Pontius Pilate

Because of the nature of tonight's program.

Westinghouse does not wish to interrupt

the story with commercial messages.

Therefore, our product demonstrations

will precede and follow the play.

Now that you've seen part one of Westinghouse studio one,

let's turn to our program.

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This Is a cross.

To most of us it is a symbol of infinite love

and infinite humility.

To some, it is a symbol of infinite suffering.

1,900 years ago, the cross meant something very different.

It was a symbol of the power of Rome.

It was a Roman instrument of execution

and torture for criminals and for subject peoples.

The Jews were one of these peoples.

Their own laws forbade the use of the cross,

but that did not stop its use against them

under the overlordship of Rome.

And so one day, one among them was taken by Roman guards

to the crest of a hill, whereby orders of Rome

he was nailed to such a cross.

It was a season of the Passover in the Roman year 783.

And on that day, a certain man was

brought to trial before Pontius Pilate.

My lady.

What is happening?

The court is waiting in recess, my lady.

The prisoner's been delivered over to King Herod.

To Herod?

Was this by order of my husband?

Yes.

But why?

The man's a Galilean.

And since his crimes were not against the rule of Rome,

there was no cause to hold him any longer.

But if he were innocent, why was he not set free?

The decision was not easy, my lady.

The man appeared completely different to the outcome

of the trial.

Why have they turned against him?

The followed him in droves into the city.

Why are they howling like that now?

There's some fatality to all of us in this trial.

Manlius, see that we are not disturbed.

The high priest has requested audience,

and I've said I will see him.

Yes, my lord.

The commander tells me that you've

turned the man over to Herod.

Yes.

Why?

More to gain time than anything else.

I have little faith in Herod's their willingness

to bear the burden.

He'll slither out of it.

In time, it'll give me a chance to think what I should do.

And is it so hard to decide?

The man is a mystery.

He will not struggle against events, not even against death.

I could save him even now if he'd

make the slightest effort of cooperation.

Does he still insist that he is the rightful king?

I said to him, are you the king of the Jews?

And he answered, you say I am.

And then he added that his kingdom is not of this world,

that he came to fulfill the law of his father, whatever

that may mean.

He's a mystic.

He's made the people believe that he's

fighting for a new idea, for the truth.

My dear, do you suppose for one moment

that that mob of malcontents and beggars that follow him

are even remotely interested in the truth?

What they would like to do is to storm this palace, string Herod

and me up by the neck and put up some crazy revolutionary

government of their own.

Oh Pontius, how little you understand

these people, least of all him.

Why, he's no more capable of starting a revolution

than I am.

Perhaps.

The high priest is here, Your Excellency.

Do not send me away.

Allow me to stay.

I would wish you to stay.

Good morning, Your Excellency.

I hope you do not object to my having

brought my father's along with me.

It never occurred to me that you would not, Caiaphas.

My lady...

Caiaphas, Annas.

You made your request for audience most urgent.

The matter is most urgent, Your Excellency.

The releasing of this man to Herod

destroyers the entire purpose of our bringing him to you.

Oh?

But Herod is ruler of Galilee.

It is proper that he should deal with this case I should think.

This man is no local problem, Your Excellency.

He Is quite as a great a threat to Rome as to us.

In short, you desire his death.

But as your laws do not permit you to inflict

the extreme penalty, you wish me to shoulder

the burden in the name of Rome.

If... if we could discuss this matter in private.

My wife has followed the career of this man quite closely.

I've asked her to stay.

I trust this does not mean that you

are in sympathy with this rebellion, my lady?

Rebellion nonsense.

He's no more than a simple teacher, a reformer.

I have heard this man, and I say that what he preaches

is blasphemy.

Perhaps you do not understand what that means to us, my lady.

I understand very well.

I am half Jewish myself, you may remember.

You should well know what it means to be a subject people.

We are no more than a province of a Roman province.

One thing only we have which no mad imposter, no blasphemer

can from us... the laws of our people, the Covenant.

We are the guardians of those laws.

It is our duty...

Enough!

By what presumption do you dare come

and say these things to me?

For all your robes and panoply of office,

you are not even good Jews nor rightful representatives

of your people's faith.

Because you've sold yourselves to Rome.

You come here to demand the death of one of your people.

I represent the law.

Tell me.

By what law does he deserve to die?

He plots the overthrow of Rome.

Did we not send you countless witnesses to attest this fact?

Witnesses?

Do you think I'm a blind fool that you

send such people to my court?

They lied so crudely.

Each denied the other as soon as he could open his mouth.

There is no sentence of death permitted

unless the accused men be guilty of treason to Rome.

This you know.

Adhere to it or this audience is at and end.

Has he not publicly affirmed that he's king of the Jews?

And is this not open admission of rebellion?

He is priest of Anubis.

When I looked at him in the courtroom,

I saw black wings hovering above him.

There is a terrible evil in his silences.

See the things you've built up in your minds.

I have heard him speak many times,