Jesus and police brutality

The name, Jesus, evokes different responses from people. Some believe that he was an impostor; others see him as a philosopher; others, a prophet; and, still others, the ‘'Redeemer.’’ But, most would likely agree that Jesus was the most heralded victim of police brutality in Western History.

This paper is an objective treatment of how the ancient Roman police went ‘'out of control'’ on the first Good Friday in their mistreatment of the prisoner, Jesus, and what lessons can be learned to help us cope with today's pandemic problem, police abuse.

This writer herein describes the organization of the criminal justice system in the ancient Roman provinces and the occupational pressures exerted on the individual police officer. This article brings to bear profile information available on the Roman police and suggests how their propensities could manifest themselves in the abuse of prisoners, such as Jesus. Identifying the striking similarities between the self‐image of the ancient Roman police officer and his present day counterpart, the writer offers insights to help understand today's incidents of police brutality and provides lessons for reducing their frequency.

Rather than leave the police officer with a low opinion of his or her profession, the writer identifies several Roman officers who treated Jesus with respect and courtesy and hence can serve as role models in treating the general public.