Page 28 - Finding Jesus News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

And he answered them, you have said so. >> he probably thought of jesus as a minor rebel, the kind of which he saw many in his governorship. >> the ornate os airy next to the pilot stone is thought to belong to the jewish high priest. dr. gibson's excavations next to the power of david museum have uncovered further evidence of pilate's time in jerusalem. based on the gospels and writings from the period, the archaeologist imagine's pilate's judgment. >> he decides to make an example of jesus and have him crucified. i don't think he would have had a sleepless night over it. >> reporter: there a...

Observing the holy season of lent in the weeks leading up to easter. perfect timing for the cnn original series "finding jesus" returning for its second season on sunday. joining us to talk about his trip to the holy land is david gregory, author of "how's your faith." >> a subject i'm interested and passionate about. it's a wonderful experience to be a part of. the series premier of "finding jesus" focuses in a central figure, the roman governor upon chess pilot. is there evidence about his life that helps confirm the gospel account. we went to the holy land to explore. >> reporter: on the sh...

>> joining us is the visiting scholar from columbia university, author of "the politics of jesus." so interesting to have you here. our series is called "finding jesus" but it could really be called "finding pilate." pilate is a name everybody knows, but the real person seems to be more interesting than people realized. >> we have the biblical version and the secular, historical version. the biblical version says he was reluctant to kill jesus, and that it was all inspired by the priestly aristocracy. the secular writers from the first century may describe him as bloodthirsty, as murderous, as...

To understand that what he has to do is a necessary part of god's will. he's not a betrayer. he's not motivated by money or malice or jealousy or anything else except the obligation to obey jesus. judas steps into the cloud of light that is into the place where he will be spiritually enlightened. >> judas! >> judas is transformed by the vision. he now understands that he is part of a sacred mission. >> jesus wanted to be sacrificed. he asks judas to betray him. and judas says, "why me?" jesus tells him, "because you're the closest to me." "i beg you to do it."

>> the most important fragment for scholars is the fragment on the final page which is thought to resolve the question of who enters the cloud at the end of the text. >> before these missing pieces resurfaced, scholars assumed that it is judas who enters the cloud. >> whoever enters the cloud is actually the one who ascends to the highest heaven. this final fragment clarifies that it is, in fact, jesus and not judas who enters the cloud. >> but judas himself isn't the person that the author in the text is most interested in. >> regardless of whether judas was a good or bad character in this te...