How large was the crowd who accused Jesus?
Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 10:48 pm
I'm looking more carefully at the gospel accounts than I have in the past.
It doesn't seem that the scene is reminiscent of the motif I've grown up that "all of the jews" turned on Jesus. This was politically motivated by the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees. He was accused by the chief priests, scribes and council privately, at night, and in a house. And when they took him to Pilate that wasn't a public thing either. When Pilate addressed the crowd, that couldn't have been a huge number of people. And their reaction was triggered by the chief priests stirring them up.
It doesn't seem that the scene is reminiscent of the motif I've grown up that "all of the jews" turned on Jesus. This was politically motivated by the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees. He was accused by the chief priests, scribes and council privately, at night, and in a house. And when they took him to Pilate that wasn't a public thing either. When Pilate addressed the crowd, that couldn't have been a huge number of people. And their reaction was triggered by the chief priests stirring them up.