Notwithstanding the remembrance which these poor people had of the miracles and wonderful cures which had been performed under their very eyes by Jesus; notwithstanding the great benefits he had bestowed upon them, their faith was shaken by beholding him thus derided and pointed out as an object of contempt by the High Priest and the members of the Sanhedrin, who were regarded in Jerusalem with the greatest veneration.  Some went away doubting, while others remained and endeavoured to join the rabble, but they were prevented by the guards, who had been sent by the Pharisees, to prevent riots and confusion.

CHAPTER XVI.

Description of Pilate’s Palace and the adjacent Buildings.

The palace of the Roman governor, Pilate, was built on the north-west side of the mountain on which the Temple stood, and to reach it persons were obliged to ascend a flight of marble steps.  It overlooked a large square surrounded by a colonnade, under which the merchants sat to sell their various commodities.  A parapet, and an entrance at the north, south, east, and west sides alone broke the uniformity of this part of the market-place, which was called the forum, and built on higher ground than the adjacent streets, which sloped down from it.  The palace of Pilate was not quite close, but separated by a large court, the entrance to which at the eastern side was through a high arch facing a street leading to the door called the ‘Probatica,’ on the road to the Mount of Olives.  The southern entrance was through another arch, which leads to Sion, in the neighbourhood of the fortress of Acre.  From the top of the marble steps of Pilate’s palace, a person could see across the court as far as the forum, at the entrance of which a few columns and stone seats were placed.  It was at these seats that the Jewish priests stopped, in order not to defile themselves by entering the tribunal of Pilate, a line traced on the pavement of the court indicating the precise boundary beyond which they could not pass without incurring defilement.  There was a large parapet near the western entrance, supported by the sides of Pilate’s Praetorium, which formed a species of porch between it and the square.  That part of Pilate’s palace which he made use of when acting in the capacity of judge, was called the Praetorium.  A number of columns surrounded the parapet of which we have just spoken, and in the centre was an uncovered portion, containing an underground part, where the two thieves condemned to be crucified with our Lord were confined, and this part was filled with Roman soldiers.  The pillar upon which our Lord was scourged was placed on the forum itself, not far from this parapet and the colonnade.  There were many other columns in this place; those nearest to the palace were made use of for the infliction of various corporal punishments, and the others served as posts to which were fastened the beasts brought