Many attempts have been made, particularly in recent years, to interpret the life of Jesus of Nazareth in terms of the Jewish nationalistic movements of his day. This collection of essays is aimed at throwing light on the events, and the motives behind them, of those significant days by a sober investigation of the evidence relating to Jesus's attitude to authority, both Jewish and Roman.

Owing to unfortunate delays, it is only now possible to publish these essays, some of which were completed about a decade ago. The authors must not be held responsible for not having brought their contributions up to date. To all of them the editors are greatly indebted, both for their willingness to undertake a task which, in some cases, involved considerable research, and for their patience in the face of delay. The editors wish to record their gratitude also to those who translated certain contributions, to those at the Cambridge University Press who have devoted skill and patience to the production of the book; and their special thanks to the Reverend G. M. Styler for much hard work in correcting the proofs and the Reverend Dr W. Horbury for assistance with the index.