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
"And Pilate went again into the pretorium, and spoke privately to Jesus, and said to him: 'Art thou the king of the Jews?'
Jesus answered Pilate. 'Dost thou say this of thyself, or have others said it to thee of me ?' Pilate answered Jesus, 'Am I also a Jew ?'
The full force of the original is: " You do not mean to say that I too am a Jew ?" Pilate was offended that Jesus would suppose he was a Jew, for the Romans gloried in being citizens of their vast empire. Pilate continued :
"' Thy nation and the chief priests have delivered thee up to me. What hast thou done ?
" 'My kingdom is not of this world. For if my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, in order that I should not be delivered up to the Jews, but now my kingdom is not from thence.'
" 'Art thou then a king ?' Jesus answered him : 'Thou sayest. I am a king. Because for this I was born, and for this I came into the world, in order that every one who is of the truth might hear my voice.' Pilate says to him: 'What is truth?'
" 'Truth is from heaven.' Pilate says, 'Is not truth on earth ?' Jesus says to him: 'Thou seest how those who speak the truth are judged by those that have power on earth.' (See John xviii. 33-40.)
" And leaving Jesus within the pretorium, Pilate went out to the Jews and said to them: 'I find no fault in him.'
" The Jews say to him: 'He said I can destroy this temple, and in three days build it.' Pilate says : ' What , temple ?' The Jews say. 'The one Herod (John ii. 30.) built in forty-six years, and this man speaks of pulling it down and building it up again in three days.'
"Pilate says: 'I am innocent of the blood of this just man. See you to it.' The Jews say. 'His blood be on us and on our children.
"And Pilate having summoned the leaders, and the priests, and Levites, said to them privately : 'Do not act thus, because no charge that you bring against him is worthy of death. For your charge is about curing, and Sabbath profanation.'
" The rulers and the priests and Levites say: ' If any one speak against Caesar is he worthy of death or not ?' Pilate says, 'He is worthy of death.'—The Jews say to Pilate, ' If any one speak evil against Caesar he is worthy of death, but this man has spoken evil against God.'
" And the procurator ordered the Jews to go outside of the pretorium, and summoning Jesus he says to him: 'What shall I do to thee ?' Jesus says to Pilate: 'As it has been given to thee,' Pilate says ' How given ?' Jesus says : 'Moses and the prophets have proclaimed beforehand my death and resurrection.' And the Jews noticing this and hearing it, say to Pilate: 'What more wilt thou have of this blasphemy ?' Pilate says to the Jews:
"'If these words be blasphemous, do you take him for the blasphemy, and lead him away to your synagogue, and judge him according to your law.' The Jews say to Pilate: 'Our law bears that a man who wrongs his fellow man is worthy to receive forty strokes save one. But he that blasphemeth God is to be stoned with stones.' (Deut, xxv. 8 ; Levit, xxiv. 16,)
"Pilate says to them : 'Do you take him and punish him in whatever way you please.' The Jews say, 'We wish that he be crucified.' Pilate says. ' He is not deserving of crucifixion.'
"And the procurator looking around on the crowds of Jews standing by, sees many of them weeping, and says: 'All the multitude do not wish him to die.' The leaders of the Jews say, 'For this reason all of us have come, that he should die.' Pilate says: 'Why should he die 'Because he calls himself the Son of God and King.'
"And Nicodemus, who stood before the procurator, says: ' I beseech your honor, let me say a few words.' Pilate says, 'Say on.' Nicodemus says, 'I said to the leaders and to the chief priests, and to all the multitude of the Jews in the synagogue. What do you seek to do with this man ? This man does many miracles and strange things, which no one has done or will do. Let him go and do not wish to do any evil against him. If the miracles which he does are of God, they will stand. But if of man they will come to nothing. (Acts v. 38.) For certainly, Moses, being sent by God into Egypt, did many miracles which the Lord commanded him to do before Pharao, king of Egypt. And there were there Jannes and Jambres, servants of Pharao, and they did a few of the miracles which Moses did. And the Egyptians took them to be gods—this Jannes and this Jambres. (II. Tim. iii. 8, 9) But since the miracles they did were not of God, both these and they who believed in them were destroyed. And now release this man, for he is not deserving of death.'
" The Jews say to Nicodemus : 'Thou hast become his disciple, and therefore thou dost defend him.' But Nicodemus says: 'Perhaps the procurator also has become his disciple, for he defends him.'
"And the Jews became very much enraged, and gnashed their teeth against Nicodemus. But Pilate says: 'Why do you gnash your teeth against him, when you hear the truth ?' The Jews say to Nicodemus : ' May thou receive his truth and his portion.' ' Amen, amen, may I receive it as you have said,' replied Nicodemus.
" One of the Jews stepping up asked of the procurator to say a word. 'If thou wish to say anything say on,' said the procurator.
" 'Thirty-eight years I lay in great agony in my bed. And when Jesus came, many demoniacs, and many lying sick of different diseases he cured. And some young men taking pity on me carried me, bed and all, and took me to him. And when Jesus saw me, he had compassion on me, and said to me, 'Take up thy bed and walk. And I took up my bed and walked.'
" The Jews say to Pilate. 'Ask him on what day it was that he was cured.' He that was cured said : 'On a Sabbath.' (John v. 5-9) The Jews cried out. 'Is not this the very thing that we said, that on the Sabbath he cures and casts out devils ?'
"Another Jew stepped up and said : 'I was born blind, I heard sounds, but saw not a face. And as Jesus passed by, I cried out with a loud voice, ' O Son of David, have pity on me.' And he pitied me, and put his hands on my eyes, and I instantly received my sight.' Another Jew stepped forward, and said: ' I was crooked and he straightened me with a word.' Another said, 'I was a leper and he cured me with a word.' (Matt. viii. 1-4, etc.)
"And from a distance, a woman, Seraphia, called Veronica after her baptism, cried out, 'I had an issue of blood, and I touched the hem of his garment, and the issue of blood, which I had for twelve years, was stopped.' (Matt. ix. 20-26.) But the Jews say: 'We have a law that the evidence of a woman is not to be received.' (Josephus, Antiq. B. iv., C. viii. 8. 15.)
"And a multitude of others, both of men and woman cried out saying: 'This man is a prophet, and the devils are subject to him' Pilate says to them who said that the demons were subject to him, 'Why then are your teachers not also subject to him ?' They say to Pilate, 'We do not know.' And others say : 'He raised Lazarus from the tomb, after he was dead for four days.' (John xi. 16-44) 'And the procurator trembled, and said to all the multitude of the Jews: 'Why do you wish to pour out innocent blood?'
