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History of Justus
The History of Justus
In writing Confession of Justus, I have tried to remain as historically accurate as possible.
The 6th Legion was stationed in Judea from 9 BC to 73 AD (see the attached History of the Sixth Imperial Legion of Rome).
It is unclear if Legio VI actually crucified him, or if a Syrian Auxiliary unit may have participated. For the purposes of
Justus, we assume the Sixth Legion did the deed
The name Justus was specifically chosen for the obvious connotation
with our English word Justice and should always be pronounced Justice in the drama. I have also heard of a book called Justus,
which details the life of the Centurion, but it is out of print. Cassius Longinus was the Roman Governor of Syria/Judea from
about 30 to 22 BC, and the name Longinus was well known in ancient Rome as a military name.
As 1st Centurion, Justus
is the head Centurion of the 1st Cohort and the senior Centurion of the Legion. While other ranks were technically above the
1st Centurion, these were generally awarded to partition and senators sons and other nobility as stepping stone to the Senate.
The true leaders and backbone of the legions were the Centurions. The name Italican was generally given to the 1st Cohort
of a Legion and generally denotes a preponderance of Romans in that Cohort. We know Legio VI was partially Roman and partially
comprised of Syrian replacements. Basically as 1st Centurion, Justus would answer only to the Governor, and his commander
(a Legatus or General). First Centurion (in Latin PrimoPilus or First Rank) was considered a position of high honor in Rome,
and was the culmination of a Centurions career. Since the seat of government was in Caesarea, and Pilate traveled to Jerusalem,
we have taken the liberty to leave the General in Caeserea.
As the commander of Pilates bodyguard, Justus would have
a close relationship with Pilate. Guards received bonuses from those they protected and were often close and confidential
resources.
It would have been unusual for the 1st Centurion to be assigned a high profile crucifixion, since this
was a bit like modern latrine duty. However; when such an execution could have led to revolt, it makes sense that since their
rank commanded respect from the people and could prevent problems before they started, a higher ranking centurion may have
presided. Like a modern police chief appearing at a Klan rally to calm the crowd.
Bar Abbas was indeed a leader in
the Jewish Freedom Party. This was a loosely organized group who hid their criminal activities behind a veil of Patriot. They
staged a revolt in Jerusalem about several months before the crucifixion where Bar Abbas and a number of his men were captured.
It is believed Pilate had planned to crucify him and his men at the Passover to send a message to the Jews. It is also believed
that the two criminals crucified with Christ were Bar Abbas lieutenants. The Sanhedrin hated Bar Abbas because he spoke against
them as collaborators with Rome.
Pilate could not afford a second revolt in such a short time span. Caesar liked nice
quiet, tribute paying provinces, not ones fomenting rebellion. Pilate had roused the contempt of the Jews by marching the
XII Legion into the temple with their Roman Standards (which were seen as Idols to theJews), and took money from the temple
to build a Roman Bath. Unofficial communications had gotten back to Caesar. Thus Pilate was anxious to avoid any revolt or
problems with the Jewish Sanhedrin.
As Paul records in Acts 8, the Centurion Cornelius (mentioned in the drama) was
the first Gentile accepted into the Christian Church and was stationed in Caesarea. We do not know if it was Cornelius whose
servant was healed in the Gospels, and took some dramatic license there. We do know that Christianity spread among the legions
of Rome for a number of years (the XII Legion was known to be a Christian legion) before the Emporer Nero blamed Christians
for a series of destructive fires in Rome. Thus began the wholesale persecution of Christians. It is interesting to note that
the pragmatic Roman Soldiers so often saw the deity of Christ before their civilian leaders. Of course the centurion at the
cross did say Surely this man was the son of God so we know there was some dramatic effect on the men who crucified Christ.
As Justus observes, Christs love did conquer Rome, as it has other empires that tried to squash it. This is another
of the ironies built into the drama, as is God had come for Justice and later Jesus came for Justus. The plays on words are
intentional and add an aura of otherworldly authenticity to the play.
The importance of costuming cannot be overlooked!
The better the Romans look, the easier it will be to take the crowd back 2000 years. Proper Roman arms and Armor can be found
at www.Deepeeka.com, or contact Legio VI. The Legio maintains a dealership with Deepeeka to outfit our own men and would be
happy to help you with orders or selection. Basic legionary equipment costs about $550. If you have a good seamstress you
can purchase some plans from your local Piece Goods shop, and even the armor can be made of silvered fabric (Ironing board
covers) with a little ingenuity. Remember, the Soldiers must take the audience back 2000 years from the door of the church
to the pulpit.
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