Balthasar fell down speechless.
Even Ben-Hur cried out, "O my God! my God!" Then, as if he divined their feelings or heard the exclamation, the Nazarene turned his wan face towards the party, and looked at them each one, so they carried the look in memory through life.

They could see he was thinking of them, not himself, and the dying eyes gave them the blessing he was not permitted to speak.
"Where are thy legions, son of Hur ?" asked Simonides, aroused.
"Hannas can tell thee better than I." "What, faithless ?" "All but these two." "Then all is lost, and this good man must die!" The face of the merchant knit convulsively as he spoke, and his head sank upon his breast.

He had borne his part in Ben-Hur's labors well, and he had been inspired by the same hopes, now blown out never to be rekindled.
Two other men succeeded the Nazarene bearing cross-beams.
"Who are these ?" Ben-Hur asked of the Galileans.
"Thieves appointed to die with the Nazarene," they replied.
Next in the procession stalked a mitred figure clad all in the golden vestments of the high-priest.

Policemen from the Temple curtained him round about; and after him, in order, strode the sanhedrim, and a long array of priests, the latter in their plain white garments, overwrapped by abnets of many folds and gorgeous colors.
"The son-in-law of Hannas," said Ben-Hur, in a low voice.
"Caiaphas! I have seen him," Simonides replied, adding, after a pause during which he thoughtfully watched the haughty pontiff, "And now am I convinced.

With such assurance as proceeds from clear enlightenment of the spirit--with absolute assurance--now know I that he who first goes yonder with the inscription about his neck is what the inscription proclaims him--KING OF THE JEWS.