After Jesus and his disciples had observed the Passover meal in an upper room in a home in southwest Jerusalem, they traveled to the Mount of Olives, northeast of the city (fig 1).  Owing to various adjustments in the calendar, the years of Jesus' birth and death remain controversial. however, it is likely that Jesus was born in either 4 or 6 BC and died in 30 AD. during the Passover observance in 30 AD, the last supper would have been observed on Thursday, Jesus left upper room and walked with disciples to Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane.

Fig 1 - Map of Jerusalem at Time of Christ.

THE TRIALS

 

JEWISH TRIAL

(Matthew 26:47-75)

 

Soon after midnight, Jesus was arrested at Gethsemane by the temple officials and was taken first to Annas and then to Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest for the year (Fig. 1).  Between 1:00 AM and daybreak, Jesus was tried before Caiaphas and the political Sanhedrin and was found guilty of blasphemy.  The guards then blindfold Jesus, and struck him in the face with their fists.  Soon after daybreak, presumable at the temple (Fig. 1), Jesus was tried before the religious Sanhedrin (with the Pharisees and the Sadducees) and again was found guilty of blasphemy, a crime punishable by death.

 

ROMAN TRIAL

(Matthew 27:1-26)

 

Since permission for an execution had to come from the governing Romans, Jesus was taken early in the morning by the temple officials to the Praetorium of the Fortress of Antonia, the residence and governmental seat of Pontius Pilate, the procurator of Judea (Fig. 1).  However, Jesus was presented to Pilate not as a blasphemer, but rather as a self-appointed king who would undermine the Roman authority.  Pilate made no charges against Jesus and sent him to Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Judea.  Herod likewise made on official charges and then returned Jesus to Pilate (Fig. 1).  Again, Pilate could find no basis for a legal charge against Jesus, but the people persistently demanded crucifixions.  Pilate finally granted their demand and handed over Jesus to be flogged (scourged) and crucified.  (McDowell has reviewed the prevailing political, religious, and economic climates in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus' death and Bucklin has described the various illegalities of the Jewish and Roman Trials.)

 

THE HEALTH OF JESUS

 

The rigors of Jesus’ ministry (that is, traveling by foot throughout Palestine) would have precluded any major physical illness or a weak general constitution.  Accordingly, it is reasonable to assume that Jesus was in good physical condition before his walk to Gethsemane.  However, during the 12 hours between 9:00 PM Thursday and 9:00 AM Friday, he had suffered great emotional stress (as evidenced by hematidrosis), abandonment by his closest friends (the disciples), and a physical beating (after the first Jewish Trial).  Also, in the setting of a traumatic and sleepless night, he had been forced to walk more that 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to and from the sites of the various trials (Fig. 1).  These physical and emotional factors may have rendered Jesus Particularly vulnerable to the adverse hemodynamic effects of the scourging.