Chapter 5

(49)

Kneeling among the vines, Vitellius could just make out Malchus. Malchus was talking to the group of Roman soldiers who had approached from a distance, from whom he was hiding among the grape leaves. He tried to see how many Roman soldiers there were, but in his position, he couldn't, and he didn't dare peek his head above the vines. To avoid being discovered, he had crept a considerable distance away from Malchus. The distance was too great to hear anything of the conversation.

Because he could see or hear little, Vitellius shifted his position. He sat on his backside and wrapped his arms around his knees. He stared into space for a while. The absurdity of his situation became clearer the more he had to hide from his own comrades in the legion. For a moment, Vitellius wondered if all this was really necessary and if he wasn't being dramatic. But the harsh reality of their early morning escape from the Garden Tomb allowed no other course of action. He could never face a Roman again without risking his life.

Vitellius stared for a moment at the two wooden boards he had placed on the ground beside him, bearing the accusations of crucified robbers. It wouldn't be that bad. But being stoned to death by a cohort of soldiers in the fortress wasn't pleasant either. And it was becoming increasingly difficult to avoid that fate. Even on the Vine Path, trodden only by peasants, he encountered Roman soldiers. The area was being thoroughly searched.

Vitellius sighed deeply. It was still spring, and yet midday was scorching hot among the vines on one of Jerusalem's southern slopes. He looked up. The sky was a brilliant blue, and it felt like summer. It was taking a long time. He wondered if Malchus had yet managed to shake off the soldiers. He knelt down again. With his eyes just above the vines, he scanned the path. But he saw no one anymore. He wondered where Malchus had gotten to. He turned his head.

Suddenly, he saw the Roman soldiers walking through the vines toward him. He looked around wildly, searching for an escape route. But there was none. He was trapped like a rat. He crouched again, wondering if they had seen him. If not, maybe he could hide from them on his hands and knees. It occurred to him that he mustn't forget the wooden signs. That at least spoke volumes about his sense of duty. He tucked them under his arm and tried to crawl further away unseen. But that was difficult. He couldn't make any progress this way without getting above the vines. Behind him, he heard footsteps and the rustling of leaves getting closer. He panicked and began to run in a crouched position. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him.

"Stop, Vitellius, don't run away." It's us, your comrades from the guard.'

Vitellius immediately recognized Claudius's voice. He straightened from his crouched position and looked gratefully at the blue sky for a moment. Then he turned and looked into Claudius's smiling face. Claudius walked over and said:

'Don't be afraid. We're in the same boat.'

'I... I really thought my last hours had come,' Vitellius sighed. He saw now that there were four of them. The other three were standing a little further away. On the Vineyard Path, he saw Malchus again. He was laughing loudly, watching him recover from the shock. The immense relief made Vitellius laugh too, and he shook his fist in mock anger at Malchus.

A moment later, all six of them were standing on the Vine Path, talking to each other—Vitellius, Malchus, and the four other soldiers of the guard, who, like Vitellius, had come to the priests' palace that morning.

"But how did you end up here?" Vitellius asked.

"That's quite a story. Gaius can tell you more about it, can't you, Gaius?"

Gaius gave a timid laugh and said:

"I was more than tired of waiting in that palace. Especially after the shameless interrogation by that maid who brought us breakfast."

Vitellius looked surprised and asked:

"Interrogation? By a maid? Not by one of the priests?"

"No, by a maid!" And she kept asking questions, as if she were the prefect himself.

"But how did you get out of the palace and onto this farm path?"

"The door to our room wasn't locked, so we grabbed all our things and sneaked out. There was hardly anyone in the whole palace."

"But those walls are quite high, and the gate was locked."

"Claudius knew how to handle that. Didn't he, Claudius?"

Claudius put on an indifferent face and replied:

"I saw a ladder propped up against one of the trees. You could also prop it up against a wall. When the four of us were on the wall, we hoisted the ladder to the other side. That's how we escaped.'

'And no one saw us?'

'Yes. But by then we were already on the wall with the ladder on the other side. The maid who saw us, by the way, just let us get on with it.'

'But what were you planning then?'

Claudius thought for a moment and replied:

'The cross-examination by that maid in the palace didn't sit well with us. After deliberation, we decided to start a new life in Syria, just like the others.'

'So you wanted me to take care of everything here?' Vitellius concluded, taken aback.

Claudius looked at Vitellius for a moment and placed his right hand crosswise on his right shoulder as a sign of solidarity.

'Vitellius, make no mistake. The four of us discussed you at length, and we also weighed your chances. You, the only one of sixteen deserting soldiers, would be executed much less quickly than the five of us put together.'

Vitellius looked thoughtfully into Claudius's eyes and replied:

'Hmm, perhaps you're right. Go on. How did you get here?'

Claudius lowered his arm again and continued:

'We were in the upper city. The northern route to Syria, west of the city via the Essene Gate, made the most sense. Especially if we wanted to stay away from the fortress. Once outside the gate, we kept encountering Contubernia. Besides, all the roads were jammed with peasant processions. It seemed as if the entire Legio X Fretensis, along with all of Judea, was wandering around Jerusalem.

Here Gaius interrupted him and said:

"Yes, and luckily the farmers didn't see any difference between us and the Contubernia on duty, because they all neatly moved out of the way."

Claudius glanced at Gaius with dismay, and there was a moment of silence. Then he continued:

"But somewhere near Herod's tomb, we were surrounded by a patrol in front and behind us. We then wandered off the path into the vineyards. After wandering through the vines for a while, we came across this path."

The men were silent. They were still standing at the highest point of the Vine Path. The view of Jerusalem was a magnificent panorama, and if their situation weren't so dire, they would be enjoying it to the fullest. But the sight of certain buildings was more of a headache. On the other side of the wall, with some effort, they could see, behind Herod's Palace, through the red sea of rooftops, towards the south, the enormous residence of the old high priest. Looking west, the gigantic Fortress of Antonia filled the horizon. Claudius turned back to Vitellius and said:

"All in all, we haven't made any progress since early this morning."

Vitellius turned to his comrades with some restrained pride and remarked:

"Yes, I have. Do you know what I discovered at the tomb?"

Here Malchus suddenly intervened, and before Vitellius could say anything, he said:

"Don't bother, Vitellius. I've already told them all about your discoveries at the tomb."

 

(50)

Mary and Matilda's eyes were fixed hopefully on Saraf. Behind him rose the enormous corner tower of Jerusalem's southern wall. Around them, the pilgrims' psalms, accompanied by flutes, resounded over the city gates. The girls had felt swallowed up all afternoon by a noisy, heaving, sweating crowd and longed to finally be released. Saraf looked into the sun and pointed southwest, saying:

"Past the snake pond, a narrow farm path runs along the southern slopes west of the city. It's known as the Vine Path. Only the local farmers from the immediate area west of the city know it. Pilgrims don't know it, and it's probably quiet there. It runs parallel to the city, heading north, so we can reach the tomb quickly."

