Nonviolent protests became a dominant feature in acts of collective resistance in the 20th century. We all know about Mahatma Ghandi's campaign of peaceful, civil disobedience against the British Empire and Martin Luther King's Civil Rights Movement against racial discrimination in the United States.
But where did this idea first emerge? Non-violence, as a concept, is evident in the Jain concept of ahimsa in India, Hindu and Buddhist teachings and, of course, Jesus's command for his disciples to "love" their enemies and turn the other cheek in response to violent provocation. But when did this concept become tied to resistance against tyrannical and discriminatory authority?
The Jewish people came up with this formula, in my opinion.
In around A.D. 27-30, a remarkable event took place in Roman-occupied Judea under the prefecture of Pontius Pilate, which is recorded by the first century Jewish historians Josephus and Philo. Professor Bart Ehrman notes that Pilate was, "a cruel, vicious, hard-headed, insensitive, and brutal ruler".
Pilate had been appointed as prefect by Sejanus, we presume (since he was then acting in Tiberius's name while the Emperor had retreated to his island resort of Caprii in 26 A.D. and left the empire in the hands of the head of his Praetorian Guard). Sejanus, quite apart from aspiring to seize control of the Empire from Tiberius behind his back, was intensely anti-semitic according to the contemporary accounts.
Philo, Legatio 24, 159-161
Eusebius, almost quoting Philo and writing in the 4th century, concurred:
Pontius Pilate | Biography, Facts, & Death
As the Britannica Encyclopedia entry above explains, Pontius Pilate installed worship images of the "divine emperor" around the holy city of Jerusalem, deliberately intending to insult and defame Jewish sensibilities against the veneration of human beings as 'gods'. The Jews of Jerusalem raised their voices in protest. Josephus explains that Pilate had gone back to Caesarea and a mass of Jews marched on his palace, demanding the removal of the standards. He refused and threatened to slaughter them with his army, telling his soldiers to bear their swords at the crowds of men, women and children.
And what happened next?
The Jews then staged a massive, non-violent sit-in demonstration for six full days. And Pilate, fearing that if he murdered so many people, including the local aristocracy upon whose connivance the Roman administration relied, that the Emperor Tiberius would demand his return to Rome to account for his actions (indeed, Pilate lost his governorship ten years later for another act of violent repression against the Jews), relented and removed the standards bearing the emperor's image.
And so, a popular non-violent protest had won out against a government's discriminatory policies. The Romans had been humbled by peaceful protesters for the first, and probably last, time in their centuries-long history.
Read these two accounts in Josephus's Jewish War and Antiquities, respectively:
But where did this idea first emerge? Non-violence, as a concept, is evident in the Jain concept of ahimsa in India, Hindu and Buddhist teachings and, of course, Jesus's command for his disciples to "love" their enemies and turn the other cheek in response to violent provocation. But when did this concept become tied to resistance against tyrannical and discriminatory authority?
The Jewish people came up with this formula, in my opinion.
In around A.D. 27-30, a remarkable event took place in Roman-occupied Judea under the prefecture of Pontius Pilate, which is recorded by the first century Jewish historians Josephus and Philo. Professor Bart Ehrman notes that Pilate was, "a cruel, vicious, hard-headed, insensitive, and brutal ruler".
Pilate had been appointed as prefect by Sejanus, we presume (since he was then acting in Tiberius's name while the Emperor had retreated to his island resort of Caprii in 26 A.D. and left the empire in the hands of the head of his Praetorian Guard). Sejanus, quite apart from aspiring to seize control of the Empire from Tiberius behind his back, was intensely anti-semitic according to the contemporary accounts.
Philo, Legatio 24, 159-161
"Matters in Italy became troublesome when Sejanus was organizing his onslaughts. For Tiberius knew the truth, he knew at once after Sejanus' death that the accusations made against the Jewish inhabitants of Rome were false slanders, invented by him because he wished to make away with the nation, knowing that it would take the sole or the principal part in opposing his unholy plots and actions, and would defend the emperor when in danger of becoming the victim of treachery.
