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When Judas, His betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, Judas was afflicted in mind and troubled for his former folly. And with remorse which was with little more than a selfish dread of the consequences he brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.” They replied, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” And casting the pieces of silver forward into the Holy Place of the sanctuary of the temple, he departed; and finding a rope he went off and hanged himself. But the chief priests, picking up the pieces of silver, said, “It is not legal to put these in the consecrated treasury, for it is the price of blood.” So after the consultation they bought with the pieces of silver the Potterīs Field as a place in which to bury strangers. Therefore that piece of ground has been called the Field of Blood to the present day. Then were fulfilled the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet when he said, ‘And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him Whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel (Zech. 11:12-13). And they gave them for the potterīs field, as the Lord directed me.ī |
