These fees covered the maintenance of the Temple and all of the troubles faced by the high priest. Aslan mentions that half-shekel Temple tax must be paid. There was even a line of credit so that one could purchase a larger sacrifice for having been more sinful. The office of the high priest had to be bought and was passed between nobility. It sounds more like an economic machine than the most holy place on Earth. This corruption was a direct result of Roman influence. The Romans purposely associated themselves with the Jewish aristocracy. It allowed for a puppet master and puppet relationships between Rome and those who were responsible for the Temple and all of its earnings. The temple was forced to offer sacrifices in the name of Rome. It was a beneficial relationship to say the least but it left out the rest of the Jewish population. The Jews were reminded of their ruler every time they set eyes on the golden eagle placed atop the Temple. The Promised Land was meant for solely the Jews. The Jews were forced to share their precious lands with those who were not chosen because of an imperialistic control. In addition to this, Jewish agrarian society was worsening due to urban sprawl. Many farmers lost their lands because they were unable to sustain themselves. The peasantry were the ones suffering the most. One can only suppress anger so that until it is unleashed upon who is known to be the culprit. In this case, Rome was to blame and so were the Jewish aristocracy. Thus, zeal began to surge through the rebels, the lestai. These bandits worked for the one true God since their oppressors were idolaters. .
With this in mind, Aslan begins to develop Jesus of Nazareth. It is evident that Jesus was referred to as "the Nazarean". All other supposed birth locations were an attempt to fulfill the messianic prophecies for the Jesus, the eternal logos, not the historical man. The historical Jesus was, however, a tekton.
