Killing Jesus: A History

healing but a display of powers far beyond those of a normal human being.
    “Here is this man performing many miraculous signs,” a Pharisee says. “If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
    Caiaphas agrees. “You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
    Nothing more needs to be said.
    *   *   *
    Whether knowingly or unknowingly, Jesus has led a life that is a continual fulfillment of Jewish prophecy. He was born a Jew. His lineage is that of David. A great star rose in the morning sky as he was being born in Bethlehem. It could be argued that as he grew and learned Scripture, he intentionally began contriving his actions and words to mimic the prophets’ predictions. And now comes the ultimate symbol: if Jesus chooses to ride into Jerusalem at Passover astride a donkey, he will be sending a powerful message. As the prophet Zechariah wrote, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.”
    Fulfilling Zechariah’s prediction would be easy. Donkeys are everywhere in Judea. Jesus would simply have to tell a disciple to bring one to him.
    At the age of thirty-six, Jesus is clever enough to act out any prophecy. His understanding of faith is profound and his knowledge of Scripture encyclopedic.
    But Jesus would be a fool to ride a donkey into Jerusalem. That would be a death sentence. For while the prophets have been very specific about the way the king of the Jews would be born and live his life, they are just as clear about how he will die.
    He will be falsely accused of crimes he did not commit.
    He will be beaten.
    He will be spat upon.
    He will be stripped, and soldiers will throw dice to bid for his clothing.
    He will be crucified, with nails driven through his hands and feet—yet not a single one of his bones will be broken.
    And those who love him will look on in mourning, unable to do anything to stop the agony. 9
    *   *   *
    It is Sunday, April 2, A.D. 30. Pontius Pilate has just returned to Jerusalem and taken up residence in Herod the Great’s palace. Herod Antipas, the tetrarch, arrives in the city and stays just a block away, at the Hasmonean Palace. At the same time, Caiaphas prepares for the biggest festival of the year at his palace home in the Upper City.
    Passover week is now about to begin.
    The disciples begin the search for a donkey.
    Jesus of Nazareth has six days to live.

BOOK
    III
If You Are the Son of God, Take Yourself off This Cross

CHAPTER TWELVE
    OUTSIDE JERUSALEM
SUNDAY, APRIL 2, A.D. 30
AFTERNOON
    The dusty dirt road from Galilee is once again clogged with Passover pilgrims eager to enter the walls of Jerusalem and put their journey behind them. The day is sunny, as it is so often this time of year. The travelers push past date palm plantations and the former winter palaces of Herod the Great in the lush oasis of Jericho. Small farming villages soon follow, where fruit orchards, vineyards, and olive trees grow alongside irrigated fields of vegetables. Many of the travelers stop here for their ritual mikvah , purifying themselves for the final three miles of the journey.
    The purification process is vital to properly celebrating Passover. It creates a physical and emotional state of mind that prepares a worshipper to embrace God’s holiness—thus the need to arrive in Jerusalem almost a week before the holy day. Men will immerse in the mikvah , then cease having sex with their wives until after Passover, believing the act of ejaculation makes the body impure. Similarly, menstruating women will be unable to immerse in the mikvah and will also be forbidden from entering the Temple grounds. Touching a reptile also makes a body impure, 1 and anyone coming in contact with a dead body or even having their shadow touch a dead body is immediately rendered impure and unable to celebrate Passover. This, of course, also applies to anyone who kills a person.
    So even before the pilgrims see Jerusalem, they are mentally preparing for the week to come. They think of the need for a mikvah and they refrain from any intimate contact that might stir