Chapters 16-17 Summary and Analysis

In chapter sixteen, "Jesus' Last Week," Sanders outlines the events leading up to the crucifixion. There are quite a few conflicts in the stories leading up to the crucifixion. Perhaps the most controversial is the scene at the Temple. There are two common views to the encounter at the Temple. The first is that Jesus overturned the money-changers' tables, saying that the Temple was a place of worship, not dishonesty. Jesus then predicted that the Temple would fall. The other side saw it as Jesus confronting the money-changers' and creating chaos before threatening to destroy the temple. Jesus was arrested for the offense but never convicted due to the overwhelming amount of differing testimonies.

There are also many conflicts regarding the Last Supper, even in the scripture. However, most do agree on the breaking of the bread and the...