Jesus Arraigned Before Pilate

Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?—And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.—St. John xviii: 28, 29; St. Luke xxiii: 2.

NOTE BY THE ARTIST

Priding themselves upon their strict administration of justice, the Romans not infrequently erected their tribunals in the open air, by the city gate, in the market-place or theatre, or even at the roadside, in order that all might have the opportunity of seeing and hearing. The design of Herod’s magnificent palace, now the official residence of Pilate, evidently made permanent provision for this method of official procedure, the “Gabbatha”—a platform—being a tesselated pavement in front of the Judgment Hall, to which access was obtained by a flight of steps. In the centre of this pavement was a slightly-raised platform, upon which was placed the curule chair of the procurator, with seats to right and left for the assessors; other officers of the court occupying benches on the lower level.

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