"Let's head that way quickly," Maria suggested. "The sooner we get out of this commotion, the better."

The children still had a stretch of main road to follow. Slowly but surely, they shuffled through the stream of pilgrims under the fifty-cubit-high aqueduct that Herod had built years earlier. A little further on, they saw the enormous body of water of the snake pond, a deep, dark blue, inviting respite among the trees. A winding path between cypress hedges led to it. The children were briefly tempted to seek out the refreshing water. But when they saw the enormous crowds along the path and at the pond, they decided to continue on towards the Vineyard Path. Just as they had passed under the high aqueduct for the second time, Saraf spotted a narrow path between olive trees. The children walked up the path as fast as they could in order to leave the oppressive crowds behind them. The path climbed quite steeply. Soon they were walking among the vines. A joyful cheerfulness came over them as they climbed a little higher.

"What an excellent idea of yours, this path, Saraf!" Mary cheered, looking back at Saraf, who was following behind.

Sarah looked at her shyly, at the sudden compliment. She smiled at him and said:

"And now quickly find the tomb of the Prophet of Nazareth. I want to witness the rolled away stone."

Sarah looked up silently, thanking God for giving them this way out. Then he asked Mary:

"Don't you think that Jesus, besides being a Prophet, is also the Messiah of David?"

She seemed to have considered this because she immediately replied:

"When I see the stone rolled away from his tomb, I will believe it."

Sarah was silent for a moment. Then he said:

“I don’t get it. A week ago, almost everyone in Galilee and Judea thought He was Messiah ben David when He entered Jerusalem. Who among all those people still believes that now?”

Their conversation came to an abrupt end because Matilda, who had been walking ahead all this time, suddenly asked:

“And now, where should we go?”

The path they were walking on crossed another. It was unclear which path was the Vine Path, which led north.

Saraf hesitated and stood looking around for a while. Matilda grew restless and asked:

“Saraf, you knew where the Vine Path was, didn’t you?”

Mary said nothing but put her arm around Matilda and looked encouragingly at Saraf. Suddenly, Saraf knew how to solve the problem. He looked at the position of the sun. He estimated the time to be midday. The sun was due south. That meant they had to keep their shadows in front of them as much as possible if they wanted to walk north. Saraf immediately saw that they had to turn right. The other path led too far west and away from the city.

"We have to go that way," Saraf said, gesturing to the right. He let the girls lead the way again. The path climbed very gradually through the vines, and for a moment the children walked in silence, one behind the other.

"How did you know which path was the right one?" Maria asked curiously.

Saraf explained his tactics to her, to which Maria replied:

"That's nice, you can tell how to walk by the position of the sun. I'll remember that," she said.

"You have to keep an eye on the time of day," Saraf warned her. "The sun moves from the east, via the south, to the north."

"Yes, I know," Maria said. "But how can I take that into account?"

"Suppose it were sometime late afternoon right now. Then the sun would be in the west, and we'd have to have our shadows on our right instead of directly in front of us."

Maria, who had been walking beside Saraf for a moment, nodded understandingly and went ahead of him again. For a moment, the children walked in silence, one behind the other, along the path, which ran like a narrow strip through the rolling vineyard landscape. It was a beautiful walk. The path was relatively level, parallel to the slope of the hill. On the left, the green shroud of vineyards stretched out above the hill to the horizon. On the right, Jerusalem lay behind a hedge of cypress and olive trees. Suddenly, Matilda, who had been keeping a close eye on the surroundings, exclaimed in surprise:

"There! Down there on the right. There are Roman soldiers!"

Saraf and Maria looked up and saw, at the bottom of the hill where they were walking, a few helmets and spears among the vegetation.

“Oh, that’s Herod’s tomb,” Saraf knew. “It’s probably guarded during the festivities. Perhaps constantly, because of grave robbing.”

“So it’s not the tomb we’re looking for?” Mary asked, laughing.

Sarah burst out laughing and, as he continued walking, said:

“No. I don’t think Jesus of Nazareth’s tomb is guarded. He wasn’t rich. At least not in the Herod way.”

“What do you mean by that last part?”

“I mean, is there a greater difference imaginable than between Herod and Jesus? With Herod, it was all about pomp and circumstance. About power, about money, about buildings. All outward display. With Jesus, it’s all about the inner self, about spiritual wealth, honesty, sincerity, compassion.”

Mary was silent, letting Saraf’s words sink in. The path began to climb slightly again. They were walking up one of the vineyards. Every now and then, they glanced around. On the right, they saw the city wall slowly emerge from behind a row of treetops. The sun was at their backs and they were enjoying the scenery. Saraf especially enjoyed Mary's presence. He tried to clarify what he had just said, saying:

"I think the 'Shema Yisrael' is the seed of what Jesus of Nazareth taught."

Naturally, Mary began to recite the first lines of the well-known passage from the Torah by heart:

"Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One! Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. These words that I command you today shall be on your heart.”

Saraf was pleasantly surprised by Mary’s sudden utterance of the Torah and asked:

“Isn’t the love of the Lord our God the greatest wealth there is?”

Mary then quoted a passage from the Tanakh again:

“Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for her yield is better than the yield of silver, and her gain better than fine gold, and she is more precious than rubies.” Mishlei, Section One, Section Five.

“And the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom,” Saraph added.

Mary looked back with a smile. Saraph noted with satisfaction that they complemented each other well. Meanwhile, they reached the top of the vineyard. There the path curved to the right and began a gentle descent. Suddenly, they spotted Herod's palace, with the immense Roman fortress behind it. Maria returned to the question Saraph had posed a moment earlier and, looking back, asked:

"Saraf, you were wondering earlier why so few people support the Rabbi of Nazareth. Do you have any idea?"

Saraf responded enthusiastically because Maria had brought up his problem and said:

"Good of you to bring it up. Yes, I find it strange that people turn their backs on Him, considering His enormous popularity before Passover."

"But you have no idea how that could have happened?"

"No, do you?"

"Actually, it's quite strange, yes. Lately, we've been talking almost exclusively about the Rabbi of Nazareth at home. Who He is. What we could expect from Him."

"When did He start becoming interesting in your house?" Saraph asked.

Maria thought for a moment. Then she replied, “I think He really became the talk of the town after last Sukkot. Were you there too?”

“Where?”

“At Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles. I remember it well. I was standing in the Court of the Women and could see through the Nicanor Gate the great altar with the priests on it, one with the wine and one with the water.”

“Oh, you mean when suddenly that deep, loud male voice echoed through all the temple courts, inviting you to come to Him if you were thirsty?”

“Yes, exactly. I’ll never forget that moment. What a voice, like a trumpet, like the roar of a lion. On the one hand, I was startled, but on the other, a deep joy flowed through me when I heard Him call like that.”

