King of the Jews | Page 3

one to
withstand him in the hearing of the people, lifted up his voice and cried:
"Whosoever holds with our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, let him
stand by us! The curse of Moses upon all the rest!"
Then a rabbi in blue velvet apparel, sprang forward and declared with a
loud voice: "He is a deceiver of the people, an enemy of Moses, an
enemy of the Holy Law!" The people answered mockingly: "Then, if so,
why did you not arrest him? Is he not a prophet?"
Several of the multitude followed Jesus into the temple, but the rest
remained listening to the priests, who cried more vehemently than ever:
"Away with the prophet! He is a false teacher."
But Nathanael, seizing the opportunity, thus addressed the remainder of
the multitude: "Oh, thou blinded people, wilt thou run after the
innovator, and forsake Moses, the prophets, and thy priests? Fearest

thou not that the curse which the law denounces against the apostate
will crush thee? Would you cease to be the chosen people?"
The crowd shaken by this appeal, responded sullenly: "That would we
not."
Nathanael pressed his advantage. "Who," he asked, "has to watch over
the purity of the law? Is it not the holy Sanhedrin of the people of Israel?
To whom will you listen; to us or to him? To us or to him who has
proclaimed himself the expounder of a new law?"
Then the multitude cried all together: "We hear you! we follow you!"
Nathanael continued: "Down with him, then, this man full of deceit and
error!"
The people replied: "Yes, we stand side by side with you! Yes, we are
Moses' disciples!" and the priests answered, speaking all together: "The
God of your fathers will bless you for that."
At this moment loud and angry voices were heard approaching down
the narrow street that led to the house of Annas, the high priest. The
priests and Pharisees listened eagerly. As they caught the word
"revenge" they turned to each other with exultant looks. Meanwhile
Dathan, a merchant, the chief of the traders who had been driven from
the temple, was seen to be leading on his fellow merchants, who were
lifting up their hands and weeping as they recounted their losses. They
shouted confusedly as they came: "This insult must be punished!
Revenge! Revenge! He shall pay dearly for his insolence. Money, oil,
salt; doves--he must pay for all. Where is he, that he may experience
our vengeance?"
The priests replied: "He has conveyed himself away."
"Then," cried the traders, "we will pursue him."
But Nathanael, seeing what advantage might result from the discontent
of the merchants, arrested their pursuit. "Stay friends," he said; "the
faction that follows this man is at present too large. If you attacked

them it might cause a dangerous fight, which the Roman sword would
finish. Trust to us. He shall not escape punishment."
And the priests who stood around Nathanael cried: "With us and for us:
that is your salvation!" Then Dathan and his friends exclaimed
triumphantly: "Our victory is near."
Nathanael assured of the control of the multitude, continued: "We are
now going to inform the council of the Sanhedrin of today's events."
The traders impatiently exclaimed: "We will go with you. We must
have satisfaction."
But Nathanael dissuaded them, saying: "Come in an hour's time to the
forecourt of the high priest. I will plead your cause in the council, and
bring forward your complaint."
And as Nathanael and the priests and the Pharisees went out, the traders
and the people cheered them, crying aloud: "We have Moses! Down
with every other! We are for Moses' law to the death! Praise be to our
fathers! Praise to our father's God!"
* * * * * *
Then the high priests and the rulers and the elders gathered together
late in the night in the council of the Sanhedrin. In the highest place sat
Caiaphas with his jewelled breast-plate, in robes of white embroidered
with gold. A vestment of green and gold covered his shoulders, and on
his head he wore a white-horned mitre adorned with golden bells,
which added to the majesty of his aspect. Annas, the aged high priest,
sat on his left. Nathanael, also on the raised dais, was on the right.
Below him sat the rabbis in blue velvet, while seated around were
Pharisees, scribes and doctors of the law.
Caiaphas, whose white hair and beard showed that he was well stricken
in years, was still in the full vigor of life. As president of the Sanhedrin,
he briefly opened the session:

"Honored brothers, fathers and teachers of the people, an extraordinary
occurrence is the occasion of the present extraordinary assembly.
Listen to it from the mouth of our worthy brother."
Then Nathanael arose, and