“Jesus said to them 'I am'" (John 18:6) - Did Jesus break a taboo here? In the following verse, did Jesus in fact say the word, the name of God, that no Jew would dare to say aloud at that time?


  As soon then as he had said unto them, I am [he], they went backward,
  and fell to the ground (John 18:6)


If yes, why was He not tried for that before the high priest (there were so many witnesses after all), if not, why then so many say that here He was quoting Exodus 3:14 (which means He DID pronounce the forbidden word).
Actually, Jesus broke taboos quite frequently.  However, when Jesus broke a taboo, the taboo was wrong--not Jesus.

Some of the other taboos Jesus broke include the following:


Breaking the Sabbath


  So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish
  leaders began to persecute him. (John 5:16 NIV)

Claiming Equality with God


  For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he
  breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father,
  making himself equal with God.  (John 5:18 NIV)

Forgiving Sins


  Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?  (Mark 2:7 NIV)

Associating with tax collectors and sinners


  When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  (Matthew 9:11 NIV)

Claiming the sacred name of God


  "Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”  (John 8:58 NIV)



So, I would say that, yes, Jesus was breaking a taboo.  He was the only one who had the authority to claim the sacred name of God, so no one else could break that taboo.  Yet, He also broke several other taboos as well.