Saraf fell silent, moved. He remembered it too. He was even closer than Mary. He could even see the Rabbi standing near the Nicanor Gate, on the narrow strip alongside the altar in the inner courtyard. In his memory, he saw it happen again, precisely at the moment of the pouring of the water and wine, on top of the altar in two silver bowls. He felt again the deep longing that welled up within him at that moment, to belong to the Rabbi and to go to Him. That was impossible at that moment because of the packed crowd in the temple. Saraf turned back to Mary and asked:

“Did you experience the day after that?”

“No, what happened then?”

“You know the ritual of the lamps and torches in the temple that burn all night, bathing Jerusalem and its surroundings in a bright light?”

“Yes, I witnessed that a few times.”

“Well, on the eighth day of the feast, He presented Himself as the Light of the world. The Pharisees thought this was going too far, and a dispute broke out. My father stood there and heard…'

Saraph stopped mid-sentence, startled. He almost bumped into Mary. Matilda, who had been walking ahead all this time, suddenly froze in place. She recoiled from something looming in the distance.

 

(51)

With mounting surprise, Annas, Caiaphas, and Jonathan leaned forward. They were standing on the colonnade surrounding the inner temple courtyard, their hands gripping the balustrade tightly. They had just rushed out of the high priest's chamber in fear because of noises from the courtyard.

From their position, they had an excellent view of the commotion unfolding in the courtyard. Not one but two choirs of Levites were stationed, one on the dukan, the three steps between the Court of Israel and the Court of the Priests, and, in defiance of all regulations, a second choir on the fifteen steps that descended in a semicircle from the Gate of Nicanor to the Court of the Women. At this unusual time, hundreds of Levites loudly sang the dedication psalm for the temple, not just the verse customary with Bikkurim, but a much longer section:

"I will praise You, Adonai, for You have lifted me up

and have not made my enemies rejoice over me.

Adonai, my God, I cried to You

and You have healed me.

Adonai, You have brought my soul up from the grave;

You have preserved my life,

so that I did not go down to the pit.’

The pilgrims began to accompany the Levitical chant with rhythmic clapping, and it wasn’t long before the entire crowd had taken up the chant. Every flute in the forecourt was used as accompaniment. The singing, clapping, and whistling swelled to a deafening spectacle. A few pilgrims broke into an enthusiastic dance, and more and more followed suit. Even some priests were inspired, wildly waving their arms and legs across the marble and through the air. The three distinguished priests on the colonnade watched the otherwise orderly forecourt transform before their eyes into a frenzied, swaying, and cheering crowd.

With a sweaty forehead and a tense look in his eyes, Caiaphas looked in Annas’s direction. He looked back with a completely displeased expression and, while continuing to look at Caiaphas, made a short but sharp head movement toward the commotion below. Caiaphas looked surprised and pointed hesitantly at himself. Annas's sullen gaze deepened, and he made the same sharp head movement again toward the inappropriate display below. Caiaphas sighed and said to Jonathan:

"Are you coming, Jonathan? We're going to ask for clarification."

"Ask for clarification?" came Annas's angry voice. "You're going to put an end to this immediately!"

Caiaphas straightened his back and, with visible reluctance, began descending the spiral staircase, followed by Jonathan. Annas watched the pair, shaking his head, and followed them on their way through the forecourt. He saw the two first approach a priest, the one dancing most exuberantly of all. Annas noted approvingly that the priest suddenly stopped dancing in the presence of Caiaphas's stately figure. He saw Caiaphas trying to speak to the man. This was virtually impossible in the tumult. Caiaphas stood with his ear almost to the priest's mouth. It took Annas a moment to see Caiaphas walk away from him. To Annas's great dismay, he saw that the priest whom Caiaphas had addressed simply resumed his dance steps. Caiaphas fared no better with the next priest.

Annas was quite irritated by the high priest's lax attitude. Much less decisively than Annas would have liked, he saw Caiaphas walk toward the choir director who was directing the approximately 150 Levites on the three steps of the dukan. Annas watched the director, half-looking back, continue his arm movements, and in Annas's mind, the volume of the Levite choir increased rather than decreased. Annas had to restrain himself from shouting orders down from his position. While the first choir continued, Annas saw the high priest shuffle toward the choir in the women's forecourt and conclude the disciplinary mission with no visible result.

Suddenly, Annas saw a young priest rush past the second choir through the gate of Nicanor and immediately recognized him as Matthias, whom he had already dismissed twice that morning. He saw Matthias shout something in the direction of Caiaphas and Jonathan. They stopped and stood for a moment with their heads close together. Annas saw them turn and walk back toward the colonnade where he stood. He saw the three of them raise their heads. All three looked at him. He even thought he saw a smile on their faces. Caiaphas even had the audacity to raise a hand to him. A moment later, the three priests stood before a white-hot Annas, and Caiaphas said:

"Listen, Annas. What we have just heard explains everything." Even you won't recover from this.'

 

(52)

'You won't make it to Syria. The entire Legio X Fretensis is combing all of Judea and the surrounding area.'

Vitellius tried to persuade his comrades on the guard to return with him to the high priest's palace. The four men had escaped that morning and were reluctant to return without a fight. Gaius, in particular, refused to return to the priests under any circumstances. He had a counterargument:

'If we remain hidden for a while, they will stop searching on their own. Then the road to Syria will be clear.'

The six men were still standing at the highest point of the Vine Path. Vitellius looked out over the valley that descended to the city walls, behind which he saw the massive fortress of Antonia, which housed Legio X. As if lost in thought, he muttered a prophecy:

'They won't stop searching. They're still looking out for you. If you keep to yourselves, you run a huge risk.'

'And we won't run that risk if we go back to the priests with you?' Gaius protested.

'That risk is much smaller. Listen, we've been in the hands of the priests for more than half a day after our absence from the tomb. If they had any intentions against us, we would have been delivered to the fortress long ago.'

"And why do you think they haven't done so yet?" Claudius asked.

"I don't know exactly either. It's just a guess for me. But does it matter? They've spared us so far. That's the most important thing. That shows they still need us."

"What for?" Claudius asked.

"I don't know either. We'll have to wait and see. It undoubtedly has something to do with that Rabbi's grave."

"Yes, and with the missing body. That must be a huge setback for the priests," Claudius remarked.

Gaius saw an opportunity to reinforce his point and said, in a tone that brooked no argument:

"Yes, and we'll get the blame. Just you wait. They'll take revenge on us. I'm definitely not going back." We have to flee.’

‘Why do you think they want revenge on us?’ Vitellius asked.

‘The fact that we were thoroughly interrogated by that maid doesn’t sit well with me at all. That was one big accusation,’ Gaius wailed.

‘So, you’re fleeing from a Jewish kitchen maid?’

