Well, it was a title that early followers claimed was bestowed on him by Roman soldiers. Certainly, it’s a title I’ve heard used unironically by modern Christians.
Sorry, best I can do you is Satrap of the Mennonites.
Well, it is pretty believable that the Roman Soldiers looked at this dirty hippy and derisively called him “King of the Jews”. I’m pretty sure the average Roman soldier wouldn’t have a lot of respect for the Jewish people.
Assuming there’s a historical basis for the Jesus myth, that’s certainly a plausible thing that could have happened to him. But my point was, the only source we have for anyone calling him “King of the Jews” are early Christians.
Also, it wasn’t the Romans who first used that title for him, it was the Magi:
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we
have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
-Matthew 2:2
I bow to you’re superior Bible knowledge. I’ve really only studied the defunct polytheistic pantheons.
MANDY: What star sign is he?
WISE MAN #2: Uh, Capricorn.
MANDY: Uhh, Capricorn, eh? What are they like?
WISE MAN #2: Ooh, but… he is the son of God, our Messiah.
WISE MAN #1: King of the Jews.
MANDY: And that’s Capricorn, is it?
WISE MAN #2: Uh, no, no, no. That’s just him.
But not close to the most plausible explanation. There was a lot of political unrest in Judea at the time, and the Jews were looking for a king (the annointed one, or, in Hebrew, the messiah), who had been promised by God to restore their kingdom. They expected the messiah to organize them to fight of the Roman oppressors, as they had recently fought off the Alexandrian conquerors, as documented in the Hannukah story. Jesus is seen by modern Christians as a spiritual king, but at the time, the Romans saw him as a contender to be the actual military and political king of the Jews. There were a ton of people who were called “messiah” by this or that hopeful faction. The Romans crucified any number of them.
Eventually the Jews actually did band behind a messiah (Simon bar Kokhba) and rose up against the Romans, and were crushed and forced to disperse from Judea. (there were some other revolts leading up to that. No doubt their leaders were also hoped to be the promised messiah.)
Note that all the Biblical kings of Israel and Judea were annointed by a priest, as a symbol of their kingship. David is the most famous, of course, and his annointing is mentioned in the Bible, iirc. That’s why it’s important that the messiah is of David’s line, too.
Polytheistic tribal religions were common.
There is some data which suggests that Allah was indeed worshiped in the pre-Islamic period.
It appears there really was a David, but that is about all archaeology can confirm.
Oddly, during the much later Hasmonean dynasty, the roles of High Priest and King were combined.
I don’t know where it’s still endemic (or if it is), but I associate the phrase with the 19-teens and 1920s. Very dated.
Well I’d say. Otherwise there’d be a lot of them running around.