0. Passion Week. — The entrance of Jesus into Jeru- salem next morning (^Monday, March 14, A.D. 29) was a triumphal one, the disciples having mounted him upon a young ass, which, by his direction, they found in the environs of the city, and spread their garments and green branches along the road, while the multitude es- corting him proclaimed him as the expected descendant of David, to the chagrin of the hierarchy, who vainly qndeavored to check the popular declamations [see Ho- sanxa] ; Jesus meanwhile Avas absorbed in grief at the ruin awaiting the impenitent metropolis (Matt, xxi, 1- 9; John xii, 10, 17, 19; Luke xix, .39-44; and parallels). Arriving at the Temple amid this general excitement, he again cleared the Temple courts of the profane trades- men, while the sick resorted to him for euro, and the children prolonged his praise till evening, when he re- turned to Bethany for the night (^Matt. xxi, 10-17, and parallels). On his. way again to the city, early in the morning, he pronounced a curse upon a green but fruit- less fig-tree (q. v.) (to which he had gone, not having yet breakfasted, as if in hopes of finding on it some of last year's late figs), as a symbol of the unproductive Jewish nation, the day being occupied in teaching at the Temple (where the midtitude of his hearers pre- vented the execution of the hierarchal designs against him), and the night, as usual, at Bethany. On the en- suing morning the fig-tree was found withered to the very root, which led Jesus to impress upon the disciples the efficacy of faith, especially in their public functions
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(Jfatt. xxi. 18, 10 : Luke xxi, 37, 38; xix, 47, 48 ; Matt. xxi, 2i)--l-2). This, the last day of .Tesus's intercourse with the public, was filledwith various discussions (Wed- nesday, March 10, A.U. 29). The hierarchy, demanding the authority for his public conduct, were perplexed by his counter-question as to the authority of the Baptist's mission, and he seized the occasion to depict their incon- sistency and criminality by the parables of the two sons sent by their father to work, and the murderous garden- ers, with so vivid a personal reference as to cover them with confusion (Matt, xxi, 23-46, and paraUels). The mooted question of the lawfulness of tribute to a Gentile power, being insidiously proposed to him by a coalition of the Pharisees and Herodians, was so readily solved by liim by an appeal to the very coin paid in tribute, that they again retired, unable to make it a ground for pub- lic charges against him (Matt, xxii, 15-22, and parallels). The case of seven brothers successively married (under the Levirate law) to the same woman being next sup- posed by the Sudducees, he as easily disposed of the im- aginary ditliculty concerning her proper husband in the other world by declaring the non-existence of such re- lations there, and refuted their infidelity as to the future life by citing a passage of Scripture (Matt, xxii, 23-33, and parallels). Seeing the Sadducees so completely si- lenced, one of the Pharisaical party undertook to puzzle Jesus by raising that disputed point, What Jlosaic in- junction is the most important"? but Jesus cited the du- ties of supreme devotion to God and general benevolence to man as comprising all other moral enactments, to which the other so cordially assented as to draw a com- mendation from Jesus on his hopeful sentiments (JIark xii, 28-34, and ]iarallel). Jesus now turned the tables niiiin liis iip|ioiicnts by asking them, AVhose descendant the Ml >-inli ^-liduld be? and on their replying, David's, of iimrM. he thin asked how (as in Psa. ex, 1) he could still be David's Lord? which so embarrassed his ene- mies that they desisted from this mode of attack (Matt, xxii, 41-40). Jesus then in jilain terms denounced be- fore the concourse the hypocrisy and ostentation of the hierarchy, especially their priestcraft, their sanctimony, their amlntion, their extortion, their casuistry, and their intolerance, and bewailed the impending fate of the city (.Matt, xxiii, 1-12, 14-21 , 29-30, and parallels). Ob- serving a ])oor widow drop a few of the smallest coins into the contribution-box in the Temple, he declared that she had shown more tnie liberality than wealthier donors, because she had given more in jiroportion to her means, and with greater self-denial (Jlark xii, 41-44, and parallel). A number of proselytes [see Helemst] requesting through Philip an interview with Jesus, he met them v.ith intimations of his approaching passion, while a celestial voice announced the glory that should thereby accrue to God, and he then retired from the un- believing public with an admonition to improve their present spiritual privileges TJohn xii, 20-.50). As he was crossing the Mount of Olives, his disciples calling his attention to the noble structure of the Temple oppo- site, he declared its speedy demolition, and on their ask- ing the time and tokens of this catastroplie, he discoursed to them at length, first on ,thc coming downfall of the city and nation (warning them to escape betimes from the catastrophe), and then (liy a gradual transition, in which, under varied imagery, he represented both events more or loss blended) lie passed to the scenes of the final judgment (described as a forensic tribunal), interspers- ing constant admonitions (especially in the parable of the ten virgins) to preparation for an event the date of which was so uncertain (]\Iatt. xxiv, 1-8; x, 17-20, 34- 36; xxiv, 9, 10; x,2H; xxiv, 1.3-37; Luke xxi, 34-30; Matt, xxiv, 4.3,44; Luke xii, 41, 42; Mark xiii,31,34; Matt. xxiv,45-51 ; Luke xii, 47, 48; Jlatt. xxiv, 42 ; xxv, 1-12; Luke xii, 35-38; ^Vfatt. xxv, 13,31-40). As the Passover was now approaching, the Sanhedrim held a se- cret meeting at the house of the liigh-iiriest, where they resolved to get possession, but l)v jirivate means, of the person of Jesus (Thiu-sday, Jlarch 17, A.U. 29), and Ju-