The Tribunal of Caiphas.
To enter Caiphas's tribunal persons had to pass through a large court,
which may be called the exterior court; from thence they entered into
an inner court, which extended all round the building. The building
itself was of far greater length than breadth, and in the front there
was a kind of open vestibule surrounded on three sides by columns of no
great height. On the fourth side the columns were higher, and behind
them was a room almost as large as the vestibule itself, where the seat
of the members of the Council were placed on a species of round
platform raised above the level of the floor. That assigned to the High
Priest was elevated above the others; the criminal to be tried stood in
the centre of the halfcircle formed by the seats. The witnesses and
accusers stood either by the side or behind the prisoner. There were
three doors at the back of the judges' seats which led into another
apartment, filled likewise with seats. This room was used for secret
consultation. Entrances placed on the right and left hand sides of this
room opened into the interior court, which was round, like the back of
the building. Those who left the room by the door on the righthand side
saw on the left-hand side of the court the gate which led to a
subterranean prison excavated under the room. There were many
underground prisons there, and it was in one of these that Peter and
John were confined a whole night, when they had cured the lame man in
the Temple after Pentecost. Both the house and the courts were filled
with torches and lamps, which made them as light as day. There was a
large fire lighted in the middle of the porch, on each side of which
were hollow pipes to serve as chimneys for the smoke, and round this
fire were standing soldiers, menial servants, and witnesses of the
lowest class who had received bribes for giving their false testimony.
A few women were there likewise, whose employment was to pour out a
species of red beverage for the soldiers, and to bake cakes, for which
services they received a small compensation. The majority of the judges
were already seated around Caiphas, the others came in shortly
afterwards, and the porch was almost filled, between true and false
witnesses, while many other persons likewise endeavoured to come in to
gratify their curiosity, but were prevented. Peter and John entered the
outer court, in the dress of travellers, a short time before Jesus was
led through, and John succeeded in penetrating into the inner court, by
means of a servant with whom he was acquainted. The door was instantly
closed after him, therefore Peter, who was a little behind, was shut
out. He begged the maid-servant to open the door for him, but she
refused both his entreaties and those of John, and he must have
remained on the outside had not Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who
came up at this moment, taken him with them. The two Apostles then
returned the cloaks which they had borrowed, and stationed themselves
in a place from whence they could see the judges, and hear everything
that was going on. Caiphas was seated in the centre of the raised
platform, and seventy of the members of the Sanhedrin were placed
around him, while the public officers, the scribes, and the ancients
were standing on either side, and the false witnesses behind them.
Soldiers were posted from the base of the platform to the door of the
vestibule through which Jesus was to enter. The countenance of Caiphas
was solemn in the extreme, but the gravity was accompanied by
unmistakable signs of suppressed rage and sinister intentions. He wore
a long mantle of a dull red colour, embroidered in flowers and trimmed
with golden fringe; it was fastened at the shoulders and on the chest,
besides being ornamented in the front with gold clasps. His head-attire
was high, and adorned with hanging ribbons, the sides were open, and it
rather resembled a bishop's mitre. Caiphas had been waiting with his
adherents belonging to the Great Council for some time, and so
impatient was he that he arose several times, went into the outer court
in his magnificent dress, and asked angrily whether Jesus of Nazareth
was come. When he saw the procession drawing near he returned to his
seat.