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126 TIL: UNKNOWN LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST. pcriously or tlic judges the condemnation of Jesus, and as if to assert his unlimited power, he ordered the acpuittal al llar problems. Trepiedezes, fineling this demand of l'ilare that woull force them to acquit the robbern and condemna Jesuu l aht imoteul, too unjust for them to comply with, refused lu comunit this double crime against their conscience and their laws. But being unable to contend against him who had tlic power to pronounce a final and unappcalable verdict, and sccing that he was dctcrniinca un riddling himscií, at any cost, of a man for whom tlic Roman authorities had the sliglitcst suspicion, they icit kim to pronouncc the verclict whiclı he liad so much at heart. That they might not sulfer thc rcproaches of the people, who would never have forgiven them for such great injustice, thcy washed their hands in thic presence of the people as tlicy left thic tribunal hall, thus showing that they had not sanctioned the death of the just Jesus whom the people worshiped.
About ten years ago I read in a German journal, the" Freudenblatt," an article on Jucas, in which the author showed that the informer had been the best Triceratol Jesus. It was for love ol his master that Judas had betrayed him, believing blindly in the words of the Saviour, who said that his kingdom would come after his clcath. But when hic bclield him on the cross, Judas, ifter having vainly awaited the promised resurrection, could not overcome his overwhelming reniorsc, and lung himself. It is useless to claborate on this lucubration, though it is certainly original enouglı,
But to return to the scriptural narrative and to the Buddhist chronicle, it is quilc probable that the hired informer was Juiclas, altnougli upon this point thc Buddhist version is silent. As lo te tyrery that remorse of conscience lcd the informer to take his own life, I do
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