Jerusalem. would of the heifer, or the trial of the suspected wife by the bitter waters was taken away from them, which no one will affirm." "The slothfulness of the council destroyed its own authority; the law slept while wickedness was in the height of its revels; and primitive justice was so out of countenance, that as to uncertain murders they made no search, and against certain ones they framed no judgment. The Sanhedrim, from mere inactivity, or a foolish tenderness towards an Israelite, as a seed of Abraham, so far neglected to punish bloodshed, and other crimes, that wickedness grew so untractable, that the authority of the council trembled for fear of it, and dared not kill the killers. In this sense that saying must be understood, 'It is not lawful for us to put any man to death;' for it is evident, when they make this assertion, they do not deal fairly with Pilate; for their authority of judging had not been taken from them by the Romans, but lost by themselves, and despised by the people. Under these circumstances it was only exercised when there was no danger to be apprehended. They were happy enough to use it when they had the opportunity of judging, persecuting, and torturing poor men and Christians; and they would certainly have condemned our Saviour to death, had they not feared the people, and if Providence had not otherwise determined it." Lightfoot mentions many other circumstances which took place after Judæa had long been subject to the Roman yoke, which clearly affirm the opinion, that the authority of the council in capital matters was not taken away by the Romans; and he agrees with Biscoe in supposing that it was gradually, from various causes, relinquished by the Jews themselves, and that it imperceptibly lapsed into the hands of the Romans (e). vance. The Romans were always the ruling power wherever their conquests extended. They varied in the privileges they granted, but uniformly retained in their own hands the influence of the sword. The consequence would naturally be, that on all important occasions, nothing could be done without their sanction or conniThe Municipia and some provinces were certainly allowed nominally to be governed by their own laws and customs: but this very permission seems to have introduced such irregularities into the government, that they petitioned to have the anomalous privilege removed, and to become at once subject to the Roman laws. The reason evidently was, that the power of the sword, the influence of the Roman name, and their unavoidable interference in the government of their native magistrates, had greatly interrupted, and oftentimes suspended, the practice of their national laws: and such, as it appears to me, was the situation of Judæa, at the time of our Lord's condemnation. The power of life and death had not been formally abrogated by the Romans; but the grant which secured to the Jews their own rights and privileges, had been gradually set aside by the influence of the Roman authority, which had in some measure superseded the Jewish magistracy (ƒ). (e) Hebrew, and Talmud. Exercit. vol. ii. p. 248, 249. (f) See Bowyer's Critical Conj. p. 318; Doddridge; Rosenmüller; the discussion of Lardner, in his Credibility, &c. &c. Lightfoot, in his Talmudical Exercitations upon the John xviii. 37. Mark xv. 2. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king Jerusalem. then? Jesus answered, and said unto him, John xviii. 37. Thou sayest that I am king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that John xviii. 38. I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and saith unto Luke xxiii. 4. the Chief Priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man, John xviii. 38. I find in him no fault at all. Mark xv. 3. And the Chief Priests accused him of many things: but Matt. xxvii. when he was accused of the Chief Priests and elders, he answered nothing. 12. Matt. xxvii. 13. Matt. xxvii. 14. Mark xv. 4. Mark xv. 5. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest But Jesus yet answered nothing: Matt. xxvii. insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. 14. MARK XV. part of ver. 1, 2, 3, 5. 1 -and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? -Thou sayest it. 3 -he answered nothing. And he answering Acts, observes, on the occasion of the Sanhedrim granting letters to Paul, to go to Damascus, that the power of life and death was not yet taken from the Sanhedrim. Selden is of opinion, that the power of the Sanhedrim to punish capitally was only much interrupted and disused at the time of the crucifixion. Krebsius, quoted by Rosenmüller, is of opinion that the power of inflicting capital punishments, in cases of offences against religion, was left to the Jews; but in civil offences it was taken away-in criminibus autem aliis, e. g. seditionis, tumultus, perduellionis, et ad læsam majestatem Cæsaris pertinentibus, illud jus iis non fuisse concessum. Kuinoel has adopted also this conclusion of Biscoe-Mihi perplacet Augustini et Chrysostomi ratio, etiam Semlero probata, qua Judæorum verba v. 31. ad diem referuntur hoc sensu: "nobis non licet quenquam supplicio afficere ob religionem diei festi;” erat enim #aparkεvý toũ náσxa, xix. 14—42. quam eamdem ob causam, neque prætorium ingressi erant coll. v. 28.