CHARACTERISA TION IN THE PASSION-PLA Y 345 



to Jesus was a means of carrying away the sympathies 

 of his audience which even the religious playwright 

 did not despise. Historically, we have no reason for 

 supposing that the masses in Jerusalem were singularly 

 hostile to either the person or teaching of the car- 

 penter's son. The opposition largely arose from the 

 privileged classes, the priests, the educated, the wealthy 

 members of the community ; they were closely touched 

 by his contempt for the study of the law and by his 

 undoubtedly communistic teaching. To some extent 

 the priests may have rewon the popular ear, but it is 

 scarcely credible that the whole population were eager 

 to scoff and torture the very man whom shortly before 

 they had accompanied in a veritable triumph into the 

 city. The scarlet robe and the crown of thorns were 

 due, not to the Jews, but to the Koman soldiers ; the 

 scourging seems to have been inflicted to excite pity, 

 while the wine mingled with myrrh was given as a 

 soporific. 1 In the passion-plays, however, there is no 

 brutality so great that it cannot be placed to the credit 

 of the Jewish mob ; the tortures of the gospel narrative 

 are increased a hundredfold, in order not so much to 

 excite pity for the victim as to fan the popular hatred 

 of the Jewish race. Thus Barabbas is no sooner 

 released from the ' stocks ' than he hastens to insult 

 Christ. 2 Malchus, showing no gratitude for the recovery 

 of his ear, is foremost among the tormentors. 3 The 

 Jews are represented as gathering round Jesus full of 

 the most venomous hate, and as taking pleasure in the 



1 Compare Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, under Crucifixion, and Strauss, 

 Leben Jesu, pp. 574, 578. 2 B, vol. ii. pp. 297, 298. 



3 B, vol. ii. pp. 298, 299 ; Jubinal, Mystlres inedits, vol. ii. p. 190, etc. 



