VI.

Jews, in a less kindly spirit, begin to murmur at CHAP. his apparent neglect of a friend, to whom, nevertheless, he appears so tenderly attached. It should seem that it was in the presence of some of these persons, by no means well-disposed to his cause, that Jesus proceeded to the sepulchre, summoned the dead body to arise, and was obeyed.

The intelligence of this inconceivable event spread with the utmost rapidity to Jerusalem: the Sanhedrin was instantly summoned, and a solemn debate commenced, finally to decide on their future proceedings towards Jesus. It had now become evident that his progress in the popular belief must be at once arrested, or the power of the Sanhedrin, the influence of the Pharisaic party, was lost for ever. With this may have mingled, in minds entirely ignorant of the real nature of the new religion, an honest and conscientious, though blind, dread of some tumult or insurrection taking place, which would give the Romans an excuse for wresting away the lingering semblance of national independence, to which they adhered with such passionate attachment. The high priesthood was now filled by Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Annas or Ananus; for the Roman governors, as has been said, since the expulsion of Archelaus, either in the capricious or venal wantonness of power, or from jealousy of his authority, had perpetually deposed and re-appointed this chief civil and religious magistrate of the nation. Caiaphas threw the weight of his official influence into the scale of the more decided and violent party; and endeavoured, as it were, to give an appearance of

VI.

CHAP. patriotism to the meditated crime, by declaring the expediency of sacrificing one life, even though innocent, for the welfare of the whole nation.* His language was afterwards treasured in the memory of the Christians, as inadvertently prophetic of the more extensive benefits derived to mankind by the death of their Master. The death of Jesus was deliberately decreed; but Jesus for the present avoided the gathering storm, withdrew from the neighbourhood of the metropolis, and retired to Ephraim, on the border of Judæa, near the wild and mountainous region which divided Judæa from Samaria.t

CHAPTER VII.

CHAP.
VII.

THE LAST PASSOVER. THE CRUCIFIXION.

Passover.

THE Passover rapidly approached; the roads from Last
all quarters were already crowded with the assem-
bling worshippers. It is difficult for those who are
ignorant of the extraordinary power which local
religious reverence holds over Southern and Asiatic
nations, to imagine the state of Judæa and of Jeru-
salem at the time of this great periodical festival.*
The rolling onward of countless and gathering
masses of population to some of the temples in
India; the caravans from all quarters of the Eastern
world, which assemble at Mecca during the Holy
Season; the multitudes which formerly flowed to
Loretto or Rome at the great ceremonies, when
the Roman catholic religion held its unenfeebled
sway over the mind of Europe - - do not surpass,
perhaps scarcely equal, the sudden, simultaneous
confluence, not of the population of a single city,
but of the whole Jewish nation, towards the capital
of Judæa at the time of the Passover. Dispersed as
they were throughout the world, it was not only the
great mass of the inhabitants of Palestine, but many
foreign Jews who thronged from every quarter-

* Μύριοι ἀπὸ μυρίων ὅσων πόλεων, οἱ μὲν διὰ γῆς, οἱ δὲ διὰ θαλάτα της, ἐξ ἀνατολῆς καὶ δύσεως, καὶ

ἄρκτου καὶ μεσημβρίας, καθ' εκάστην
ἑορτὴν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν καταίρουσιν.
Philo, de Monarch. 821.

CHAP. patriotism to the meditated crim

VL

expediency of sacrificing one J
cent, for the welfare of th
language was afterwards'
of the Christians, as in?
more extensive benef
death of their Mas
deliberately decre
avoided the ga
neighbourhood
Ephraim, or
and mount
Samaria.t

ORY OF CEN 13°

Asia

from ty and

om the ined the

of these

,00*; and

a company who

D, estimated the total

.. residents in Jerusalem at all this concourse of the whole mated more or less profoundly, their peculiar temperament, with national and religious feelings, rumours eappearance, the conduct, the pretensions, uage of Jesus, could not but have spread , and be communicated with unchecked The utmost anxiety prevails throughout whole crowded city and its neighbourhood, to certain whether this new prophet - this more, rhaps, than prophet-will, as it were, confront this solemn period the assembled nation; or, as on the last occasion, remain concealed in the remote parts of the country. The Sanhedrin are on their guard, and strict injunctions are issued that they may receive the earliest intelligence of his approach, in order that they may arrest him before he has attempted to make any impression on the multitude.†

at

Already Jesus had either crossed the Jordan, or descended from the hill country to the north. He had passed through Jericho, where he had been

* Or, according to Mr. Greswell's † John, xi. 55, 57. reading, 266, 500.

VII.

two blind men as the Son of David, CHAP.
Messiah, probably the most preva-
'mmon people; and instead of
ge, he had rewarded the
n of their sight to the sup-

› Jerusalem, but much Zaccheus. he was hospitably received

wealthy publican named Zac

u been so impressed with the report Araordinary character, that, being of small ure, he had climbed a tree by the road-side to see him pass by; and had evinced the sincerity of his belief in the just and generous principles of the new faith, both by giving up at once half of his property to the poor, and offering the amplest restitution to those whom he might have oppressed in the exercise of his function as a publican.† It is probable that Jesus passed the night, perhaps the whole of the Sabbath, in the house of Zaccheus, and set forth, on the first day of the week, through the villages of Bethphage and Bethany to Jerusalem.

Let us, however, before we trace his progress, pause to ascertain, if possible, the actual state of feeling at this precise period, among the different ranks and orders of the Jews.

Jesus of Nazareth had now, for three years, assumed the character of a public teacher; his wonderful works were generally acknowledged; all no doubt considered him as an extraordinary being;

* Matt. xx. 30.; Mark, x. 46.; Luke, xviii. 35.

VOL. I.

U

+ Luke, xix. 1—10,