Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The longest night

It was the longest of nights, I'll tell you. This Thursday night we could not make it through, it did not seem. We walked back and forth through Jerusalem with this Jesus, dragging him at times, with the men having their fun beating him on occasion. I didn't participate. I didn't. Seemed petty to me.

After Annas fortress, we walked to the upper city to Caiaphas's house. Most of the Jews still thought him to be the chief priest, so it would seem to me this would be the place where the trial would be held. If a trial could be held by Jews. I was confused about this. What could they decide without our authorities making their own decisions?

We got to Caiaphas' house hours before daybreak, Friday. My confusion grew. These Jews were in effect having a second trial. But what a trial. I was no expert on either Roman nor Jewish law, but still. I watched in silence, mere feet from the prisoner.

There was no defense of this man presented. None. There was no innoncent unil proven guilty approach at all. Instead, witness after witness was summoned, yelling their accusation. Where had these witnesses come from at such a late hour, I wondered?

I heard later that even the time of the trial was suspect. I heard later that night trials were forbidden by Jewish law. I heard later because I was suspicious and I kept asking. It was none of my business, but I couldn't forget this prisoner no matter how hard I tried. The high priest at one point put this prisoner under oath, but then when the prisoner said something that incriminated himself, it was allowed into evidence.

Finally, in my later questions of Jews, I learned that these types of trials had to be held at the high council, not in the former high priest's home.

This was a strangely timed, strangely executed trial.

Near daybreak, the call went out for many menbers of the Jews' high council. I heard later there were 70. It was a mass of humanity, and a mess, too. Many of them were angry about having been summoned during the night. Many of them were just angry. The shouts back and forth among the mob were incredible. These were religious individuals, mind you.

They were there, it seemed, to rubber-stamp what Caiaphas had decided. They did. They decided Jesus should die.

But even I understood that to be a massive problem for these men. They could not execute the judgment because of Roman law.

So, back across Jerusalem my men and I dragged the prisoner. I began to feel for him, though I knew him not.

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