Just in time, Vitellius saw Gaius lunge at him. He caught the blow with his open hand, which was headed for his face. Vitellius held Gaius’s fist in a steel grip. Gaius tried to wrest it free, but he couldn’t, even when his other hand came into play. He pulled and tugged and struck, but Vitellius didn’t let go. As he looked intently at Gaius, Vitellius’s hand moved upwards and outwards in a slow, controlled circular motion, severely straining Gaius’s muscles and tendons.

"Stop it, Vitellius, he's got it now," Claudius said in a gruff voice.

But Vitellius didn't stop. He completed his circular motion, all the way to the bottom, and Gaius had to choose between having his arm dislocated or whether he would kneel at Vitellius' feet. He wisely chose the latter. Gritting his teeth, Vitellius hissed at Gaius:

"One more time: So you're running from a Jewish kitchen maid?"

Gaius lay groaning at Vitellius' feet but still managed to taunt him further:

"Go to your Jewish kitchen maid. We're leaving."

He shouldn't have said that, because he was immediately met with Vitellius' foot, which pinned his neck to the ground. Claudius tried to intervene by pulling Vitellius towards him, but Vitellius tore himself away with a violent arm movement. Claudius then said:

"Let's stop this, please. This won't solve anything. We have to try to work this out together."

It took a moment before Vitellius let go. Gasping, Gaius rolled onto his back. He lay there gasping for breath for a while while the others conferred. The display of strength seemed to bolster Vitellius' credibility, because the other three suddenly hung on his every word as he said:

"You don't stand a chance at this point. Our only hope is the high priest. I've been out all morning with Malchus here, and he's done everything he can to keep me out of the Legion's hands."

"Oh, are we suddenly supposed to trust a Jewish slave?" Gaius' voice squeaked from the ground where he still lay. The others, however, completely ignored him. Vitellius continued his argument:

“What we saw this morning at the tomb makes it clear that the missing body cannot be blamed on us, because…”

Suddenly, Malchus, who had been silent all this time, interrupted Vitellius and, looking at him somewhat forcefully, took over the conversation completely:

“…because that stone was so far from the tomb that natural forces cannot actually be the cause of this morning’s events. This means that Vitellius is quite right and that you can trust the priests with complete confidence.”

Vitellius looked at Malchus in surprise. Then he looked at his comrades and said:

“So? What do you think about it?”

Claudius was the first to answer:

“I’ll go back with you.” I don't think of spending a few weeks in the open air of Jerusalem during the rainy season, hoping to walk to Syria afterward and risk being captured as deserters.'

The two soldiers who had been silent all this time joined in. Sputtering, Gaius decided to stay with his comrades and begin the retreat as well. A moment later, they walked single file south along the Vine Path. Malchus led the way, followed by Vitellius. Nothing more was said. The path sloped downward, and above the treetops, they could see the priestly palace in the distance. Suddenly, Malchus stopped and said:

'Look what we have here.'

 

(53)

Saraf still knew exactly where the day, which could have been the best of his life, would take a sinister turn and would transform into a horrific nightmare. It was at a left bend in the Vineyard Path, where it sloped quite steeply downward. He was talking with Maria, who was walking ahead of him, about the Rabbi of Nazareth. Suddenly, Matilda, the leader of the three, stopped abruptly. They nearly ran into her. He himself managed to avoid Maria. Around the bend in the path, just above the vines, they saw a number of Roman soldiers approaching in the distance. The men themselves were barely visible, but with the sun at their backs, the children could see their helmets, spears, and shields glinting in the sunlight. Matilda became frightened and asked:

“Saraf, what are those soldiers doing here on this farm path?”

Saraf tried to reassure her and replied:

“Those are soldiers walking guard around the city to protect the pilgrims from robbers.”

“But there aren’t any pilgrims here who need protecting, are there?”

Saraf thought for a moment, and then Maria said:

“But aren’t we here, Matilda? We need protection from robbers too.”

Saraf looked gratefully at Maria and then added:

“Yes, and of course, there could have been a few farmers walking there. It is, after all, a farm path.”

Matilda seemed somewhat reassured and began walking again. Maria and Saraf followed. They walked in silence for a short time, one behind the other, among the vines. High in the air, the frivolous song of a lark sounded, and every now and then, among the grape leaves, the hum of insects could be heard. Maria was the first to speak again:

“And in your house, Saraf, when did you first talk about the Rabbi of Nazareth?”

Saraf had to think for a moment and replied:

“I think about two years ago.”

“Even then?” Maria exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes, what my uncle said this morning was pretty accurate.”

“A lot of what he said wasn’t accurate either,” Maria responded. “So what was accurate?”

“My uncle can come across as authoritarian in front of a group. But in a conversation, he can be very reasonable,” Saraf defended his uncle.

“I find that hard to imagine,” Maria said.

“What he said about the man who was healed of leprosy was accurate.”

As they spoke, Saraf occasionally glanced in the direction of the soldiers, who were getting closer. He estimated that they would encounter them within a few minutes. He considered that they would have difficulty passing the soldiers along the narrow path. Saraph thought it best for them, as children, to stand among the vines for a moment, allowing the soldiers to pass. He resolved to signal Matilda in time.

"Was that the first news you heard about the Rabbi, that your father was talking about the healing in the temple?" Maria asked.

"I think so. I don't remember much about Him before that. I do remember John the Baptist."

"Oh, yes. That's true," Maria exclaimed in surprise. "He was so popular about three years ago. Did your father go and see him there too?"

"Yes, indeed. Crowds gathered at the Jordan River then, where he was baptizing. My father took me along once too. What I saw then is unforgettable." In the middle of an uncountable crowd on the bank, a man stood in the river water, wearing a rough cloak and with a trumpet-like voice, preaching and calling for all people to repent.

For a moment the children were silent again. By then they had come so close to the soldiers that Saraph could count the men. He watched the group with a suspicious eye. Strangely enough, he didn't count eight, as usual. There were only six men. And one of them, the one walking in front, didn't look like a soldier at all. And the place where they were walking was strange too. Although he had reassured Matilda, he himself was anything but reassured. Meanwhile, Maria asked him another question.

"What did your father think of the Baptist's preaching?"

It took a moment for Saraph to answer. He had to step back from his deliberation about the soldiers and return to his memory.

"According to my father, this John delivered a message that none of the priests would ever accept."

"What exactly did he say? I can't quite remember."

"Do you know what he called the elite of our people?"

"No."

"Brood of vipers!"

"But that's the most egregious insult you can heap on an Israelite."

"That's how he addressed them. And he also said that the Pharisees and the priests needed to repent."

"Now I understand why he was hardly ever mentioned in my family."

"He was completely ignored by our religious leaders. They didn't want anything to do with him."

"But what did your father think?"

"My father went to see him several times, but he wouldn't be baptized. He was doubtful, and we often discussed it at home."

"What else did this John say?"

Saraf thought for a moment and suddenly remembered something important.

