Day 17
John 18:28-29
28Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29So Pilate went outside to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?"
The Governor's Palace (John 18:28-29)
‘Then they led Jesus ... to the governor’s headquarters.’ (verse 28). John uses its proper name, praetorium, but the translators think that ‘headquarters’ is more understandable in the twentieth century. Praetorium was the name for the headquarters of the commanding officer of a Roman military camp, or the headquarters of a Roman governor such as Pilate. While in Judea, Pilate normally lived in the palace Herod the Great had built for himself in Caesarea; but he made it a point always to be in Jerusalem at the time of the major festivals so he could quell any disturbances. While in Jerusalem he lived in the praetorium, but we are not sure where this was situated. It was either Herod’s palace on the western wall of the city, or the Fortress of Antonia (named after Mark Antony) which was north-west of the temple complex and connected by steps to the temple’s outer court.
Think: Does familiarity with the geography, politics and society of Jesus’ world help us better understand what was going on?
