it was also the foreseen sum of the blood-money to be paid for the
Lord's betrayal.[1184] That the silver was actually paid to Judas,
either at this first interview or at some later meeting between the
traitor and the priests, is demonstrated by after events.[1185]

He had pledged himself to the blackest deed of treachery of which man is
capable, and from that hour he sought the opportunity of superseding his
infamous promise by its more villainous fulfilment. We are yet to be
afflicted by other glimpses of the evil-hearted Iscariot in the course
of this dread chronicle of tragedy and perdition; for the present let it
be said that before Judas sold Christ to the Jews, he had sold himself
to the devil; he had become Satan's serf, and did his master's bidding.

THE LAST SUPPER.

The day preceding the eating of the passover lamb had come to be known
among the Jews as the first day of the feast of unleavened bread,[1186]
since on that day all leaven had to be removed from their dwellings, and
thereafter for a period of eight days the eating of anything containing
leaven was unlawful. On the afternoon of this day, the paschal lambs
were slain within the temple court, by the representatives of families
or companies who were to eat together; and a portion of the blood of
each lamb was sprinkled at the foot of the altar of sacrifice by one of
the numerous priests on duty for the day. The slain lamb, then said to
have been sacrificed, was borne away to the appointed gathering place of
those by whom it was to be eaten. During the first of the days of
unleavened bread, which in the year of our Lord's death appears to have
fallen on Thursday,[1187] some of the Twelve inquired of Jesus where
they should make preparations for the paschal meal.[1188] He instructed
Peter and John to return to Jerusalem, and added: "Behold, when ye are
entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of
water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say
unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the
guest chamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he
shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they
went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the
passover."

In the evening, Thursday evening as we reckon time, but the beginning of
Friday according to the Jewish calendar,[1189] Jesus came with the
Twelve, and together they s