Caiaphas

Yosef Bar Kayafa (Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא, , Jesus is brought before Annas and Caiaphas and questioned, with intermittent beatings. Afterward, the other priests (Caiaphas does not accompany them) take Jesus to Pontius Pilate, the Roman 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 terrorist named Barabbas instead of Jesus.

Political implications

For Jewish 'leaders' of the time, there were serious concerns about Roman rule and an insurgent Zealot movement in Beit Shammai to eject the Romans from Israel. They would have feared any religious reformer or leader who either denied their own legitimacy to rule or who suggested rebellion against the Roman occupation. The Romans would not perform execution over violations of Jewish law, and therefore the charge of blasphemy would not have mattered to Pilate. 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, whereas Zealots in the Sanhedrin under Caiaphas might have wished for a Roman execution to galvanise insurgence.

Acts: Peter and John refuse to be silenced

Later, in Acts , Peter and John went before Annas and Caiaphas after having healed a crippled man. Caiaphas and Annas questioned the apostles' authority to perform such a miracle. When Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, answered that Jesus of Nazareth was the source of their power, Caiaphas and the other priests realized that the two men had no formal education yet spoke eloquently about the man they called their savior. Caiaphas sent the apostles away, and agreed with the other priests that the word of the miracle had already been spread too much to attempt to refute, and instead the priests would need to warn the apostles not to spread the name of Jesus. However, when they gave Peter and John this command, the two refused, saying "We cannot keep quiet. We must speak about what we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:20 NCV)

Caiaphas in other sources

Caiaphas' term in office was recorded by the first-century Jewish historian Josephus. He was appointed in 18 AD (CE) by the Roman procurator who preceded Pilate, Valerius Gratus.

In 1990, two miles south of present day Jerusalem, 12 ossuaries in the family tomb of a "Caiaphas" were discovered. One ossuary was inscribed with the full name, in Aramaic of "Joseph, son of Caiaphas", and a second with simply the family name of "Caiaphas". After examination the bones were reburied on the Mount of Olives.

Etymology

The name "Caiaphas" has three possible origins:

* "as comely" in Aramaic
* a "rock" or "rock that hollows itself out" (Keipha) in Aramaic
* a "dell", or a "depression" in Chaldean

Notes

References

*cite book
last =Metzger
first =Bruce M. (ed)
authorlink =
coauthors = , Michael D. Coogan (ed)
title = The Oxford Companion to the Bible
publisher = Oxford University Press
date = 1993
location = Oxford, UK
pages =
url =
doi =
isbn = 0-19-504645-5

* [http://dev.bible.org/netbible/dictionary.php?word=Caiaphas NETBible: Caiaphas]

External links

* [http://www.abu.nb.ca/courses/NTIntro/images/CaiaphasOss.htm Images of the Ossuary of Caiaphas]
* [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=26&letter=C&search=Caiaphas Jewish Encyclopedia: Caiaphas]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03143b.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Caiaphas]