"Maria, suddenly I remember. Do you know what else he said?"

"Well?" said Maria. looking back curiously at Saraf,

Suddenly, Saraph saw that the soldiers were close by. He had no time to answer Mary and said:

“Matilda, let’s move to the right, into the field with the vines.”

As he said this, he caught up with the two girls and took Matilda’s hand. He gently pulled her along to the right, between the vines. Mary immediately understood Saraph’s intention and also moved to the right, into the vineyard. The children stood side by side, waiting for the soldiers to pass. But instead of continuing on, the children saw the man who was leading the way suddenly stop. The five Roman soldiers gathered around him and looked at the children, grinning.

 

(54)

“I don’t need to hear anything from you, nothing!”

Annas held both his fists as high above his head as was still safe at his age and shook them wildly. The three priests, who had just returned from their failed mission in the forecourt, were eager to explain why their mission had been unsuccessful. But Annas gave them no opportunity. Before they could offer any input, he shouted again:

“You are a mockery to the priesthood. A mockery to the temple. A mockery to the Almighty.”

“Yes, but Annas, listen…” Caiaphas tried. But Annas interrupted him in a gruff voice:

“You have accomplished nothing. Absolutely nothing! Would you look down, Caiaphas? Well, what do you think? Is this an orderly Bikkurim festival?”

For a moment, the three priests stood, abashed, looking at the forecourt, which was still in full turmoil with wildly dancing pilgrims and priests. Annas himself answered his question:

“A riotous mob, that’s what it is!” he shouted. And though the temple courtyard was filled with singing, clapping, and flute-playing, some priests and pilgrims nevertheless looked up in alarm at the balcony, where the priestly elite were loudly deliberating. But Annas wasn't finished yet. He needed a moment to catch his breath, for the volume of his speech was out of proportion to his age. Caiaphas hesitantly tried to seize upon the silence for an explanation, but immediately Annas's voice, choked with anger, rose again:

"I've never witnessed such chaos in my life. Why aren't the temple police called in? Why isn't the courtyard cleared?"

"But Annas..." Caiaphas tried again, but he had no chance.

"Quiet!" came the hoarse but very loud cry from the old man's throat.

Apart from the joyful sounds from the forecourt, nothing could be heard on the balcony for a moment. Annas was panting from the excessive verbal exertion, and the others had lost the courage. They feared that the old man, on whom they all depended, would collapse if they uttered one more word. When Annas had recovered his breath, he pointed slowly and with a trembling arm to the ecstatically dancing priest in the square, the one Caiaphas had first addressed moments earlier, and said commandingly:

“Him over there! I want to speak to him, right now!”

Relieved that Annas was willing to listen to firsthand testimony, Jonathan descended the spiral staircase into the square. A moment later, he returned to the balcony, followed by the priest Annas had pointed out. But instead of questioning the man in their presence, Annas opened the door to the high priest’s chamber. He held it open invitingly for the priest, who stepped inside in surprise. With one last, withering look at a bewildered Caiaphas, Annas closed the door.

 

(55)

Because they were walking against the sun, it took Vitellius some time to see several children walking toward them on the path between the vines. He only saw the group when Malchus remarked on it, and paid no further attention. Since they had left the palace that morning, they had seen so many peasant children walking around the city. The fact that a few were also walking here was the least of his worries. But suddenly Malchus stopped. Vitellius, who was walking directly behind Malchus, barely passed him and, as he passed, saw that the children in front of them had moved aside. Vitellius wanted to continue on, but he noticed that Malchus had stopped. So he and the other soldiers stopped walking as well. Silently, they gathered together on the path opposite the children, who were standing among the vines.

Vitellius now saw for the first time that they were not peasant children. They were dressed as priests. In the middle stood a boy of about twelve. In his right hand the boy held a girl who was a head shorter than him. On his other hand stood a girl who was slightly shorter than the boy, with beautiful dark eyes and a pleasant face. The children looked anxious, and Vitellius tried to smile reassuringly at them, which was a failure because the children didn't smile back.

"So, priest children on a farm path," Malchus suddenly stated aloud. "What are you doing here, so far from the priests' houses?"

It took a moment for an answer to come. Vitellius noticed that the boy was taking everything in. His gaze went from the titula, which he still clutched under his arm, past the weapons they carried—three swords, two crossbows, the shields and spears of his comrades—to Malchus's clothing, which the boy was carefully observing. It was the boy who spoke:

"We're heading north of the city."

"So, what are you doing there?" Malchus asked sternly.

The children looked at each other. It was clear they hadn't prepared for such an interrogation. Then the boy answered again:

“My father is on duty at the temple, and we want to go to him. But it’s far too crowded in the city.”

Vitellius looked from the boy to Malchus and saw a grin spread across his face. Suddenly, Malchus said:

“Seize them!”

The completely unexpected command left both the children and the soldiers frozen in place for a moment.

Vitellius was the first to react. He dropped the two titula from under his arms and stepped forward, toward the boy. But the boy proved to be lightning-fast. The boy, with the movement of his arms as he removed the wooden signs, immediately realized what he was planning and fled through the vines. Vitellius jumped after him, leaving the girls to his comrades. Behind him, he heard loud screams, so they were taken care of.

Vitellius trotted between two rows of vines along the slope toward the city. His heavy armor made him slow compared to the lanky boy priest. He'd left his shield and spear in the palace, but the rest still slowed him down considerably. He glanced back. No one was following, probably because they didn't want to discard their shields and spears. As he ran, he scanned the area, but he couldn't find the boy anywhere. Moreover, the terrain was difficult to navigate. The vines were quite close together in rows. They were on a slope. Several times, Vitellius paused and looked around in all directions. The boy was nowhere to be seen. He was hiding among the vines, of course, the magician. If even young priests could outsmart them like Romans, Vitellius considered, what would happen to adult priests?

Vitellius paused, catching his breath. If the boy was hidden, he'd have to watch for the twitching tips of the vines. The boy probably knew this, because not a single vine was moving. He bent down to peer between the trunks, beneath the vines. But he couldn't make out anything beyond three or four rows of vines. Meanwhile, incessant weeping and screaming echoed from the path. Vitellius began to worry about the fate of the two girls and decided to turn back. He found the order Malchus had given them strange and wondered why the priest children had to be arrested so suddenly.

When he returned to the path, he found the girls still trying to break free. The legionaries, however, held them firmly. In terms of muscle power, it was an unequal battle, seasoned Roman soldiers versus two priest girls. But in verbal skills, the girls were superior. Commands in Jewish and Latin flew across the soldiers' ears, demanding they release them immediately, or word would spread throughout the fortress, and they would eat them. Vitellius inferred something similar from the two girls' cries. Given their situation, his comrades were unimpressed and looked to Malchus to see what other orders he had. Vitellius was still getting used to a priest slave being in command. Malchus looked at Vitellius with a reproachful look and said:

“Where is the boy? Why didn’t you pick him up?”

