Chapter 12. Of the Concord Preserved Among All the Four Evangelists on the Subject of the Parting of His Raiment.
Matthew goes on thus: And after they crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots: and sitting down, they watched Him. Mark reports the same incident, as follows: And crucifying Him, they parted His garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. In like manner Luke says: And they parted His raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. The occurrence is thus recorded briefly by the first three. But John gives us a more detailed narrative of the method in which the act had gone about. His version runs thus: Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also His coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which says, They parted my garments, and for my vesture they did cast lots.