30 CE:
The Sanhedrin does, of course, have final say in these matters. While I could tolerate what he was doing in the country (anyone that gives those obnoxious Pharisees a black eye is good in my book), I can not and will not accept someone disrupting Temple services. Apparently Caiaphas got one of Yeshua's followers, one "Yehudah" (codenamed "Judas Iscariot" by the Romans) to betray Yeshua ben Yosef (I hear rumors that that should be "Yeshua ben Panteras," if you follow my drift) to the authorities. About time that cult fractured. I hear Simon the Rockhead, who has been following that kook around for years, denied him three times! LOL, imagine that. As if anyone was going to believe that.
Yeshua really should have focused on his itinerant preacher career and not messed with the Temple authorities: the Priests are where the real power in Judea lies. Speaking of real power, I hear tale that Pilatus might extradite him over to Herod Antipas. I don't think Antipas will take it, too much of a hot potato. Pilatus can't get rid of this one that easily.[/quote]
Mikado, get your Sadducee hooked-nose out of Caiaphas' ass and see what's going on. The people are taxed enough already by the charlatans of the Temple. We're "Rendering unto God" everything we have, and it's making the priests fatter than ever. At this rate, the Sons of Levi will weigh more than the rest of the Jewish people combined. At least the Romans do something with our tax money. We can follow the Laws perfectly well, and achieve their true ritual meaning, without Temple authorities watching over us. That obnoxious Yeshua is wrong about a lot of things, but he's right that the vaunted priestly authority shall not last. Pharisaical faith needs no Priests, just the Law.[/quote]
At least Mikado is consistent: consistently wrong! He only wants to "struggle" with Rome in order to spill the blood of the Jewish people for the benefit of the Priests! Everyone knows the Roman Empire has done great things for us. The "oppression" you complain about? That's what happens when you act up! If you ask me, the real problem are those damned Samaritans, not to mention the Idumaeans and Ishmaelites sneaking in from Nabataea and stealing our jobs.[/quote]
My friend Matthias (goes by "Matthew" around the Romans) was in the crowd today: they convicted Yeshua, let Barabbas go, and Pilatus washed his hands of the matter, literally. Matthew says that the crowd shouted, "His blood be on us and on our children." And so an innocent man goes to the grave.[/quote]
Innocent? Yeshua blasphemed against the God of Abraham, claiming to be his equal. In fact, he even supposedly claimed to be older than Abraham himself. God won't let insults to His dignity be taken so lightly. Even if you ignore the terrible blasphemy of this man, he disrupted legitimate commerce in the Temple Precincts with his rabble-rousing. So much for the "free market," eh? This Yeshua is a dangerous revolutionary rebel that needs to be put down. Also, you keep talking about this friend Matthew of yours. How do you know he was there? I heard it was so crowded there, I bet your friend was in the very back. How could he have heard a word Pilatus said? I'm tired of your "eyewitnesses."[/quote]
If I have to hear your damn hippie crap one more time...[/quote]