Eusebius, almost quoting Philo and writing in the 4th century, concurred:
Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History ii, V.
"...Sejanus, who was then in great favor with Tiberius, had made every effort to destroy the whole nation of the Jews from the foundation, and that in Pontius Pilate under whom the crimes were committed against our Savior, having attempted everything contrary to what was lawful among the Jews respecting the Temple at Jerusalem, which was then yet standing, excited them to the greatest tumults."
He appointed Pilate as prefect of Judea, the only Jewish province in the Empire, and the latter shared his patron's anti-Judaism:"...Sejanus, who was then in great favor with Tiberius, had made every effort to destroy the whole nation of the Jews from the foundation, and that in Pontius Pilate under whom the crimes were committed against our Savior, having attempted everything contrary to what was lawful among the Jews respecting the Temple at Jerusalem, which was then yet standing, excited them to the greatest tumults."
Pontius Pilate | Biography, Facts, & Death
Pontius Pilate was appointed prefect of Judaea through the intervention of Sejanus, a favourite of the Roman emperor Tiberius. (That his title was prefect is confirmed by an inscription from Caesarea in ancient Palestine.)
Protected by Sejanus, Pilate incurred the enmity of Jews in Roman-occupied Palestine by insulting their religious sensibilities, as when he hung worship images of the emperor throughout Jerusalem and had coins bearing pagan religious symbols minted. After Sejanus’s fall (31 CE), Pilate was exposed to sharper criticism from certain Jews, who may have capitalized on his vulnerability to obtain a legal death sentence on Jesus (John 19:12)
Protected by Sejanus, Pilate incurred the enmity of Jews in Roman-occupied Palestine by insulting their religious sensibilities, as when he hung worship images of the emperor throughout Jerusalem and had coins bearing pagan religious symbols minted. After Sejanus’s fall (31 CE), Pilate was exposed to sharper criticism from certain Jews, who may have capitalized on his vulnerability to obtain a legal death sentence on Jesus (John 19:12)
As the Britannica Encyclopedia entry above explains, Pontius Pilate installed worship images of the "divine emperor" around the holy city of Jerusalem, deliberately intending to insult and defame Jewish sensibilities against the veneration of human beings as 'gods'. The Jews of Jerusalem raised their voices in protest. Josephus explains that Pilate had gone back to Caesarea and a mass of Jews marched on his palace, demanding the removal of the standards. He refused and threatened to slaughter them with his army, telling his soldiers to bear their swords at the crowds of men, women and children.
And what happened next?
The Jews then staged a massive, non-violent sit-in demonstration for six full days. And Pilate, fearing that if he murdered so many people, including the local aristocracy upon whose connivance the Roman administration relied, that the Emperor Tiberius would demand his return to Rome to account for his actions (indeed, Pilate lost his governorship ten years later for another act of violent repression against the Jews), relented and removed the standards bearing the emperor's image.
And so, a popular non-violent protest had won out against a government's discriminatory policies. The Romans had been humbled by peaceful protesters for the first, and probably last, time in their centuries-long history.
Read these two accounts in Josephus's Jewish War and Antiquities, respectively:
Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War 2.169-174
Pilate, being sent by Tiberius as prefect to Judaea, introduced into Jerusalem by night and under cover the effigies of Caesar which are called standards.
This proceeding, when day broke, aroused immense excitement among the Jews; those on the spot were in consternation, considering their laws to have been trampled under foot, as those laws permit no image to be erected in the city; while the indignation of the townspeople stirred the countryfolk, who flocked together in crowds.
Hastening after Pilate to Caesarea, the Jews implored him to remove the standards from Jerusalem and to uphold the laws of their ancestors. When Pilate refused, they fell prostrate around his palace and for five whole days and nights remained motionless in that position.
On the ensuing day Pilate took his seat on his tribunal in the great stadium and summoning the multitude, with the apparent intention of answering them, gave the arranged signal to his armed soldiers to surround the Jews.
Finding themselves in a ring of troops, three deep, the Jews were struck dumb at this unexpected sight. Pilate, after threatening to cut them down, if they refused to admit Caesar's images, signaled to the soldiers to draw their swords.
