Killing Jesus: A History

Crucifixion is an ancient method of execution where a person is nailed or bound to a cross or wooden structure and left to hang until death, often by asphyxiation or exhaustion. It was used primarily by the Romans as a punishment for criminals, slaves, and political rebels, designed to be a public, humiliating, and painful form of death.

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.