Historian Young on The Cross, Jesus, and the Jewish People
“Jesus was a Jew. He was crucified by the order of the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate….
After a fresh examination of the compelling evidence, it is evident that Jesus was a religious Jew, loyal to Torah and to his people. Historically the cross should be considered a symbol of the intense persecution of faithful Jews by the Roman authorities of the first century…. It is surprising to many modern Christians and Jews that Jewish sources mention executions by crucifixion prior to the rise of Christianity….
Perhaps the most gruesome sight of mass crucifixions, which must have left a lasting impression on the Jewish inhabitants of the small country of Israel, occurred at about the time of Jesus’ birth in the wake of Herod’s death. According to Josephus, Quintilius Varus [Augustinian–appointed Roman General Publius Quinetilius Varus (b. 46 BCE; d. 9 CE)] had two thousand Jewish people crucified…. The account of Josephus suggests that although crucifixion was all too familiar, the acts of Varus would not soon have been forgotten….