-Kuinoel in Joan. 19. 31. Jerusalem. LUKE xxiii. part of ver. 1. ver. 3. and part of ver. 4. 1 and led him unto Pilate. 3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? and he answered him, and said, Thou sayest it. 4 Then said Pilate to JOHN Xviii. part of ver. 33. 33 and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? SECTION XI. Christ is sent by Pilate to Herod. LUKE Xxiii. 5-13. And they were the more fierce, saying, He stir- Luke xxiii. 5. up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, reth beginning from Galilee to this place. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether Luke xxiii. 6. the man were a Galilæan. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Luke xxiii. 7. Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding Luke xxiii. 8. glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; Luke xxiii. 9. but he answered him nothing. And the Chief Priests and Scribes stood and Luke xxiij. vehemently accused him. 10. 11. And Herod with his men of war set him at Luke xxiii. nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 12. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made Luke xxiii. friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves ". 14 Some time before this reconciliation, Pilate had dedicated some shields of gold to Tiberius, and placed them in the palace of Herodium. The Jews, under the sanction of Herod, petitioned Pilate for their removal, but in vain. They determined therefore to appeal to Tiberius, and for this purpose sent a deputation to the emperor, at the head of which were the four sons of Herod. This act seems to have been the cause of their difference, as it was regarded by the Jews and by Herod as a violation of their religion; and Herod was not reconciled to Pilate till the Roman Governor, desirous not to assist the Jews in the condemnation of our Lord, acknowledged the power of Herod, by sending to his tribunal at Jerusalem the holy Jesus. Dr. Townson justly observes, that it is probable both Pilate and Herod occu SECTION XII. Christ is brought back again to Pilate, who again declares Him innocent, and endeavours to persuade the People to ask Barabbas. MATT. XXVii. 15–21. Luke xxiii. 13. Luke xxiii. 14. Luke xxiii. 15. Luke xxiii, 16. Matt. xxvii. 15. Mark xv. 6. Matt. xxvii. 16. 13-20. Jerusalem. ¶ And Pilate, when he had called together o Matt. xxvii. the Chief Priests and the rulers and the peo- 23. ple, Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; I will therefore chastise him, and release him. 15 one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Mark xv. 7. which lay bound with them that had made insur- Mark xv. 8. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. pied different parts of the palace called Herodium, which some time before had been built by Herod the Great. It consisted of two distinct spacious buildings, one of which was named Cæsareum, and the other Agrippeum : it stood near the temple (a). 15 Hottinger has written a treatise on this passage," De ritu dimittendi reum in festo Paschatis;" which is bound up in the thirteenth volume of the Critici Sacri. He opposes the opinion of Whitby, that a prisoner was released only at the feast of the passover. He considers the custom (quoting Grotius and Ger. Vossius,) as contrary to the stern inflexibility of the Mosaic institutions; "Erat siquidem divina per Mosen lata lex xwpic oikripμwv, sine omni misericordía, Heb. x. 28. Nec cuiquam homini data ignoscendi potestas, non Regi, non Synedrio, non populo," sect. x. and xx. This deviation from their established law is a proof how much the Levitical institutions had been relaxed from their appointed rigour and severity. The origin of this emancipation is unknown. (a) Philo leg. ad Caium, vol. ii. p. 589. ed. Mangey ap Townson. See also Hales's Analysis, vol. ii. part ii. : Luke xxiii. Jerusalem. John xviii. Acts iii. 14. (For of necessity he must release one unto them Luke xxiii. at the feast.) 17. Therefore when they were gathered together, Matt. xxvii. Pilate said unto them, 17. ye have a custom that I should release unto you John xviii. 39. one at the Passover: Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, Matt. xxvii. or Jesus which is called Christ? will 17. ye therefore that I release unto you the King John xviii. 39. of the Jews? For he knew that the Chief Priests had deli- Mark xv.10. vered him for envy. 19. When he was set down on the judgment seat, Matt. xxvii. his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. 20. 9 But the Chief Priests and elders persuaded Matt. xxvii. the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. And they cried out all at once, saying, Away Luke xxiii. with this man, and release unto us Barabbas : 18. (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, Luke xxiii. and for murder, was cast into prison.) MATT. XXVii. ver. 18. 18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. MARK XV. part of ver. 6. and ver. 9. 11. 6 Now at that feast he released unto them 19. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? 11 But the Chief Priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. |