44 



PIONEERS OF EVOLUTION. 



the Jews, whose belief in their special place in the 

 world as the " chosen people " never forsook them. 

 Nor had their misfortunes weakened their belief that 

 the Messiah predicted by their prophets would ap- 

 pear to deliver them, and plant their feet on the neck 

 of the hated conqueror. This hope, as became a 

 pious Jew, Jesus shared, but it set him brooding 

 on some nobler, because more spiritual, conception 

 of it than his fellow-countrymen nurtured. Finally, 

 it led him to the belief, fostered by the ambition of 

 his nearer disciples, which was, however, material 

 in its hopes, that he was the spiritual Messiah. In 

 that faith he repaired to Jerusalem at the time of 

 the Passover feast when the city was crowded with 

 devotees, that he might, before the chief priests and 

 elders, make his appeal to the nation. According 

 to the story, his daring in clearing the holy temple 

 of money-changers and traders led to his appearance 

 before the Sanhedrin, the highest judicial council; 

 his plainness of speech raised the fury of the sects; 

 and when, dreaming of a purer faith, he spoke omi- 

 nous words about the destruction of the temple, the 

 charge of blasphemy was laid against him. His guilt 

 was made clear to his judges when, answering a 

 question of the high priest, he declared himself to be 

 the Messiah. This, involving claim to kingship over 

 the Jews, and therefore rebellion against the Empire, 

 was made the plea of haling him before the Roman 

 governor, Pontius Pilate, for trial. Pilate, looking 

 upon the whole affair as a local entente, was disin- 



