Caiaphas was the Jewish high priest whom the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John describe as organizing the plot to kill Jesus. The 2005 opening noted that "passages involving Caiaphas are among those from scripture cited over the years by those wishing a Biblical justification for anti-Semitism." The word is nowhere in the article today. A reader today learns the Gospel account of Caiaphas's role but not that it has been used historically to justify antisemitism.
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Caiaphas was the Jewish high priest to whom Jesus was taken to after his arrest in the garden of Gethsemane , and who played a part in Jesus' crucifixion . Passages involving Caiaphas are among those from scripture cited over the years by those wishing a Biblical justification for anti-Semitism . In Matthew chapter 26, Caiaphas, other high priests, and the Sanhedrin are shown looking for "false evidence" with which to frame Jesus. (26:59) Once Jesus declares he is the Son of God , Caiaphas and the other men charge him with blasphemy and order him beaten. (26:66-67) In John chapter 18, Jesus is brought before Caiaphas and questioned, with intermittent beatings. Afterward, the other priests (Caiaphas does not accompany them) take Jesus to Pontius Pilate , the governor of Judea , and insist upon Jesus' execution. Pilate tells the priests to judge Jesus themselves, to which they respond they lack authority to do so. Pilate questions Jesus, after which he states, "I find no basis for a charge against him." Pilate then offers the Jews the choice of one prisoner to release — said to be a Passover tradition — and the Jews choose a rebel named Barabbas instead of Jesus. (18:38-40) For Jewish leaders of the time, there were serious concerns about Roman rule and an insurgent Zealot movement to eject Romans from Palestine. They would have feared any religious reformer or leader who either denied their own authority to rule or who suggested rebellion against the Romans. The Romans would not perform execution over violations of Jewish law, and therefore the charge of blasphemy would not have mattered to Pilate (although Pilate was a vicious ruler in his own right and was recalled by Rome for mismanagement and cruelty). Caiaphas's legal position, therefore, was to establish that Jesus was guilty not only of blasphemy, but also of proclaiming himself the messiah , which was understood as the return of the Davidic king. This would have been an act of sedition and prompted Roman execution. Pilate initially wished for Herod Antipas to deal with the matter (probably to avoid fomenting more anti-Roman feeling), where the Sanhedrin would have wished for a Roman execution (probably to avoid fomenting more anti-establishment feeling). The ossuary of a "Caiaphas" was discovered in Jerusalem in 1990, and remains an important artifact in the corpus of Biblical archaeology .1
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Yosef Bar Kayafa ( Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא, pronounced ) (which translates as Joseph, son of Caiaphas ), also known simply as Caiaphas (Greek Καϊάφας) in the New Testament , was the Roman Empire -appointed Jewish high priest who organised the plot to kill Jesus .Caiaphas is also claimed to have been involved in the trial of Jesus after his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane .The Gospels of Matthew and John (though not those of Mark and Luke ) mention Caiaphas in connection with the trial of Jesus.Because he was the high priest, Caiaphas was also chairman of the Sanhedrin , the Jewish high court.According to the Gospels, Jesus was arrested by the Temple guard and a hearing was organized by Caiaphas and others in which Jesus was accused of blasphemy .Finding him guilty, the Sanhedrin took him to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate , where they further accused him of sedition against Rome.In the Mishnah , Parah 3:5 refers to him as Ha-Koph (the monkey), a play on his name for opposing Mishnat Ha-Hasidim .Metzger & Coogan (1993) Oxford Companion to the Bible , p97.The Babylonian Talmud (Yavamot 15b) gives the family name as Kuppai, while the Jerusalem Talmud (Yevamot 1:6) mentions Nekifi.
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Joseph Caiaphas , known simply as Caiaphas ( ) in the New Testament , was the Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus .Caiaphas is also said to have been involved in the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus . The Babylonian Talmud (Yevamot 15B) gives the family name as Kuppai, while the Jerusalem Talmud (Yevamot 1:6) mentions Nekifi. The Mishnah, Parah 3:5 refers to him as Ha-Koph (the monkey), a play on his name for opposing Mishnat Ha-Hasidim. According to the Gospel accounts, Caiaphas was the major antagonist of Jesus.Metzger & Coogan Oxford Companion to the Bible , 1993. p 97 Falk, Harvey Jesus the Pharisee: a new look at the Jewishness of Jesus , 1985. p 137
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Joseph ben Caiaphas (c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD), known simply as Caiaphas ( ; ) in the New Testament , was the Jewish high priest who, according to the gospels , organized a plot to kill Jesus .He famously presided over the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus .The primary sources for Caiaphas' life are the New Testament and the writings of Josephus .Outside of his interactions with Jesus, little else is known about his tenure as high priest. Oxford Companion to the Bible .
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Jewish high priest (c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD) "Caifa" redirects here.Christ Before Caiaphas , by Matthias Stom .Joseph ben Caiaphas ( / ˈ k aɪ . ə . f ə s / ; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD) , known simply as Caiaphas in the New Testament , was the Jewish high priest during the years of Jesus' ministry, according to Josephus .The Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John indicate he was an organizer of the plot to kill Jesus . He famously presided over the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus . The primary sources for Caiaphas' life are the New Testament , and the writings of Josephus . The latter records he was made high priest by the Roman procurator Valerius Gratus after Simon ben Camithus had been deposed.There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ). Oxford Companion to the Bible .
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Jewish high priest (c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD) "Caifa" redirects here. Joseph ben Caiaphas ( / ˈ k aɪ . ə . f ə s / ; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD) was the High Priest of Israel during the first century. In the New Testament , the Gospels of Matthew , Luke and John indicate he was an organizer of the plot to kill Jesus . He is portrayed as presiding over the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus . The primary sources for Caiaphas' life are the New Testament and the writings of Josephus. The latter records he was made high priest by the Roman procurator Valerius Gratus after Simon ben Camithus had been deposed. There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ). Oxford Companion to the Bible .
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“antisemitism” appeared 1 times in this article's opening at its peak. Today it appears nowhere in the article, references included. Read the current article and compare.
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