Long ago, on a spring morning in Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate passed judgement on a mysterious preacher. Jesus of Nazareth was nailed to a cross shortly after and died in agony. The effects of this verdict have reverberated throughout the world and have shaped two millennia of history. Even so, the trial remains shrouded in mystery to this day. The New Testament Gospels are unclear about what charges Pontius Pilate judged. They portray Pilate as embracing Jesus' innocence despite having him killed. We are left with more questions than answers. Why did Pontius Pilate condemn a man he believed innocent? What was Jesus' crime? How should we understand Pilate's role in Jesus' execution? Killing the Messiah addresses these questions and analyzes Pilate's path to crucifying Jesus. It determines why and how Pilate deemed Jesus guilty of criminal behavior and the roles played by various people in ensuring Jesus' crucifixion. It also probes how the personal motivations and social obligations of Pilate and other authorities affected how they assessed Jesus' criminality. To do this, it situates Jesus' trial within the geo-political context of the Roman Middle East. In the decades before Jesus' lifetime, and throughout the centuries that followed, Roman courts determined the outcomes of millions of trials throughout the region. Jesus' trial took place in the same basic legal apparatus as all of these. By approaching the arrest, trial, and sentencing of Jesus from the perspective of Roman and legal history, this book sheds fresh light on the most famous conviction in world history.

Nathanael Andrade offers a fresh and fascinating exploration of the most famous trial in history: Jesus of Nazareth before Pontius Pilate. His findings are neither conspiratorial nor sacrilegious but arrive at a historically reasoned account of the evidence as to the how and why of Jesus' trial and crucifixion. Andrade's interrogation of Roman, Christian, and Syriac sources shines new light on Roman jurisprudence in the eastern theatre of the empire. * Rev. Dr. Michael F. Bird, Deputy Principal, Ridley College *
With an ancient historian's knowledge of the wider context, Andrade deftly probes into the motivations of characters involved in Jesus' execution. Controversially, we learn that another Roman governor might have handled things differently, and that Pilate's positive reputation amongst Christians ever since is thoroughly undeserved. Clearly written and learned, this is an excellent treatment of the most important trial of all time. * Helen K. Bond, Professor of Christian Origins, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh *

Nathanael J. Andrade is Professor of History at Binghamton University (SUNY). His books include Syrian Identity in the Greco-Roman World, The Journey of Christianity to India in Late Antiquity: Networks and the Movement of Culture, and Zenobia: Shooting Star of Palmyra.