use of this admission to charge him with blasphemy, to which the Sanhedrim present assented with a sentence of death ; the officers who held Jesus thereupon indulged in the vilest insults upon his person (Matt, xxvi, 57, 59- G3 ; Luke xxii, (57-71, 03-65 ; and parallels). See Caia- PHAS. After a formal vote of the full Sanhedrim (q. v.) earlv in the forenoon, Jesus was next led to the procu- rator Pilate's mansion for his legal sanction upon the determination of the religious court, where the hierar- chy soui^ht to overcome his reluctance to involve him- self in the matter (which was increased by his exami- nation of Jesus himself, who simply replied to their allegations by giving Pilate to understand that his claims did not relate" to temporal things) by charging him with sedition, especially in Galilee, an intimation that Pilate seized upon to remand the whole trial to Herod (who chanced to be in Jerusalem at the time), as the civil head of that province (John xviii, 28-38; Matt, xxvii, 12-14 ; Luke xxiii, 4-7). Herod, however, on eagerly questioning Jesus, in hopes of witnessing some display of his miraculous power, was so enraged at his absolute silence that he sent him back to Pilate in a mock attire of royalty (Luke xxiii, 8-12). The proc- urator, thus compelled to exercise jurisdiction over the case, convinced of the prisoner's innocence (especially after a message from his wife to that eflfect), proposed to the populace to release him as the malefactor ivhich custom required him to set at liberty on the holiday of the Passover (q. v.) ; but the hierarchy insisted on the release of a notorious criminal, Barabbas, instead, and enforced Iheir clamor for the crucifixion of Jesus with so keen an insinuation of Pilate's disloyalty to the em- peror, that, after varied eiforts to exonerate himself and discharge the prisoner (whose personal bearing enhanced his idea of his character), he at length yielded to their demands, and, after allowing Jesus to be beaten [see Fi,agei,lation] and other^vise shamefully handled by the soldiers [see INIocking], he pronounced sentence for his execution on the cross (Luke xxiii, 13-lG; Matt. XV, 17-19, 16, 20-30; John xix, 4-16; and parallels). See Pilate. The traitor Judas, perceiving the enor- mity of his crime, now that, in consequence of his Mas- ter's acquiescence, there apjjeared no chance of his es- cape, returned to the hierareliy with the bribe, which, on their cool reply of indifference to his retraction, he flung down in the Temple, and went and hung himself in despairing remorse (Matt, xxvii, 3-10). See Judas. On his way out of the city to Golgotha, where he was to be crucified, Jesus fainted under the burden of his cross, which was therefore laid upon the shoulders of one Simon, who chanced to pass at the time, and as they proceeded Jesus bade the disconsolate Jewish fe- males attending him to weep rather for themselves and their nation than for him ; on reaching the place of ex- ecution [see Golgotha], after refusing the usual nar- cotic, he was suspended on the cross between two male- factors, while praying for his murderers; and a brief statement of his offence (which the Jews in vain en- deavored to induce Pilate to change as to phraseology) was ])laced above his head, the executioners meanwhile having divided his garments among themselves: while hanging thus, Jesus was reviled by the spectators, by the soldiers, and even by one of his fellow-sufferers (whom the other penitently rebuking, was assured by Jesus of speedy salvation for himself [sec Titiur ox the Cross]), and committed his mother to the care of John ; then, at the dose of the three hours' preternatural dark- ness [sec Kclh-se], giving utterance (in the language of P.sa. xxii) to his agonized emotions [see Sahactha- XI] amid the scoffs of his enemies, he called for some- thing to (piench his thirst, which being given him, he expired with the words of resignation toCiod upon his lips, while an eartlKpuike (q. v.) and the revivification of the sleeping dead bore witness to his sacred charac- ter, as the by-standers [see Centurion] were forced to acknowledge (IMatt. xxvii, 31, 32; Luke xxiii. 27-31- Mark XV, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28; Luke xxiii, 34; John xix]
19-24; Tilatt. xxvii, 36, 39-43; Luke xxiii, 36, 37, 39- 43; John xix, 25-27; Matt, xxvii, 45-47, 49 ; John xix, 28-30; Luke xxiii, 46 ; Matt, xxvii, 51-53 ; Luke xxiii, 47, 48 ; and parallels). See Passion. Towards even- ing, on account of the approaching Sabbath, the Jews petitioned Pilate to cause the crucified persons to be killed by the usual process of hastening their death [see Crucifixion], and their bodies removed from so public a place ; and as the soldiers ^vere executing this order, they were surprised to find Jesus already dead ; one of the soldiers, however, tested the body by plunging a spear into the side, when water mixed with clots of blood issued from the wound (John xix, 31-37). See Blood and Water. A rich Arimathsean, named Jo- seph (q. v.), a secret believer in Jesus, soon came and desired the body of Jesus for burial, and Pilate, as soon as he had ascertained the actual death of Jesus, gave him permission; accordingly, with the help of Nicode- mus, he laid it in his own new vault, temporarily wrap- ped in spices, while the female friends of Jesus observed the place of its sepulture (Mark xv, 42-44 ; John xix, 38-42; Luke xxiii, 25, 26; and parallels). See Sepul- chre. Next day (Saturday, March 19, A.D. 29) the hierarchy, remembering Jesus's predictions of his own resurrection, persuaded Pilate to secure the entrance to the tomb by a large stone, a seal, and a guard [see Watch ] at the door (Matt, xxvii, 62-66). The women, meanwhile, prepared additional embalming materials in the evening lor the body of Jesus (Mark xvi, 1). See Embalm.