Section 160
Second Roman phase, before Herod Antipas
Jerusalem, before Herod Antipas
Luke 23:6-12
6When Pilate heard mention of Galilee, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7And when he found out that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem in those days. 8When Herod saw Jesus he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard many things about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. 9So he questioned him at great length, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10Meanwhile, the chief priests and the scribes stood there, vehemently accusing him. 11Herod also treated him with contempt and mocked him, as did his soldiers. Then, after dressing Jesus in fine clothing, Herod sent him back to Pilate. 12That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with one another; before this they had been enemies.
Notes
The Trial Before Pilate and Herod
One of the most difficult topographical problems of Jerusalem is to identify the location of the Praetorium where Jesus stood before Pilate, and where he set out carrying the cross to Golgotha. One thing is certain; it was one of three palaces used by Herod the Great - the Antonio Fortress (north of the Temple), the ancient Royal Palace of the Hasmoneans, or the new Upper Palace of Herod (next to the Jaffa Gate).
Since Crusader times it was always identified with Antonio Fortress, where the traditional 14 Stations of the Cross evolved over the years. When new archaeological evidence suggested that the pavement was from Hadrian’s time in 130 A.D., many scholars felt compelled to abandon this old, traditional location.
Many researchers moved the Praetorium to Herod’s Upper Palace as the next likely location. The problem with this location is that there has never been a Christian tradition that it was used as the place where Jesus was sentenced.
A third location is the old Hasmonean Palace. No one knew where this was located until after 1970 when archaeologists could dig in the recently recovered Jewish quarter. They found a magnificent building which is designated as the Palatial Mansion, leading many scholars to identify it as the Hasmonean Palace used by Herod, and later on by Pilate.
Herod Antipas had probably come from Tiberius for the Passover. There is no way of knowing today where he stayed in Jerusalem.