Open Writing

T' trial afooare Caiaphas wor a reight rushed job, as Ah've said, an' at fust leet o' dawn the' called a full cahncil meetin', like, knawn as t' Sanhedrin. 'Ere it wor passed 'at Jesus mun bi 'anded ower ter t' Romans ter face a proper trial afooare Pontius Pilate, t' Roman Governor.

So the' clapped Jesus i' chains an' took 'im ter t' Praetorium, t' Roman 'eadquarters. All t' enemies o' Jesus wer' theeare — elders, preeasts, Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees — but ther' wor no mention o' this 'ere charge o' blasphemy. Knawin' 'at Romans 'ad no interest in t' Jeewish religion, t' cunnin' beggars moved ower ter politics — an' said 'at Jesus wor reckonin' ter bi a rival king ter Caesar.

So t' fust question Pilate put ter Jesus wor this:
'Art thou t' King o' t' Jeews?'

'Aye', replied Jesus, 'But nut t' sooart o' king tha's thinkin' on. This kingdom o' mine is aht o' this world.'

Then t' chief preeasts started sayin' no end o' spiteful things abaht Jesus, claimin' 'at 'e 'd set 'issen up ageean t' Romans.

'What does-ta say abaht all this, then?' Pilate axed Jesus. 'Speyk up, an' defend thissen!'

But Jesus wouldn't say owt. 'Appen it wor 'cos 'e thowt all the'd said deserved ter bi tret wi' contempt. 'Appen 'e wor thinkin' o' yon prophecy of Isaiah — abaht t' Messiah bein' like a lamb led ter t' slaughter, an' niwer openin' 'is mahth.

Pilate wor fair capped 'at Jesus wouldn't say owt in 'is defence.

But 'e could see the' wer' nobbut trumped-up charges, so 'e thowt 'e 'd finnd a way ter release 'im. Ther' wor a custom, tha sees, o' lettin' a prisoner go free iwery Passover. It wor summat t' Romans did ter humour t' Jeews, an' keep t' peace.

'Nah, then', says Pilate ter t' crahd.' 'Seein' as 'ah it's Passover Ah suppooase yer'll expect mi ter release a prisoner. An' Ah've a mind ter set free this 'ere "King o' t' Jeews".'

'Nay!', fowk started bawlin' aht. 'Nay! it's Barabbas tha mun set free! Wi want Barabbas!'

Well, Barabbas wor t' last person t' Romans wanted ter let go. 'E wor a bandit, an' a Zealot — one o' t' terrorists 'at wer' tryin' ter get shut o' t' Romans. An' the' said 'e'd committed murder, an' all.

But t' crahd wer' chantin' away, 'Barabbas! Barabbas!', an' Pilate couldn't reason wi' 'em.

'If Ah let Barabbas go,' says Pilate, 'What shall Ah do wi' this man yer call t' King o' t' Jeews?'

The' bawled aht: 'Crewcify 'im!'

'Why?' shahted Pilate. 'What 'arm 'as 'e done?'

The' bawled aht even lahder: 'Crewcify 'im!'

'This man 'as done nowt ter deserve crewcifixion,' says Pilate. 'Ah s'll 'ave 'im flogged, an' then let 'im go.'

But t' uprooar wor wahr ner iwer nah. The' wer' yellin' aht at t' tops o' the'r voices:
'If tha let's 'im go tha's nooan a friend o' Caesar!'

An' Pilate 'ould bi thinkin' 'at if it wor knawn i' Rome 'at 'e released a rival 'king,' then ther'd bi hummer ter play. But 'e still 'esitated.

'Shall Ah crewcify this "king" o' yours?' says Pilate.

'We've nobbut one king — an' that's Caesar!', the' said — lyin' through the'r teeth, o' course, 'cos all t' Jeews 'ated Caesar.

Well, then the' started bawlin' aht ageean 'at Jesus mun bi
crewcified. Pilate tried ter mak 'issen 'eeard ower t' noise, but 'e couldn't 'ear 'issen speyk. So 'e called fer a bowl o' watter — an' then 'e weshed 'is 'ands ter show t' crahd 'at 'e wouldn't tak onny blame fer t' deeath o' Jesus.

But 'e'd gi'en in tul 'em, all reight. An' Jesus wor ta'en away ter bi flogged — which is what t' Romans allus did afooare a crewcifixion. Then t' sodgers started makkin' spooart of 'im — same as t' others 'ad done when the'd mocked 'im as a prophet. Nah the' mocked 'im as a king. The' put a centewrion's purple clooak rahnd 'im, an' rammed a crahn o' sharp thorns on 'is 'eead. An' the' got a stick an' shoved it in 'is 'and, an' then reckoned ter cahr dahn afooare 'im, sayin':
'Hail! King o' t' Jeews!'

Some on 'em spat at 'im. Others grabbed t' stick an' brayed 'im wi' it... An' then, when the' wer' stalled o' the'r spooart, the' led 'im aht o' t' city ter bi crewcified.