▁It ▁tells ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁week ▁in ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁Jesus . ▁The ▁serial ▁was ▁first ▁proposed ▁by ▁Peter ▁Fin ch am ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁on ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁contemporary - set ▁Manchester ▁Pass ion . ▁W riter ▁Frank ▁De asy ▁and ▁producer ▁N ig el ▁Staff ord - Cl ark ▁were ▁inspired ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁drama ▁that ▁opened ▁up ▁the ▁story ▁beyond ▁the ▁" v acu um " ▁it ▁is ▁often ▁told ▁in . ▁They ▁did ▁this ▁by ▁expand ing ▁the ▁roles ▁of ▁Pont ius ▁Pil ate ▁and ▁Ca ia phas , ▁and ▁expl oring ▁the ▁politics ▁of ▁J ude a ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁De asy ▁and ▁Staff ord - Cl ark ▁were ▁a ided ▁by ▁scholar ▁Mark ▁Good acre , ▁with ▁whom ▁they ▁put ▁together ▁an ▁extensive ▁research ▁manual ▁about ▁the ▁topic . ▁ ▁The ▁part ▁of ▁Jesus ▁is ▁played ▁by ▁Joseph ▁M aw le , ▁who ▁research ed ▁the ▁role ▁by ▁reading ▁the ▁G osp els ▁and ▁research ▁papers . ▁Other ▁main ▁roles ▁were ▁played ▁by ▁Pal oma ▁B ae za ▁( M ary ▁Mag dal ene ), ▁Ben ▁Daniel s ▁( Ca ia phas ), ▁James ▁N es b itt ▁( P il ate ), ▁David ▁O y el owo ▁( Jose ph ▁of ▁Ar imat he a ), ▁and ▁Pen el ope ▁Wil ton ▁( M ary ). ▁It ▁was ▁directed ▁by ▁Michael ▁Of fer ▁on ▁location ▁in ▁Mor oc co ▁from ▁ 2 7 ▁August ▁to ▁ 2 3