Easter: Who Was High Priest Joseph Caiaphas?

This Easter season, Helen and Dave are doing a series of episodes on the fascinating figures that appear in the Passion narratives of Jesus's trial, crucifixion and resurrection. First up is Joseph Caiaphas, the High Priest of the Jerusalem Temple who — according to two of the gospels, at least — presided over the Jewish council that handed Jesus over to Pontius Pilate. What was the role of the High Priest in the 1st century? Why would Caiaphas have perceived Jesus as a threat, religiou...