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium [Pilate's palace], and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover" (John 18:28).
This analysis supports the views of many scholars who contend that Jews were demonized in the Gospels to please the growing number of Roman pagan converts to Christianity. After the Roman defeat of the Jews and the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE Jews were seen as enemies of Rome. So why make them the good guys when with a few strokes of the pen and the magic trick of deus ex machina you can cast them as the villains and the "gentle caring" Roman Governor Pontius Pilate the good guy (Pilate was eventually recalled by the emperor Tiberius for excessive cruelty)?
We can't change history, but we can correct it. "Crucify him, crucify him" and the charge of "Christ Killers" should have no place in any celebration.
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