The Lost Letters of Pergamum by Bruce W. Longenecker

Author:Bruce W. Longenecker [Longenecker, Bruce W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REL006630, REL006040, REL006220, Saint Luke—Fiction, Church history—Primitive and early church (ca. 30–600)—Fiction, Bible: New Testament—History of Biblical events—Fiction, Evangelists (Bible)—Fiction, Christian saints—Fiction, Physicians—Fiction
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2016-02-26T16:00:00+00:00

Luke’s Response to Digest 4

My friend, Antipas, I must stand by the reliability of my source with regard to Pilate’s actions. His prefectship was characterized by numerous brutal episodes, of which the event mentioned in my narrative is only one. You of course know the outline of his political career. After the short and ineffective “reign” of Archelaus, son of Herod the Great, Rome considered it politically expedient to take direct control of Judea. Four prefects had been appointed and removed by Rome in relatively quick succession before Pilate was appointed to what most Romans considered a minor and relatively undesirable provincial assignment. He ruled over Judea at the time when John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth were in public view [Pilate’s dates of rule are 26–37 CE], while Herod Antipas continued to rule over Galilee and Perea.

With the assistance of my scribe, I have managed to locate a description of Pilate recorded by Philo of Alexandria, who describes him as “naturally inflexible, a blend of self-will and relentlessness,” given to “briberies, insults, robberies, outrages, and wanton injuries, executions without trial constantly repeated, ceaseless and supremely grievous cruelty” [Philo, Embassy 301–2]. This cruel streak in his constitution frequently demonstrated itself in his handling of Jews. Tensions had already been rising between the Jewish people and Pilate’s predecessor Gratus, so clearly Pilate inherited a volatile situation. But indicators suggest that Pilate did not concern himself with restoring good relations with those whose lives he controlled in Judea. Even in the very first year of his prefectship, he sent troops carrying images of the emperor into Jerusalem by night. A large crowd of protesting Jews soon besieged his residence in Caesarea demanding the removal of those images. Jewish efforts to negotiate with him came to nothing. Only after an eventual confrontation in the Caesarean stadium did Pilate finally agree to remove the images. But the fact that he undertook this action under the cloak of darkness shows that he knew very well that his actions would infuriate the Jews in the cold light of day. The fact that it took enormous pressure to persuade him to remedy the situation likewise reveals much about his lack of sensitivity toward the Jews.

Added to this insensitivity to Jewish religious sentiment was Pilate’s willingness to use brutality rather than diplomacy to accomplish his aims. As is well known, on one occasion, in order to build a new aqueduct, Pilate confiscated the funds from the treasury of the Jerusalem temple—funds intended for the worship of Israel’s God. When the Jewish crowds protested this action, Pilate responded by sending soldiers dressed as civilians but armed with clubs into the streets. They injured many and killed some, all with Pilate’s blessing. The method was surely cunning; had Pilate sent his troops in normal fashion to quell the protest, it would have been much easier for a Jewish embassy to send an official protest against him to the legate in Syria. Proceeding in the way he did allowed Pilate

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