I would ask you if the body
is ridded of its worms before it is carried away by angels. But I see
that you are pressed for time; the Sabbath approaches; I must not detain
you, and yet I would not let you go without telling you that it pleases
me to give his body for burial. A body deserves burial that has been
possessed by a lofty soul, for how many years, thirty? I would have
saved him if it had been possible to do so; but he gave me no chance;
his answers were brief and evasive; and he seemed to desire death;
seemingly he looked upon his death as necessary for the accomplishment
of his mission. Have I divined him right? Joseph answered that Pilate
read Jesus' soul truly, which flattered Pilate and persuaded him into
further complaint that if he had not saved Jesus it was because Jesus
would not answer him. He seemed to me like a man only conscious of his
own thoughts, Pilate said; even while speaking he seemed to rouse hardly
at all out of his dream, a delirious dream, if I may so speak, of the
world redeemed from the powers of evil and given over to the love of
God. This, however, he did say: that any power which I might have over
him came to me from above, from his Father which is in heaven, else I
could do nothing; and there was bitterness in his voice as he spoke
these words, which seemed to suggest that he was of opinion that his
Father had gone a little too far in allowing the Jews to send him to me
to condemn to death.

His Father in heaven and himself are one, and yet they differ in this.
So he was your friend, Joseph? If I had known it there would have been
an additional reason for my trying to save him from the hatred of the
Jews; for I hate the Jews, and would willingly leave them to-morrow. But
they cried out: you are not Caesar's friend; this man would set up a new
kingdom and overthrow the Romans; and, as I have already told you,
Joseph, I asked Jesus if he claimed to be King of the Jews, but he
answered me: you have said it, adding, however, that his kingdom was not
of this world. Evasive answers of that kind are worthless when a mob is
surging round the Praetorium. A hateful crowd they looked to me; a cruel,
rapacious, vindictive crowd, with nothing in their minds but hatred. I
suspect they hated him for religious reasons. You Jews are--forgive me,
Joseph, you are an exception among your people--a bitter, intolerant
race. You would not allow me to bring the Roman eagles to Jerusalem, for
you cannot loo