ea for ten years, from A.D.
26 to 36. The Herodian government of Judea, under which Jesus was born,
had been changed for a direct Roman rule in 6 A.D., but the change had
worked little good to the people. Pilate was not, as Roman governors
went, a bad man. He desired {492} justice and had many good intentions,
but he was weak, vacillating, and liable to be violent. He had made
himself much hated by the people, and feared they would complain of him
to the emperor. So it happened that when he had the great opportunity of
his life, and himself much desired to save Jesus from an unjust death,
he dared not do what he knew was right because his past crimes had made
him fear the Jews. He was at last sent to Rome in disgrace by his
superiors in office, but what became of him afterwards is not known. A
legend in the early church says that he committed suicide, but there is
no good evidence that this is so.

_Caiaphas_, the high priest from 18-36 A.D., was son-in-law of Annas,
the former high priest. He seems, from John 2:45-50, to be the one who
first suggested the plan to put Jesus to death. He did it because he was
afraid, if the people thought Jesus was the Messiah, they would follow
him in a revolt against the Romans, which would only bring trouble and
massacre to the people. How he misunderstood the purpose of the peaceful
Jesus!

_Annas_ was high priest A.D. 6 to 18. He was then deposed by the Roman
legate, but, through his own influence and that of his family, long held
great power in the nation. The family had booths for the sale of
offerings in the temple, and gained great wealth thereby. When Jesus
cleansed the temple, he was interfering with their unjust trade, and
that may have had a good deal to do with their enmity toward him. Annas
and his family were hated by the people, who thought them hypocrites,
making gain out of the service of God.

_The trial of Jesus_ divides into the following parts: (1) An appearance
before Annas, which was an informal, preliminary inquiry, seemingly to
try to get evidence to present at the formal trial. The inquiry was
fruitless. (2) The trial before the Sanhedrin, with Caiaphas as the
leader. This was the formal Jewish trial. (3) The first appearance
before Pilate, to whom the Sanhedrin sent him on the ground of treason
to Rome in claiming to be king of the Jews. (4) The appearance before
Herod, tetrarch of Galilee, to whom Pilate had sent him, learning that
Jesus was a Galil