Chapter 4: A Psychological Parallelogram of Forces Summary and Analysis

The first hint that the trial was out of the ordinary came from the behavior of Pontius Pilate. Reading the four Gospels, a common thread emerges that Pilate's behavior during the trial was a departure from what was known about his character. Pilate was a soldier who caught the eye of Claudia Procula. She was the illegitimate daughter of Tiberius and a direct descendent of Augustus Caesar. Pilate and Claudia married and her connections afforded him the position of Procurator of Judea and he was granted the unusual benefit of being able to bring his wife with him. He was a brash and harsh especially in dealing with foreigners and patterned his behavior after the tyrannical Julius Caesar. During his ten years in this position, three incidents defined him.

The first...