Why did the accusers of Jesus stay behind while He was led to the Praetorium?
Answer Details
The accusers of Jesus stayed behind while He was led to the Praetorium because they did not want to be defiled. According to Jewish law, entering a Gentile's house or any place where Gentiles were present would make a person ceremonially unclean. The Praetorium was the residence of the Roman governor, a Gentile, and the accusers did not want to become defiled by entering it, especially since they wanted to participate in the Passover celebration, which required them to be ceremonially clean. Therefore, they stayed outside and waited for Jesus to be brought back out to them.