"You are no friend of caesar" : threat and intrigue in the Johannine account of the sentencing of Jesus in John 19:12-16a

Naseri, Christoper (author)

The handing over of Jesus by the Johannine Pilate for crucifixion in John 19:12-16a may be closely linked to the implications of the phrase, »you are no friend of Caesar« in v 12b. This phrase harbours an element of threat and intrigue that may be political and economical. The aim of this work, therefore, is to identify the threat content of the phrase ‚Friend of Caesar‘ by undertaking a historical-critical analysis of v. 12b in its immediate narrative context of John 19:12-16a. The study reveals that the expression ‚Friend of Caesar‘ was used to observe, recognize and monitor loyalty in the Roman Empire especially in the satellite territories superintended by the emperor’s appointees. To fail to be a friend of Caesar therefore meant disloyalty and risking one’s political and economic position and life. The conclusion is that the Jewish party intriguingly employed the statement as a threat to destabilize Pilate and constrain him to hand Jesus over for crucifixion.

• Language: English
• Keywords: friend of caesar, Gospel of John, kingship, lese majesty, loyalty, passion, narrative
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: TEOF - Theological Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2022
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: Str. 303-314
• Numbering: Letn. 82, [št.] 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-164099
• UDC: 27-277-247.8
• ISSN on article: 0006-5722
• DOI: 10.34291/BV2022/02/Naseri
• COBISS.SI-ID: 125884931
• Publication date in RUL: 17.10.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Bogoslovni vestnik
• Shortened title: Bogosl. vestn.
• Publisher: Bogoslovna akademija, Bogoslovna akademija, Teološka fakulteta v Ljubljani, Teološka fakulteta Univerze v Ljubljani, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 0006-5722
• COBISS.SI-ID: 8745472

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: "Ti nisi cesarjev prijatelj" : grožnje in intrige v Janezovem poročilu o Jezusovi obsodbi v Jn 19,12-16a

Abstract

Pilatova izročitev Jezusa v smrt s križanjem, kakor jo prikazuje Janezov evangelij (19,12-16a), je lahko tesno povezana z implikacijami izjave »Ti nisi cesarjev prijatelj« v vrstici 12b. Ta poved namreč vsebuje prvino grožnje in intrige, ki je lahko političnega ali ekonomskega značaja. Cilj tega prispevka je prepoznati vsebino grožnje v besedni zvezi ‚cesarjev prijatelj‘ s pomočjo zgodovinskokritične analize vrstice 12b v neposrednem pripovednem kontekstu Jn 19,12-16a. Študija razkriva, da je bila zveza ‚cesarjev prijatelj‘ v uporabi za opazovanje, prepoznavanje in nadzorovanje zvestobe rimskemu cesarju zlasti na pridruženih ozemljih pod nadzorom cesarjevih visokih uradnikov. Ne biti cesarjev prijatelj je tako pomenilo nezvestobo – in tveganje za lasten politični in ekonomski položaj ter življenje. Sklepamo, da je judovska stran ta izraz uporabila kot intrigo in grožnjo, da bi Pilata omajala in ga prisilila k izročitvi Jezusa v smrt s križanjem.

• Keywords: cesarjev prijatelj, Janezov evangelij, kraljevanje, žalitev veličanstva, zvestoba, pasijon, pripoved