Martyrs are dangerous, my lord

"What are we going to do about this fellow that the guards have brought in?"

"Whatever you suggest we should do, noble lord," the chamberlain said unhelpfully. "Command, and so it shall be done."

Herod Antipas sighed. It was so hard to get good staff these days. "That's not quite what I meant, chamberlain. This fellow that they call the Nazarene is becoming rather a problem, don't you agree?"

"It may seem so, my lord," the chamberlain agreed, "but it would be dangerous, very, to make him even more of a problem..."

"How say you, chamberlain?" Herod said. "This is a delicate business, and a false step could raise an army against us. Is there a way we can avoid open rebellion, or at least crush resistance when it begins?"

"There is no need for it to begin at all, noble lord," the chamberlain said craftily. "If you were to order the execution of the Nazarene, you would be creating trouble for yourself. Rome would not thank you if they have to send an army here to suppress these people."

"I'm well aware of that, chamberlain," Herod said with asperity. "You're suggesting that if we crucify Yeshua ben Yusef, the backlash from his followers will swell into a general revolt?"

"He is said to be the Messiah, my lord," the chamberlain said. "Be that as it may, the perception is more important than the truth--especially when you have people as we have here, whose hearts will so readily rule their heads in a moment of crisis."

"Besides," the chamberlain continued, "'tis one of the greatest truths in the world that while a live prophet may be seen by most as a raving loon, a dead prophet is more often seen as a martyr. Especially when it is a hated enemy that destroys him. Martyrs are dangerous, my lord. Best not to create them. Free the Nazarene, and you may have to supress riots by his enemies, who are wanting his death, and expecting the Romans to do their dirty work for them. If instead we should release Yeshua ben Yusef, and his enemies--of which there are many, be assured--should then kill him, so much the better for us."

"Indeed, chamberlain," Herod said. "Divide and rule is a dictum of colonial government that people will be using two thousand years from this day." His smile was grim as he reached for the bell on the small table beside his seat. The sound of the bell brought a servant running into the room. He bowed deeply and waited for Herod to speak.

"Tell the prison governor to release the Nazarene forthwith, servant. Tell him Herod Antipas orders it. Here, take this message to him, with my seal affixed, so he will see that it is indeed I who give this command."

The servant bowed again, took the message from Herod's hand, and left the room at a run. The chamberlain cocked his eyebrow at the King.

"You guessed I might suggest this course, noble liege," he said shrewdly, "and planned accordingly?"

"It is best to make allowances for several possible courses of action," Herod said. "That said, I did have in mind that the Nazarene would cause more trouble dead than alive. 'Tis wise, therefore, as you say, to put the onus for his death back upon his own people. We shall see how things turn out over the coming months."

"It could be that the Nazarene may go on to form a local cult," the chamberlain said. "However, were he to have died on the cross, there is no knowing how far its influence may have spread, with his martyrdom as a motivator for the prosletysers and missionaries. You chose wisely, lord."

"Thank you, chamberlain," Herod said dryly. "I do my best."
 
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Hm? Since Herod was born 74 or 74 BCE and died 4 BCE (and even if he survived, he would be at least 100 years old when it is time for the crucifiction) I am guessing the Herod in this text is his second son Herod Antipas?
 
He probably is, yes. The other Herod in the New Testament (the two being 'kill baby Jesus' man and 'this grown up Jesus is dull, get Pilate to deal with him' man).
 
So TTL Christianity becomes a localised sect of Judaism? It sounds like you're planning to have Christ executed by Jewish leaders, which will certainly remove the popularity of the movement as it's no longer seen as an anti-roman cult.

At some point something else will replace it, whose to say it's worse or better.
 
Hm? Since Herod was born 74 or 74 BCE and died 4 BCE (and even if he survived, he would be at least 100 years old when it is time for the crucifiction) I am guessing the Herod in this text is his second son Herod Antipas?

Indeed so, von Adler; my apologies for not making that clear--I've corrected the O/P to show clearly which Herod I'm talking about.
 
So TTL Christianity becomes a localised sect of Judaism? It sounds like you're planning to have Christ executed by Jewish leaders, which will certainly remove the popularity of the movement as it's no longer seen as an anti-roman cult.

At some point something else will replace it, whose to say it's worse or better.

Given how the Jewish leaders at the time were not allowed to execute people, if Jesus were to be killed, it would have to be an assassination or some kind of mob-thing (like the stoning of Stephen).
 
Please recall John the Baptist and how Herod did send Jesus away without trying him.

Herod might have had the authority to impose capital punishment (John the Baptist), but the Sanhedrin, who were the ones after Jesus, did not.

Plus Herod killed John the Baptist some time before the Sanhedrin arrested Jesus, so there might have been a change in policy.
 
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