The tragedy of Calvary: or the minute details of Christ's life from Palm Sunday morning till the resurrection and ascension taken prophecy, history, revelations and ancient writings by Meagher, Jas. L. (James Luke), 1848-1920
When they come to where is now the Armenian church they go up this street to the right, at the head of which rose the great battlements of the Antonia, called by some writers the Achra Fortress.
All the way the mob howled at him, insulted and mocked him, as the prophet foresaw : "Howl, O gate, cry, O city." (Isaias xiv. 31.) Men shouting, boys running, women at the doors children in the streets, people at street corners, and crowds run from side streets to see what caused all the excitement. But Jesus went along with his hands tied, his guards dragging him: " Behold your God. Behold the Lord God shall come with strength, and his arm shall rule. Behold his reward is with him and his work is before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd." (Isaias xl. 10-11.) They all seemed to shout together, and to vie with each other, and with the priests in heaping insults on him. " A voice of the people from the city, a voice from the Temple, the voice of the Lord that rendereth recompense to his enemies." (Isaias Ixvi. 6.)
Thus leading him through the most public parts of the city, so that he might be exposed to the derision of the whole population, and so that the strangers from all parts of the world might see him, they went along the main streets. Caiphas, Annas and the chief priests in festive robes walked ahead, followed by a multitude of Scribes, Rabbis and the chiefs of the tribes of Juda and Benjamin. Thus they marched along, with the great multitudes of people and the rabble following them. A band of soldiers with the Temple guards surrounded Jesus, while the multitude shouted and thundered out the vilest language, and the most cutting insults against the Prisoner, stripped of all his garments, except his seamless robe, which was stained with his blood.
The long chain hanging from his neck struck his knees at every step. His hands were tied so he could not use them. The archers dragged him with ropes fastened to the belt around his waist, and those behind him kicked him to make him go faster. His face was colorless ; his features haggard and swollen from the treatment he had received during the night. The priests and leaders incited the people to make his entrance into Pilate's palace a mockery of his triumphal entry into the city the previous First Day of the week, Palm Sunday. They mocked him, threw stones at him, flung dirt on him, and in every way degraded him.
Peter, John, and some of the other Apostles, with the women he had converted, followed at a distance, but they were not allowed to come near him. The Virgin Mother was with them, and they hurried ahead and stopped on the way the procession was to pass, and Jesus looked on them as he went by. They all saw him struck, kicked, insulted and buffeted as the great howling crowd went along the streets.
It was after seven A. M. when the procession ascended the hill whereon the Antonia was built and entered the Forum. Before Pilate's judgment seat, on the paved stones of the Lithostrotos, was painted a long white line, marking the boundaries beyond which no Jew could pass without becoming defiled, when he could not continue to celebrate the remaining days of their Easter Passover. Caiphas, Annas, and the other Jews stopped at this line.
Having been notified that a dangerous prisoner was to be brought before him that morning, Pilate was lounging on a seat on the terrace overlooking the Forum. He was robed in purple as a sign of his high office and of the Roman emperor whom he represented. His officers and servants surrounding him were clothed in magnificent garments, as was customary with high dignitaries of the world-wide empire.
When Pilate saw the shouting tumultuous crowd enter, and how shamefully they were treating Jesus, he arose, and coming forward to the parapet, he addressed the assembly in tones of contempt.
"What did you come so early for ? Why have you treated this prisoner so shamefully ? Why cannot you stop from tearing him to pieces before he is judged? "
The Jews did not answer; but the high priests turned to the guard and soldiers dragging Jesus into the Forum and cried : " Bring him on! Bring him in to be judged!" Then turning to Pilate, they said, " Listen to our charges against this criminal, for we cannot enter the tribunal lest we defile ourselves."