As he picked up the titula, Vitellius said: “These two were in my way, as you could have seen. I was the first to react, but that boy is lightning fast.”

Before Malchus could respond, the eldest girl shouted at the soldiers:

“Yes, he’s on his way to the fortress to report on your vile and cowardly actions against innocent Jewish children. This will cost you dearly.”

“No one responded to her indignant cries. Instead, Malchus responded to Vitellius’s remark about the titula.”

“Those two?” Malchus asked in surprise. “Didn't you remove three titula from the crosses?”

Vitellius remained silent as he took in the situation. They were dependent on the priests, but this priest's servant began to behave increasingly arrogantly. That he had left the Rabbi's title in the tomb was his business, not Malchus'. And the commands concerning the Jewish priests' children were extremely peculiar. Vitellius looked at the two girls. The younger child had already come to terms with her situation, but the older one still offered every ounce of resistance she could muster. Malchus persisted, however, and as he cast his searching gaze over the vineyards, he said:

"Your situation won't improve this way. You can't guard a dead Rabbi. Out of three title, you lose one. Out of three children, you let one escape."

Vitellius still didn't answer. He had made every effort to inspect the tomb, to bring his comrades along, and to capture that priest boy, and yet he received nothing but criticism. He didn't dare argue with Malchus, however, because he still desperately needed him in their predicament. But Malchus continued his commentary. Keeping a close eye on the vineyards, he said:

"That boy was the most important of the three, and you're the one letting him escape. We really must catch him."

For a moment, nothing could be heard but the soothing sounds of nature around them, the whisper of the wind and the chirping of birds. The eldest girl, too, had given up the unequal struggle and stood comfortingly by the youngest, still held firmly by her shoulders. The six men looked out over the fields. Suddenly, Malchus shouted:

"There! There he goes, a little higher up!"

In a flash, Gaius, who had recovered from his struggle with Vitellius, grabbed his crossbow. He resolutely drew an arrow from his quiver and aimed to shoot. As he aimed, no one responded except the older of the two girls, who shouted loudly, "Saraf! Down!"

 

(56)

Panning and sweating, Saraf looked through the leaves of a vine at the searching soldier. He had completely gone the wrong way. The soldier had naturally expected him to trot down the slope to get as far away from the Vine Path as possible and to reach the city as quickly as possible. Instead, Saraf had crouched down and made a sudden turn to the left. He had passed several rows of vines and crept back up, toward the path.

After observing the soldier's futile search for a moment longer, Saraf decided he needn't worry about that soldier. For the time being, he continued searching in a completely wrong direction. Saraf was sitting near the path, a little higher up than where the unfortunate encounter had occurred. He heard Maria and Matilda screaming at the soldiers. Saraf was torn. He didn't know what to do. For a moment, he wondered if he could single-handedly mount a rescue operation against four armed soldiers and an unknown man. But he quickly concluded that this would be a fool's errand. They would capture him immediately, just like Maria and Matilda. And then they could do whatever they wanted with them. There were no witnesses. They could simply make them disappear. But now that he had escaped them, they were safe. He could report back to the city about the soldiers' operation. If they harmed the girls even a hair, it could get them into serious trouble. But Saraf found it difficult to listen inactively as Maria and Matilda wrestled with Roman soldiers, screaming and crying.

He turned back to the one soldier who had tried to seize him. He had given up the search because Saraph saw him walking back to the path. A moment later, all the Romans were gathered again. Saraph listened intently, hoping to hear something about why they had to be captured. He heard the unknown man say something to the soldier, but couldn't quite make out what. He saw the soldier bend down to pick something up. It was those wooden signs, tucked under his arm, which he had to get rid of in his sudden action. Saraf realized those wooden signs had been his salvation. Suddenly, Saraf knew what they were. Titula. The soldier had probably removed the titula from the crosses that morning. But that would mean the Rabbi's titulus was also among them. Suddenly, he heard Maria's loud voice:

"Yes, he's on his way to the fortress to report on your vile and cowardly actions against innocent Jewish children. This will cost you dearly."

From the volume and clarity of her voice, Saraf concluded that the cry was meant more for him than for the soldiers. Maria's exclamation filled Saraf with a mixture of relief and sorrow. Relief at her veiled instruction that he shouldn't try to free them but rather to reach the city. Sadness at having to leave her and Matilda in the hands of rough and unpredictable Roman soldiers.

Saraf sat higher up on the hill than the troop of soldiers. This allowed him to just barely hide his head behind the vines and still see exactly what was happening on the path. Sararaf saw that Maria and Matilda were each being held by the shoulders of a soldier. Maria was slightly turned toward Matilda and seemed to be comforting his sister. The mysterious man stood on tiptoes, looking out over the vineyards, and the soldiers also glanced around. Sararaf wasn't reassured. He had hoped they would keep walking now that they hadn't been able to catch him, but it seemed that the man in the blue tunic was the boss of the group and had determined that they would continue searching for him. If he stayed put and the whole group started looking for him, there was a good chance they would catch him.

Saraph looked around and saw that a little further on, there was a small wall, behind which, on a higher terrace, another vineyard stretched. A little higher still, and further from the path, he saw several large fig trees in the middle of a vineyard. If he wanted to stay out of the soldiers' way, the best option was to climb up that wall to the higher terrace. Saraph watched the group of soldiers again. They were all now looking in the direction of the city. This was the moment he could try to reach the higher terrace unseen. Saraph carefully crept to the small wall. It was taller than he was, and the stones were rough and uneven. He estimated that climbing it would be difficult.

Before embarking on the adventure, he first glanced at the six men. They were still looking down. A few were even staring at the other side of the path. He could take the risk. Saraph placed his left leg in a crack between the stones and, with all his strength, pushed off with his right leg. He succeeded. He now stood on the first ledge. His arms clutched the large stone he still had to climb. The bag containing his Torah scroll was seriously in his way. He took it off and placed it on the wall. With great difficulty, he pulled himself up the stone. This gave him a few shallow scrapes on his arms and legs, but finally, panting, he reached the top of the wall. For a moment he sat on his knees, panting. Then he stood up. He was just about to grab the bag containing his Torah scroll when he heard Mary's voice calling from behind him:

"Saraf! Lie down!"

 

(57)

Annas leaned back relaxed against the high priest's mikvah, both elbows resting on the edge of the immense pool. The priest, who had just been dancing wildly in the forecourt, stood nervously before the powerful old man. Except for the two priests, no one was in the high priest's room. Annas immediately began his cross-examination.

“What was the story you just told the high priest in the cacophony of the forecourt?”

“My story? Oh, right. Well, you must know…” the man began. He didn’t get any further because Annas shouted in a gruff voice:

“Keep your nonsense to yourself, will you! I want to know the story.”

The man was startled and rubbed his hands nervously.

