The Judas Brief challenges the fundamental Gospel concept that at least some leading Jews played a key role in having Jesus executed. Author Gary Greenberg provides a detailed examination of all Gospel accounts of hostile interaction between Jesus and the Jews, with special attention to the Gospel accounts of the Jewish and Roman trials of Jesus. He then compares these Gospel reports with the historical evidence and reaches some surprising and controversial conclusions, including that: there was never any organized Jewish hostility to Jesus the only significant opposition came from Roman authorities Judas was a close ally of Jesus and represented him in negotiations with the High Priest the High Priest tried to protect Jesus and his followers from a Roman initiated massacre Jesus willingly agreed to surrender himself to Pilate as a hostage to insure that his followers remained passive during the holiday Judas and Caiaphas had expected that Jesus would be released after the holiday...