Poignant commentary on eastern Jesus v western Roman cavalry

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MrMacSon
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Poignant commentary on eastern Jesus v western Roman cavalry

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"By AD30 it was almost 70 years since Augustus had declared himself the son of God, but still the empire clung to temporal power as well. Each Passover, as proof of superiority, the Romans staged a triumphal procession that, thunderous with cavalry and foot-soldiers, entered the city from the west. That particular year, at the same instant, another procession entered from the east, the Mount of Olives. It was Jesus, on a small donkey, with his ragbag of peasants. The symbolism was exquisite. Jesus’ gentle approach made stark contrast with the violence of Rome’s forced penetration. But Jesus, for all his modesty, had claimed the east, the direction of light to come, while the sun would soon set on Roman rule.

"This was performance art; less triumphal than parodic, almost satire. Today you might call it pass-agg; a provocation designed, precisely by forgoing force, to compel the harshest Roman retaliation. There’s also Judas’ sub-plot; the kiss of betrayal, the terrible regret, confession, rejection, suicide. There’s Pilate’s, forcing the crowd to force his hand, so that history would blame the Jews for killing their own prophet. And the crowd’s – baying for innocent blood then, as the sky darkens and the dead roam the streets, cowering at the consequences.

"And there’s the protagonist, Jesus, who invites disaster, laments his appalling fate but somehow sustains both his courage and his love, even for his torturers. The story quivers with power and abuse, twist and reversal. In the hands of an Arthur Miller or a Martin McDonagh it would shatter the world anew.

"How much of it is true, in the sense of historical fact, matters not a jot ..."

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/why ... 4z6wx.html
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