“My story? Well, the pilgrims…”

“I don’t want to hear anything about the pilgrims. I want to hear your story!”

“But… but… I don’t have a story.”

“You don’t have a story? Then why are you dancing like a madman in the forecourt of the Most High?”

“Well, that’s what I wanted to tell you. The pilgrims…”

“You’re not going to tell me you’re acting like a madman just because of someone else’s story, are you?”

The priest was stunned and said nothing more. But Annas continued:

“And you’re going to tell that story, completely unverified, to the high priest too?”

The priest remained silent and couldn’t say anything more. For a while, Annas subjected the man to an oppressive silence, his grim gaze examining him from head to toe. The man was bewildered and trembling. Then Annas picked up a pitcher that was on the floor next to him, filled it with water, and beckoned the man to come closer. The man stood right in front of him, and while Annas continued to glare at him, he handed him the pitcher, commanding:

“Rinse your mouth!”

The man was bewildered and said:

“But this is the high priest’s water of purification for the Day of Atonement.”

A smile like a grimace briefly crossed Annas’ face, but it immediately darkened again, and he said:

“Exactly.” Then it's very suitable as a cleanser for your filthy lips.'

The man looked at Annas with wide, incredulous eyes, but nevertheless put the carafe to his lips. He took a sip in response. Annas froze and shouted angrily:

“I said, rinse your mouth. But you drank the purification water!”

The man grabbed his throat with his free hand but could do nothing about it.

“Out of my sight!” Annas shouted frantically. “You polluted the purification water with your filthy lips.”

The man couldn’t wait to put the carafe down and disappear through the door. Caiaphas, Jonathan, and Matthias were surprised to see the man trot down the spiral staircase at great speed and run across the courtyard. A moment later, Annas appeared in the doorway with a somber look. He turned to Matthias and said:

“It’s high time I went and spoke to those pilgrims of yours.”

 

(58)

From a distance, Vitellius saw the boy fall forward. But it wasn’t clear whether it was the arrow or whether he had just lain down in time. The eldest girl was furious, screaming that they were a bunch of murderers. The youngest girl was sobbing uncontrollably. Vitellius watched Gaius draw his next arrow, presumably in case the boy managed to get up again. But as he aimed it, the eldest girl tore herself free. Vitellius saw her leap with all her weight, as hard as she could, onto one of Gaius' sandals. Gaius screamed in sudden, intense pain. The arrow shot through the air like a loose cannon and landed somewhere lost in a vineyard. Furious, Gaius shoved the girl hard in the chest, causing her to fall backward into the vines lining the path. He immediately jumped on top of her.

Up to this point, Vitellius had watched everything in silence, but this was far too much for him. He leaped at Gaius, and for the second time that day, Gaius had to experience the immense strength in his comrade's arms. Vitellius stood with both legs above Gaius, who was locked in a violent struggle with the girl, who was resisting with all his might. Vitellius grabbed Gaius' curly hair with both hands and pulled him toward him with such force that he immediately fell to his knees. Then Vitellius stepped back and pulled Gaius along with him, causing him to fall backward onto the path, whereupon Vitellius' sandal was pressed against his throat a second time. Vitellius then began angrily lecturing him:

"Wasn't it enough for you to abandon your guard post this morning? Did you also want to be accused of murder and assault? Are you so eager to go to the circus in Rome to test your strength against the most brutal gladiators in the empire and then be crucified?"

The other soldiers watched in astonishment. Claudius was the one who responded:

"Vitellius, stop. He's heard it now.'

But Vitellius kept his sandal pressed to Gaius' throat and continued delivering his message.

'Oh, has he heard? He had heard it a while ago. And look at what he's doing now. Some people are so stubborn that they only repent at the gates of Hades.'

'Vitellius, he's choking. Stop it!' Claudius cried.

Slowly, Vitellius eased the pressure on Gaius' throat, and for a moment it seemed as if he would indeed never see the light again. But then a ragged cough came from deep within him, and he began to breathe again.

Malchus had been keeping his distance all this time, startled by all these sudden actions. The Romans' dazzling performance reminded him of the Garden of Gethsemane, a few days earlier, when the Rabbi of Nazareth had sent him and his fellow slaves tumbling backward with a single remark, leaving the followers brandishing swords. Then, too, it was the accompanying Romans who had taken over the arrest on their own initiative. Malchus understood that he had to quickly regain control to maintain his dominance over these seasoned fighters, and he exclaimed in exasperation:

"Are you disciplined Roman soldiers? You have no self-control whatsoever! You listen to your primal instincts and think nothing of anything. If this is how it must be, then you'll sort it out yourselves, and we'll report back to the Praetorium."

The term "Praetorium" rang a bell among the soldiers, and the resistance that had built up in the meantime to Malchus' strange order had vanished like snow in the sun. Vitellius had been on the verge of calling Malchus to account for his idiotic order to seize the children. But suddenly he didn't dare say it anymore. They were still trapped by their own dereliction of duty that morning, and nothing could be done to change that. Four soldiers stood meekly on the path, awaiting the orders that would follow. Gaius lay still catching his breath from the encounter with his comrade. Vitellius saw that the eldest girl had risen on her own. She was stumbling with difficulty towards the other girl, who was sobbing loudly while she was being held captive by one of the others. Malchus felt his words had resonated, and it filled him with confidence. He was in control again, and he said:

"Now, after these uncontrolled and chaotic actions, I want you to behave and search for that boy in an orderly manner. It is of the utmost importance that we find him."

None of the soldiers dared to object. To stoke the fires of fear even further, Malchus urged:

"Your lives are at stake. If he escapes and talks to the priests about what happened, a report will be made to the fortress. Then your chances are completely ruined."

 

(59)

With Mary's loud call ringing in his ears, Saraf dove forward without thinking. Just above him, he heard a swooshing sound, and then, in the vines ahead, the sound of splintering wood and rustling leaves. Saraf, who had seen the crossbows in the soldiers' gear, knew immediately what he was dealing with. An arrow from one of the crossbows had missed him by a hair. And Saraf realized much more at that moment. These weren't the Roman soldiers he was used to. He knew no soldier would ever risk this. He suspected they were dealing with a ragtag band, no longer in contact with the legion in the fortress. He wondered if that was why they were so far from the city. He got the impression that the man in his blue tunic had recruited an army of mercenaries from the Roman army and was running amok in the surrounding area. Saraf wondered who this man was and why they were carrying the title of the crosses. One thing he knew for sure: Mary had saved his life. Her voice had caused the arrow to miss, but that voice pierced his heart with a sharp longing for her presence. As Saraf had been taught, he immediately brought their plight to the Lord of hosts and prayed to Him to spread His protective wings over Mary.

