The crucifixion of Jesus was completely legal under the judicial system of the time, a scholar claims, reports The Daily Telegraph.
Jose Maria Ribas Alba, Professor in Roman Law at Seville University
in Spain, spent 25 years examining the details of Jesus' trial and
comparing it to other legal proceedings of the time, Spanish newspaper
the Local reports, says The Telegraph.
Rather than being a farce or purely for show, Jesus' trial was
perfectly legal based on 'what we know about the legal criteria of the
time,' Mr Ribas Alba said. 'Criminal proceedings against him were
legal.'
There were actually two trials against Jesus, Mr Ribas Albas writes.
The first one, a Sanhedrin trial for blasphemy, was held before a Jewish
council. Jesus was then given over to the Roman authorities to face a
second trial for lese majeste, or insulting the head of state.
However, during Roman times, the trials were considered to be
interconnected as the crimes were both seen as social and religious
crimes.
'Religious and political thinking then mixed in a way that is very
difficult for people to understand nowadays,' said Mr Ribas Alba, who
believes the trial of Jesus was 'one of the most important historical
events in history.'
The study also examined key individuals involved in the trial, including Roman judge Pontius Pilate.