Editing The Passover Plot (section)

==Schonfield's conclusions==
Based on his research into the social and religious culture in which [[Jesus]] was born, lived and died, and into other literature, including the source documents of the [[Gospel]]s, Schonfield reached the following conclusions:
* That Jesus was a deeply religious [[Jew]]ish man, probably well-versed in the teachings of the local northern sects such as the [[Nazarene (sect)|Nazarene]]s and [[Essenes]].
* That growing up in biblical [[Galilee]] he had a skeptical and somewhat rebellious relationship to the hierarchy and teachings mandated by the authorities (the [[Saducee]]s) of the [[Temple in Jerusalem]].
* That Jewish [[Messiah|Messianic]] expectation was extremely high in those times, matched to the despair caused by the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] occupation of the land and subjugation of the Jews.
* That he was in many ways both typical of [[History of ancient Israel and Judah|his times]], and yet extraordinary in his religious convictions and beliefs, in his scholarship of the biblical literature, and in the fervency in which he lived his religion out in his daily life.
* That he was convinced of his role as the expected Messiah based on the authority of his having been descended from [[David|King David]] (the [[Davidic line|royal bloodline of David]]), and that he consciously and methodically, to the point of being calculating, attempted to fulfill that role, being eminently well-versed in the details of what that role entailed.
* That he was convinced of the importance of his fulfilling the role perfectly (after all prophesy and expectation), and that he could not allow himself to fail, as that would undoubtedly lead to his being declared a [[False messiah|false Messiah]].
* That he was perfectly aware of the consequences of his actions all along the way, and that he directed his closest supporters, the original [[twelve Apostles]], unknowingly to aid him in his plans.
* That he involved the least possible number of supporters in his plans ("[[need to know]]" basis), therefore very few knew of the details of his final plan, and even then only the least amount of information necessary.<ref name="Schaefer2003">{{cite book|author=Henry F. Schaefer|title=Science and Christianity: Conflict Or Coherence?|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g67eEE-t5TIC&pg=PA164|accessdate=4 November 2012|date=1 July 2003|publisher=The Apollos Trust|isbn=978-0-9742975-0-7|pages=164–}}</ref>

The culmination of his plan was to be his death (the [[crucifixion]]), his [[resurrection]] and his reign as the true kingly and priestly messiah, not in heaven but on earth—the realized king of the Jews.