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“You know that the Passover is coming in two days, and the Son of Man is to be betrayed and handed over for crucifixion.”(A)

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of the [elegant home of the Jewish] high priest, whose name was [a]Caiaphas, and plotted together to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him. But they said, “It must not be during the festival (Passover), otherwise there might be a riot among the people.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 26:3 Caiaphas served as high priest a.d. 18 to 36. His father-in-law, Annas, served as high priest a.d. 6-15. Annas was removed from the position by Rome, but continued to be extremely influential and was regarded by the Jews as de facto high priest even though others (his sons and son-in-law) officially held the office. In about 1990, in an ancient burial cave outside Jerusalem, Israeli archeologists found twelve limestone ossuaries (bone boxes). One of them was uniquely elaborate and decorated with a rare and intricate pattern of rosettes. According to its inscription, this ossuary contained the bones of Caiaphas.

Preparing the Passover

22 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.(A) The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people [who listened devotedly to His teaching, and who respected His spiritual wisdom].

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