What do you say to Barabbas, the desert king?
O ye men of Jerusalem, be satisfied with one king." "We want to see this Jesus crucified," raged the people.
"But why, by Jupiter?
I cannot see that He is guilty of anything." One of the High Priests came up to him.
"If you set free this blasphemer, this demagogue, who, so He says, intends to redeem the Jewish nation from bondage, who has the devil's eloquence with which to influence the masses, if you let this man go about among the people again, then you are your Emperor's bitterest enemy.

Then we shall ask for a governor who is as true to the Emperor as we are!" "You would be more imperial than Pontius Pilate!" He threw out that sentence to them, measuring their figures with contempt.

Whenever Rome touched any of their chartered rights they seethed with anger; but whenever they needed power to accomplish some purpose hostile to the people, they cringed to Rome.

They recognised no people and no Emperor; their Temple-law was all in all to them.

And they dared to advise the Governor to be imperial! But the crowd murmured angrily.
The storm of passion was increasing in the courtyard.