The torches and the lanterns were being borne by servants, each of whom was armed with a bludgeon or a sharpened stave.

Their present duty seemed to be to pick out the smoothest paths among the rocks in the street for certain dignitaries among them--elders and priests; rabbis with long beards, heavy brows, and beaked noses; men of the class potential in the councils of Caiaphas and Hannas.

Where could they be going?
Not to the Temple, certainly, for the route to the sacred house from Zion, whence these appeared to be coming, was by the Xystus.
And their business--if peaceful, why the soldiers?
As the procession began to go by Ben-Hur, his attention was particularly called to three persons walking together.

They were well towards the front, and the servants who went before them with lanterns appeared unusually careful in the service.

In the person moving on the left of this group he recognized a chief policeman of the Temple; the one on the right was a priest; the middle man was not at first so easily placed, as he walked leaning heavily upon the arms of the others, and carried his head so low upon his breast as to hide his face.