a → σπεῖρα (2) of Roman soldiers and officers of the high priest and Pharisees to arrest Jesus (18:3), which was commanded by a χιλίαρχος (v. 12). The Evangelist thus envisions a relatively large Roman and Jewish contingent gathered against Jesus and probably understands the χιλίαρχος to have been the Roman military tribune or at least a commanding officer (John does not use other designations for military officers). Probably, however, this stretches the historical truth (see R. Schnackenburg,