Here's One For The Theologians

Some people have too much time on their hands.

A case on behalf of Jesus Christ has come knocking on Kenya's High Court door, lodged by a fervent Christian group that wants his conviction declared null and void and his crucifixion illegal.

Though cases to right historical wrongs are far from unusual around the world, Kenya's Friends of Jesus (FOJ) has reached back two millennia in what may redefine the quest for closure.

The petition was filed on Monday with the court registrar, raising a novel set of legal quandaries - not the least of which involves the statute of limitations and whether the high court has jurisdiction over the Son of God.

It was not certain when a ruling would be handed down.

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And the group has carefully laid out its case.

Under the Torah, or Jewish law based notably on the Biblical Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy, if a man blasphemes the Holy Spirit he must be stoned to death, Mr Odanga said.

Under Roman law that prevailed alongside the Jewish code at the time, crucifixion was the sentence for robbery, treason, rape and crimes against the emperor.

According to religious historians and the Bible, the Great Sanhedrin, the highest council of the ancient Jews, charged Jesus with blasphemy but Judea's Roman governor Pontius Pilate famously "washed his hands'' of the case.

He turned Jesus over to the high priests and the crowds, who responded: "Crucify him.''

For Mr Odanga, this punishment was a violation - not only did the Romans acquit him but the Jewish sentence for blasphemy was stoning, not crucifixion.

Arent't they missing the point? Didn't Isaiah 53 prophecy the crucifixion and identify the Messiah?