Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/397

Rh Pilate. Seeing this, Pilate commanded his servants to bring water. Therefore, washing his hands with the water, he said to the people, I am innocent of the blood of this good man. Ye will see that he is unjustly put to death, for neither have I found fault in him, nor yet Herod; for which cause he sent him back to me again. The Jews said, His blood be upon us and upon our children!

Then Pilate sat on his seat to pronounce sentence. He gave order therefore, and Jesus came before him. And they brought a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. Then he pronounced sentence, and said to him, Thy nation saith and witnesseth of thee, that thou desirest to be a king. Therefore I ordain that they first smite thee with a rod forty stripes, as the laws of the kings ordain: and that they mock thee; and lastly, that they crucify thee.

, therefore, sentence was declared by Pilate to this effect, the Jews began to smite Jesus, some with sticks, some with their hands, and some with their feet; and some also spat in his face. Then, straightway, having prepared the cross and given it to him, they made haste to set out. And going thus,