Jesus as a Security Risk: Intelligence and Repression in the Roman Empire

[norseamd]

Intelligence personnel tend to have a view of events that differs from historians, even other people in government, and certainly from the general public. They are often accused of being realpolitikers or just plain cynical. Although crude jokes are made about the lack of morality in the intel game (the world’s second oldest profession — with far fewer morals than the first, etc.), the fact is that these are men and women serving their country. Their goal is to keep their own country safe, or in a colonial situation, to keep control of their country’s possessions. Insurgencies are their worst nightmare. They have to provide intelligence to decision-makers in a timely manner in what may turn out to be life and death situations. Like historians they never have as much evidence as they would like, but unlike historians they don’t get to ruminate on issues for a long time with 20-20 hindsight.

The story of Passion Week is one Christians all think they know, but when looked at through the eyes of a fictional chief of station in Jerusalem, it takes on very different characteristics. The scene is Jerusalem in the first century of our era. Rome had taken over Judaea and turned it into a province under the direction of a procurator in 6 CE after a fierce nationalistic resistance led by Judas of Gamala. Rome put down the revolt, but Judaea remained an unhappy place. It contained many clandestine groups fighting Roman oppression including a group of assassins called sicarii who struck at Roman collaborators. The general Roman practice was to strike back at any Jewish terrorist activity, no matter how minor, with sharply oppressive military violence. In fact, they retaliated even against non-violent protestors.

Into this political maelstrom came a carpenter from Galilee. If you were Pontius Pilate’s intelligence chief, you would have started a file on Jesus immediately, and here’s why: Stories had started to arrive from Galilee in the north about a street preacher, a miracle worker and healer, named Jesus.

http://warontherocks.com/2016/02/je...elligence-and-repression-in-the-roman-empire/

 

[FerrelGeek]

So, what's your point here? What're your thoughts on this?

 

[Sulaco]

So, what's your point here? What're your thoughts on this?

It's norse.

Just be glad there was actually a quote provided from the link. Expecting any relevant commentary that has any tangential relation to anything is reaching.

 

[tweaker2]

Jesus the rabble rouser and insurrectionist. TBH, I never looked at him that way.

But with his death and resurrection already being in the Great Plan of Things to Come, however he looked to the Roman intel spooks and what their collected data did to him was always meant to be.

 

[BoberFett]

I think he's trying to say that Christians are a victim of government oppression and we need to respect their culture.