lessing to the nation."

"Israel," said Ezekiel, "will recognize no Messiah who allows himself
to be taken and bound and treated with scorn."

"Let him die, the false Messiah, the deceiver," cried the crowd.

Then Pilate spoke unto the people and said: "Men of Judea, it is
customary that I liberate to you a prisoner at the feast. Look upon
these two. One with mild countenance and dignified demeanor, the ideal
of a wise teacher, whom you have long honored as such, convicted of no
single evil deed and already humiliated by the severest chastisement.
The other, a vicious, savage man, convicted of robbery and murder, a
horrible image of a perfect scoundrel. I appeal to your reason, to
your human feelings--choose! Which will ye that I shall release unto
you, Barabbas or Jesus, who is called the Christ?"

Then the priests and people cried out together, "Let Barabbas go free."

"Will ye not that I release unto you the king of the Jews?" asked
Pilate.

Then the priests and people cried, "Away with him, release unto us,
Barabbas."

Then said Caiaphas, "Thou hast promised to release him whom the people
demand."

Pilate answered shortly to Caiaphas, "I am accustomed to keep my
promise without needing a reminder." Then said he to the people, "What
shall I do with the king of the Jews?"

And the priests and the people cried, "Crucify him!"

"What," said Pilate, "shall I crucify your king?"

And the people cried, "We have no king but Caesar."

Pilate said, "I cannot condemn this man, for I find no fault in him.
He has been sufficiently chastised; I will let him go free."

Then said the priests, "If thou let him go free thou art no friend of
Caesar's."

Caiaphas added, "He has proclaimed himself king"; and the priests said,
"Who proclaims himself king is a rebel against Caesar."

And Nathanael said, "And is this rebel still to remain unpunished,
still to scatter abroad the seed of revolt?"

Then cried the people, "It is the duty of the governor to put him out
of the way."

Caiaphas seeing that Pilate answered not, pressed more vehemently upon
him, saying, "We have done our duty as subjects of Caesar and delivered
this rebel to thee. If thou payest no attention to our accusation and
the desire of the people, then are we free from guilt. Thou alone, O
Governor, art responsible to Caesar for the consequences."

And Annas said, "If on account of this man universal disorder and
revolt ensues, then we know who