ed his
prisoner, had not the Jews prevented it.

'_If thou let this Man go, thou art not Caesar's friend,_' they cried,
thus compelling Pilate, at the risk of being reported as a traitor to
his Emperor, to crucify Jesus of Nazareth, and to free Barabbas.

But in choosing the rebel, Barabbas (Mark xv. 7) as their hero, the
nation started on their downward road, as the story of the forty years
which followed the Saviour's crucifixion clearly shows.

For the Jews were determined at all costs to throw off the Roman yoke,
and the history of those years is one long list of terrible risings and
massacres, while cities were ruined, villages wrapped in flames, and
men, women and children perished with hunger.

Yet the keener the suffering, the more desperate the Jews became.
Their whole souls were possessed with a wild and mad passion for
revenge.

The Saviour had warned His hearers most earnestly against following
false Christs. '_Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is
Christ, or there; believe it not._' (Matthew xxiv. 23.)

Yet no sooner did a daring rebel or murderer gather a band of robbers
around him, and begin to kill and plunder, than multitudes of Jews
cried, 'The Christ, or Messiah has come; now we shall have vengeance on
our enemies!'

They were fighting against God now, and against the Book which He had
given them. All peace-loving people who could possibly do so left the
country.

[Illustration: THE PRECIOUS GOLDEN CANDLESTICK, FROM THE TEMPLE AT
JERUSALEM, CARRIED BY THE ROMAN CONQUERORS THROUGH THE STREETS OF
ROME--FROM THE BROKEN ROMAN CARVING STILL TO BE SEEN IN ROME TO-DAY]

At last, in 66 A.D., all the Jews in Jerusalem rose in a body against
their Roman governors. They surrounded the great tower of Antonia
where the Roman soldiers were quartered, and cried out to the garrison
within that their lives should be spared if they would lay down their
weapons. The Roman soldiers hesitated, but the Jews promised most
faithfully to keep their word.

The Romans believed them, and opened their gates; but no sooner were
they in the power of the Jewish mob than they were fallen upon and
murdered to the last man!

As they died the Roman soldiers, whom not even death could terrify,
lifted up their hands to Heaven, as though calling upon God to witness
that the Jews had broken their solemn oath.

The Roman Emperor could not overlook such rebellion and treachery, and
he sent a great army against Je