Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court, Haim Cohn, examines Biblical and contemporary documents to provide a startling and provocative look at the Trial and Passion of Jesus from a legal perspective. The author's profound knowledge of the period offers the reader invaluable insights and the necessary context in which to place the events of the Biblical narrative.

What does the most infamous criminal proceeding in history--the trial of Jesus of Nazareth--have to tell us about capital punishment in the United States? Jesus Christ was a prisoner on death row. If that statement surprises you, consider this fact: of all the roles that Jesus played--preacher, teacher, healer, mentor, friend--none features as prominently in the gospels as this one, a criminal indicted and convicted of a capital offense. Now consider another fact: the arrest, trial, and execution of Jesus bear remarkable similarities to the American criminal justice system, especially in capital cases. From the use of paid informants to the conflicting testimony of witnesses to the denial of clemency, the elements in the story of Jesus' trial mirror the most common components in capital cases today. Finally, consider a question: How might we see capital punishment in this country differently if we realized that the system used to condemn the Son of God to death so closely resembles the system we use in capital cases today? Should the experience of Jesus' trial, conviction, and execution give us pause as we take similar steps to place individuals on death row today? These are the questions posed by this surprising, challenging, and enlightening book

The Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus is a comprehensive sourcebook for those looking to gain a more robust understanding of this event through the eyes of ancient writers. Featuring extrabiblical primary texts--along with a new translation and commentary by David W. Chapman and Eckhard J. Schnabel--this work is relevant for understanding Jesus' last days. The significance of Jesus' death is apparent from the space that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John devote to the Passion narrative, from the emphasis of many speeches in the book of Acts, and from the missionary preaching and the theology of the apostle Paul. Exegetical discussions of Jesus' trial and death have employed biblical (Old Testament) and extrabiblical texts in order to understand the events during the Passover of AD 30 that led to Jesus' execution by crucifixion. The purpose of this book is to publish the primary texts that have been cited in the scholarly literature as relevant for understanding Jesus' trial and crucifixion. The texts in the first part deal with Jesus' trial and interrogation before the Sanhedrin, and the texts in the second part concern Jesus' trial before Pilate. The texts in part three represent crucifixion as a method of execution in antiquity. For each document, the authors provide the original text (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, or Latin), a translation, and commentary. The commentary describes the literary context and the purpose of each document in context before details are clarified, along with observations on the contribution of these texts to understanding Jesus' trial and crucifixion.

Provides a captivating look at the injustices of Christ's trial from a lawyer's point of view, illustrating that the trials were set in the wrong place, at the wrong time, by the wrong people, with the wrong witnesses.

Who killed Jesus...the Jews or the Romans? Did you know that the Sanhedrin broke the Jewish law 18 times during the illegal trial of Jesus? Attorney Earle Wingo approaches the crucifixion like a trial lawyer, showing one after another the ways in which Jesus was illegally tried. Wingo is a good writer, with an emotional and persuasive style. You would want him defending you in court. This book was written many years ago, and we have had a lot of requests for it since Jack Chick has made references to it in his books. Now, with illustrations by Jack Chick added, we are releasing this revised edition to add fascinating detail to your study of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It will give new understanding to your Bible study, and provide you with fascinating details you can share with others if you are a teacher in your church. You will learn: Who the Jewish leaders were, and why they knew exactly what they were doing. How many Jewish laws were broken in order to entrap Jesus. How Jesus was arrested without being charged. That Jewish law forbade nighttime trials, and one-day trials. Why the eventual charge of blasphemy wasn't enough to put Jesus to death. How the charges against Jesus were changed to get the Romans to kill Him.