Sarah heard a commotion coming from the path. It sounded like Mary's voice. He was startled by a loud man's voice, crying out in pain. Then, from his lying position, he saw an arrow streak across the firmament and land somewhere far away in the foliage of a vineyard below. His heart sank. He heard Mary's muffled cries, indicating she was in great distress. As if she were fiercely resisting something. These were terrifying moments. He didn't know what those soldiers were doing, but because he could be held at gunpoint, he didn't dare look. Once again, he raised his prayers to the Almighty. Suddenly, the terrifying sounds of Mary's resistance ceased. Shortly after, he heard angry men's voices. He couldn't hear what was being said, but it seemed the soldiers were fighting each other. For a while he lay listening to the commotion. He no longer heard Maria's voice.

Sprawled face-down on the ground, Saraf searched for a spot in the vines ahead of him where he could hide. He had to get a clear view of Maria and Matilda's situation as quickly as possible without being visible himself. Like a slow lizard, he crawled across the ground, passing three rows of vines. Carefully, he turned around while lying down, so that his gaze was fixed on the soldiers, and then cautiously he straightened up and knelt down. He had to search for a position from which he could see the path through the vines again. Then he scanned the country road, looking for the soldiers with the two girls. Then he was startled. He saw only a single soldier standing there, holding Maria and Matilda by one hand. That could only mean the rest were searching for him. And since they had fired an arrow at him, they knew exactly in which direction to search.

Saraf quickly considered the alternative escape routes. Suddenly, his Torah scroll came back to him. He had left it behind! For Saraf, the Torah scroll was his most prized possession. He felt it was almost a mortal sin to let it fall into the hands of Roman soldiers. To avoid panic, he looked up again. A clear blue sky bathed the landscape in a mild spring sun. "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth," flashed through his mind. Then he looked out over the vines again to see if he could spot the soldiers. He saw three of them coming his way. A little further away, he spotted the man in the blue tunic. This meant one of them was hiding somewhere, possibly trying to block his path. There was no other option but to flee higher up, towards the fig trees he had seen.

But Saraf was conflicted about his Torah scroll on the wall. He cast one last glance at the soldiers. In the distance, he saw Mary. They were already halfway there. But the wall was a considerable obstacle. Then he looked up to heaven and asked his God for protection. The next moment, Saraph flew between the three rows of vines that separated him from the wall containing the precious Torah. Soon he saw him lying there, in the radiant sun. To avoid being an easy target for the soldiers again, he crawled over on his belly and, with a sigh of relief, grabbed the bag containing his possessions. Lying prone, he saw that two of the soldiers were already near the wall. Saraph crawled backward, back through the vines, and then continued his ascent on his knees.

He sat panting for a moment, inspecting his condition. Immediately after fleeing from the path, he had hastily pulled up his priestly robe and girded himself, freeing his legs. Yet, by then, the robe was smudged with mud and brush. His knees were black and scratched. One scratch was so deep that a thin stream of blood seeped from it. But Saraph gave himself no time for self-pity. He rose with restraint to his feet and, crouched, moved as quietly as possible between the rows of vines. Every ten steps, he crawled on his knees between the trunks of two vines in the next row. This way, the soldiers saw no vines moving and could not see where he was. Thus, slowly but surely, he approached the fig trees.

 

(60)

Annas' appearance amid the exuberant bustle of the temple courtyard brought about an immediate change. One priest after another, seeing his disapproving gaze on them, froze in their dance movements, tried to find a posture, and then walked with measured steps toward one of the gatehouses. A short time later, only pilgrims were still dancing. With Matthias in tow, Annas walked toward the choir of Levites on the three steps of the dukan. Arriving there, he took a seat behind the conductor, legs apart, with both fists at his sides. Immediately, the volume of the singing dropped dramatically. The conductor saw his choir's gaze fixed on something behind him and cautiously turned around. He looked straight into Annas's eyes, which were filled with profound disgust. The conductor froze. The choir fell silent. Only from the women's forecourt, on the other side of the Nicanor Gate, did the singing still resound loudly. Along with the singing, the accompaniment of flute and hand clapping also diminished. Moments later, Annas's tactics took effect on the choir on the circular steps of the Nicanor Gate. A serene silence descended on all the forecourts of the temple. A single pilgrim, who continued dancing, was tapped on the shoulder by others who glanced at the choirs. Annas turned to Matthias and asked:

“Where did you leave those pilgrims who desperately needed to see me?”

“In one of the chambers of the lower Sanhedrin,” Matthias replied with hesitation in his voice.

“What are you telling me there? How many times do I have to tell you that those are exclusively for the priests and judges of the Sanhedrin! And you let the first horde of dusty pilgrims in there?! I hope you didn’t let them into the room next to the wood room! We’ll have to meet there with the full Sanhedrin for the foreseeable future.”

Annas wasn’t sure about that last point yet, as he had spent that morning searching for an alternative to the room of the hewn stones. But it couldn’t hurt to use the urgency of an alternative meeting space as extra leverage. The son felt the enormous weight of the full Sanhedrin on his conscience and said nothing more. That gave Annas the opportunity to tighten the screws a little further.

"Well? They're not in the council chamber next to the wood, are they?"

Matthias looked guiltily at the beautiful marble tiles of the women's courtyard. Then his gaze traveled up the steps where the Levite choir had just enthusiastically sung the resurrection psalm. His eyes rested on Jonathan, his brother, who stood at the Nicanor Gate next to Caiaphas, observing the women's courtyard. Meanwhile, Annas drew his conclusion:

"It's clear to me. We're going to drive them out immediately."

With those words, Annas crossed the women's courtyard. Matthias followed at a respectful distance. As he strode across the courtyards, the old man wore a stern expression. But inside, waves of unbridled pride surged through his heart. In just a few minutes, at his beck and call, the courtyard had been transformed from a noisy chaos into an oasis of tranquility. And all this by ignoring the fads of the day and insisting on the old structures. He would never admit to himself that it was pride that filled his heart. The doubt he had briefly expressed to his eldest son less than an hour ago, about the decision-making process had sunk deep into his consciousness. And even deeper into his consciousness was the nighttime dream world from which, unbeknownst to himself, that doubt arose. He himself attributed his feelings to the paramount importance of his authority. He reflected that for decades he had been the cornerstone of Jewish worship, and thus of Jewish society. His enormous influence on the affairs of that day in the Temple, underscored his position as cornerstone for him.

Suddenly, he realized that the term "cornerstone" had recently been used by someone else. He thought deeply. Then he remembered. "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This has been done by Adonai, and it is marvelous in our eyes." The Rabbi from Nazareth had applied this to himself. With a shock, he realized that the Rabbi was arrogating to himself the position of "Adonai," and he muttered to himself:

"What presumptuous arrogance!"

Yet, the Rabbi's words hammered at his conscience again, and he tried to soothe it by whispering to himself:

"And then we must be the builders who rejected the cornerstone."

Shaking his head, Annas entered the council chamber of the lower Sanhedrin, but when he looked up, he was terrified.