Everything about Caiaphas totally explained
Yosef Bar Kayafa (
Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא, joˑsef bar qayːɔfɔʔ) (which translates as
Joseph, son of Caiaphas), also known simply as
Caiaphas (Greek Καϊάφας) in the
New Testament, was the Roman-appointed
Jewish high priest between 18 and 37 CE (AD). According to some parts of the
New Testament, Caiaphas is involved in the
trial of
Jesus after his arrest in the
garden of
Gethsemane.
Because he was the
high priest, Caiaphas was also chairman of the high court. Jesus of
Nazareth was arrested by the
Temple guard and a hearing was organized by Caiaphas and others in which Jesus was accused of
blasphemy. Jesus was handed over to
Roman authorities who, under the Roman
governor Pontius Pilate, eventually found him guilty of
treason for claiming to be the
Messiah (
King of the Jews).
The
Gospels of
Matthew and
John (though not those of
Mark and
Luke) mention Caiaphas in connection with the
crucifixion of Jesus.
In the New Testament
Matthew: trial of Jesus
In
Matthew, Caiaphas, other chief priests, and the
Sanhedrin are depicted interrogating Jesus. They are looking for "false evidence" with which to frame Jesus but are unable to find any. Jesus remains silent throughout the proceedings until Caiaphas demands that Jesus say whether he's the
Christ. Jesus implicitly declares he's the
Christ and makes an allusion to the
Son of Man coming on the clouds with power. Caiaphas and the other men charge him with
blasphemy and order him beaten.
John: relations with Romans
In
John, Caiaphas considers, with "the Chief Priests and Pharisees," what to do about Jesus, whose influence is spreading. The concern is that if they "let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation." Caiaphas makes a political calculation, suggesting that it would be better for "one man" (Jesus) to die than for "the whole nation" to be destroyed.
In
John, Jesus is brought before
Annas and Caiaphas and questioned, with intermittent beatings. Afterward, the other priests (Caiaphas doesn't 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 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 wouldn't perform execution over violations of Jewish law, and therefore the charge of blasphemy wouldn't 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 the Sanhedrin would have wished for a Roman execution.
Acts: Peter and John urged silence
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 can't keep quiet. We must speak about what we've 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
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
Further Information
Get more info on 'Caiaphas'.
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