It was now midday on the Day of Preparation for the Passover Festival. He brought Creator Sets Free (Jesus) before the people and said, “Here is your chief.”
He was wearing the headdress of thorns and the purple chief blanket that was wrapped around him. “Behold the man!” Spear of the Great Waters (Pilate) said to them.
They bowed down before him, making a big show of it, and kept mocking him, saying, “Honor! Honor to the Great Chief of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel).” They took turns hitting him on his face until he was bruised and bloodied.
It was now midday, for the sun had reached the center of the sky. A great shadow of darkness covered the land like a blanket, and the sky remained dark until midafternoon.