Thereupon the Jews, as by concerted action, flung themselves in a body on the ground, extended their necks, and exclaimed that they were ready rather to die than to transgress the law. Overcome with astonishment at such intense religious zeal, Pilate gave orders for the immediate removal of the standards from Jerusalem.
Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 18.55-59
Now Pilate, the prefect of Judaea, when he brought his army from Caesarea and removed it to winter quarters in Jerusalem, took a bold step in subversion of the Jewish practices, by introducing into the city the busts of the emperor that were attached to the military standards, for our law forbids the making of images.
It was for this reason that the previous prefects, when they entered the city, used standards that had no such ornaments. Pilate was the first to bring the images into Jerusalem and set them up, doing it without the knowledge of the people, for he entered at night.
But when the people discovered it, they went in a throng to Caesarea and for many days entreated him to take away the images. He refused to yield, since to do so would be an outrage to the emperor; however, since they did not cease entreating him, on the sixth day he secretly armed and placed his troops in position, while he himself came to the speaker's stand. This had been constructed in the stadium, which provided concealment for the army that lay in wait.
When the Jews again engaged in supplication, at a pre-arranged signal he surrounded them with his soldiers and threatened to punish them at once with death if they did not put an end to their tumult and return to their own places.
But they, casting themselves prostrate and baring their throats, declared that they had gladly welcomed death rather than make bold to transgress the wise provisions of the laws. Pilate, astonished at the strength of their devotion to the laws, straightway removed the images from Jerusalem and brought them back to Caesarea.
Pilate, being sent by Tiberius as prefect to Judaea, introduced into Jerusalem by night and under cover the effigies of Caesar which are called standards.
This proceeding, when day broke, aroused immense excitement among the Jews; those on the spot were in consternation, considering their laws to have been trampled under foot, as those laws permit no image to be erected in the city; while the indignation of the townspeople stirred the countryfolk, who flocked together in crowds.
Hastening after Pilate to Caesarea, the Jews implored him to remove the standards from Jerusalem and to uphold the laws of their ancestors. When Pilate refused, they fell prostrate around his palace and for five whole days and nights remained motionless in that position.
On the ensuing day Pilate took his seat on his tribunal in the great stadium and summoning the multitude, with the apparent intention of answering them, gave the arranged signal to his armed soldiers to surround the Jews.
Finding themselves in a ring of troops, three deep, the Jews were struck dumb at this unexpected sight. Pilate, after threatening to cut them down, if they refused to admit Caesar's images, signaled to the soldiers to draw their swords.
Thereupon the Jews, as by concerted action, flung themselves in a body on the ground, extended their necks, and exclaimed that they were ready rather to die than to transgress the law. Overcome with astonishment at such intense religious zeal, Pilate gave orders for the immediate removal of the standards from Jerusalem.
Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 18.55-59
Now Pilate, the prefect of Judaea, when he brought his army from Caesarea and removed it to winter quarters in Jerusalem, took a bold step in subversion of the Jewish practices, by introducing into the city the busts of the emperor that were attached to the military standards, for our law forbids the making of images.
It was for this reason that the previous prefects, when they entered the city, used standards that had no such ornaments. Pilate was the first to bring the images into Jerusalem and set them up, doing it without the knowledge of the people, for he entered at night.
But when the people discovered it, they went in a throng to Caesarea and for many days entreated him to take away the images. He refused to yield, since to do so would be an outrage to the emperor; however, since they did not cease entreating him, on the sixth day he secretly armed and placed his troops in position, while he himself came to the speaker's stand. This had been constructed in the stadium, which provided concealment for the army that lay in wait.
When the Jews again engaged in supplication, at a pre-arranged signal he surrounded them with his soldiers and threatened to punish them at once with death if they did not put an end to their tumult and return to their own places.
But they, casting themselves prostrate and baring their throats, declared that they had gladly welcomed death rather than make bold to transgress the wise provisions of the laws. Pilate, astonished at the strength of their devotion to the laws, straightway removed the images from Jerusalem and brought them back to Caesarea.
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