Killing Jesus: A History

The Messiah, in Jewish and Christian traditions, refers to a divinely chosen figure who is expected to bring salvation, justice, and peace to the world. In Christianity, Jesus of Nazareth is identified as the Messiah.

Passover is a major Jewish festival that commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt, as described in the Book of Exodus. Celebrated annually, it involves a ritual meal called the Seder, which includes symbolic foods and recitations to remember the events of the Exodus, particularly the “passing over” of Jewish homes by the plague that struck Egypt. In Jesus’s time, Passover required a trip to the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Pharisees were a historical Jewish sect that emphasized strict adherence to ritual purity, law, and the interpretation of scripture. They were portrayed in the New Testament as being in conflict with Jesus over legalistic interpretations of Jewish law.

Along with the Pharisees and the Essenes, the Sadducees were one of the three major Jewish sects in Roman Judea during the time of the Second Temple (516 BCE-70 CE). The Sadducees represented the Jewish elite. They comprised the majority of the priesthood and were responsible for maintaining the Temple in Jerusalem.