Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1915-11-19


stone benches, or "bema." as they
were then called, and placed here for
the purpose.
We see men Fastening along this
very street, leading as 1t did to the
Sheep Gate" (the modern st. Ste
phen's gate), and join a crowd with
torches at Gethsemane, which, with
the betraying of Judas, have taken the
Nazarene found here absorbed in
prayer. They lead him up the steep
slopes of the Kedron valley into the
city to the palace of Caiaphas, the
high priest.
By morning we see them move on
to the public square before Pilates
house. PLATE comes out from the pal
ace to the crowd clamoring against
Jesus. The Jews will not enter the
Judgment Hall lest they be thereby
defiled and prevented by their law
from eating the passover which was
then being kept. Therefore we see
Jesus entering alone with PLATE. Dur
ing the short interview that ensues
Plate asks: art thou the king of
the Jews?" Jesus answers my king
dom is not of this world" Plate re-
appears. The square is crowded and
we hear PLATE says: "Will ye that /
release to you the king of the Jews?"
But the clamoring reply is: Not this
man, but Barabbas" Plate now or.
ders Jesus to be scourged. A soldier,
possibly running to pile of thorn
bushes such as are still extensively
gathered and kept for fuel, plaits
crown, which is placed upon Jesus, as
also a purple robe Thus he is pre-
scented to his adversaries outside, and
Pilates voice is heard above the din
Of outcries, saying "Ecce Homo" (Be
hold the mani.
The high priests call out Cruelty
him." Plate seeks to release him, but
the former, knowing his weak spot
for Plate was only a procurator OF
governor under Caesar in Rome, call
out IF thou let this man go thou
art not Caesars friend; whatsoever
maketh himself a king speaketh
against Caesar"
Where PLATE Sat.
PLATE is influenced. We see him
now returning to the crowd outside,
and taking his seat upon one of these
stone benches here preserved, he has
Jesus led before him, complies fully
with the requests of the Jews, and the
crowd disappears with crosses and
Roman soldiers 1t is about the sixth
hour, or noon, for then, as now, in
eastern countries time begins with
sunset
Thus in our minds journey we have
followed closely st. Johns graphic
account given in the eighteenth and
nineteenth chapters. The thirteenth
verse Of the latter chapter is Of all i'm
portant interest to our subject. "Pilats
therefore brought Jesus forth
and sat down in the judgment seat in
a place called pavement" The words
here translated in the authorized yer
sion Judgment seat" have been rem
dered in more critical translation by
- ]. B. Rotterdam elevated bench" Ii
the original Greek it is "bema," mean
5 ing an elevated platform for orators
D use. Nor does the context go to show
, that it was anything like an officia
= throne or judgment seat.
j Jerusalem has been besieged an(
destroyed more times than any othe
3 city Nearly 1000 years have elapsed
a since the days we have been thinking
I of. Naturally we cannot, nor SHOULD
t we expect, to find here absolutely Ger
e tain spots associated with our Lord
s life on earth. In fact few of the man,
S now pointed out are capable of beinl
S authenticated. Nevertheless, as W
s turn away from this spot we canno
n help but feel we have looked upon tn
n very pavement" trod by our Lord
J. and probably have seen the very sea
e from which PLATE gave sentence
l. 1t is true that some archeologist
s may argue that this triumphal arch /
n later than the days OF Christ; but eve
:, if this were SO it does not disprov
g the pavement