CONCLUSIONS: Trial of Socrates: ---Convicted (280 to 220) for "corrupting the youth" more than for his "impiety" ---Compare to post 9-11 civil liberties crackdown ---Socrates wanted to be executed rather than banished (360 to 140!) ---Death of Socrates was, in effect, a suicide Trial of Jesus: ---Incident in Temple unlikely to have been as dramatic as overturning tables (military presence) ---Authorities probably didn't know who instigator of trouble was (plea bargaining with Judas?) ---Decision to execute rested primarily with Pilate, but was supported and even urged by high priests, who saw Jesus as troublemaker ---Ratio of "history remembered" to "prophecy historicized"? ---Two branches of Christianity -----------Nationalist branch, led by Jesus' brother, James -----------much smaller Gentile branch, led by Paul (transformation) -----------Nationalist branch crushed by 70 AD |