(Posted October 2, 2000)

The Juniata College Calvert N. Ellis Memorial Lecture will be held at 8:15 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 10, in the Faculty Lounge, Ellis Hall. Steven Rutledge of the University of Maryland?s Department of Classics will present "Superstar or Subversive? The Trial of Jesus from a Roman Perspective." All are invited.

Rutledge will discuss what he considers the most notorious criminal proceeding under the early Empire ? the trial of Jesus. He also will put the proceeding in its historical and cultural context. Rutledge will not challenge the divinity or non-divinity of Jesus, but will take an intellectual look at the trial from the Roman perspective. In particular, he will address the New Testament of the Bible as a historical source, the nature of Jesus? arrest and the trial and consider the career of Pilate and the cultural dynamics that influenced his behavior.

Rutledge earned his bachelor?s degree in classics from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and his doctorate in classics from Brown University. He also has studied at the American Academy in Rome Program in Archeology and the American School for Classical Studies in Athens.

Rutledge has earned many awards and scholarships including the Michaelides Fellow, the Research Fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies, the Wilbur Fellow, and the Graduate Research Board Fellowship. Due out September 2000 is his revised manuscript titled, Imperial Inquisitions: Prosecutors and Informants from Tiberius to Domitian. He also has published numerous articles and presented at many conferences. He also did a "Reality-Check" review of the movie "Gladiator" at Moviefone.com and is a coordinator and historical consultant for the Ministry of Culture at the Italian Embassy on a current CD-ROM project which will reconstruct in virtual reality format ancient cities in Magna Graecia (Southern Italy).

In memory of Calvert N. Ellis ?23, the seventh president of Juniata College, family and friends have established this endowment to annually bring to campus renowned lecturers in philosophy and education. It is intended that these lecturers will be scheduled so that the entire Juniata community has the opportunity to share in the experience.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.