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Q. I heard that Mel Gibson cut a scene from the film. But then later I heard he didn't. What's the story?
(A) The discussion was not over a scene, but simply one line. The line comes after Jesus has been presented to Pilate and Pilate states that he could not find any crime that Jesus had committed. Pilate washes his hands and says "I am innocent of this man's blood." Then in the Bible's Matthew Chapter 27, verse 25, the crowd says "His blood be upon us and upon our children". It is believed by many that this line means that the people of Israel accept the responsibility of Jesus' death. It has a rich meaning within the long relationship between God and His chosen people. Some people have debated whether or not the inclusion of this line would incite anti-Semitism. The film is spoken in Latin, Aramaic, and Hebrew. The line is still in the film and spoken in the native langauge, however there is no subtitle for it.
Q. Who was the man that helped Jesus carry the cross?
(A) At that time, a condemned person, in this case Jesus, was constrained to bear his own instrument of torture. Roman garrisons in Palestine had the right to requisition the property and services of the native population. In this case, the Bible refers to a Simon of Cyrenian. Cyrenaica was a Roman province on the north coast of Africa and Cyrene was its capital city. Simon may have been living in Palestine or have come there for the Passover as a pilgrim. Simon was told to help Jesus carry the cross.
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