The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
New events in Kis
- Chapter 238 -
Continuation of the trial. Public confession of the thirty accomplices. Faustus' mitigation of the sentence.
Says Faustus, 'Well then, speak ! By all my honour, not one hair on you shall be bent.'
2
Says one Pharisee, shaking uncontrollably from fear of death, 'Lord, will you spare my life too if I talk?'
3
Says Faustus, 'Yours too, for you are one of the least among them.'
4
The other eleven Pharisees scream, 'don't you know that one should rather die than turn traitor on God?'
5
Says the one Pharisee, 'That I know indeed,but here there is no talk about God, but only about your most shameful deception of the Romans. You knew how to elegantly relieve the Romans of the big booty with such artful cunning, that truly, the entire world would be astounded.
6
You prime villain wore the regimentals of the governor in Chief, who is now stationed at Sidon, and intermittently at Tyre; you wore the emperor's token ring of authority and a golden sword and ruler's baton for all of Palestine, Assyria and Asia Minor and the whole Pontus.
7
Besides this, you are of an apparently equal age to that of the venerable old Cyrenius, assuming his name and putting together a retinue and royal household, similar to that of Cyrenius, mounted upon a magnificent steed. When greeted as Governor by the escort, who half a day's journey from Tyre handed the order of command roll, drawn up by himself to you, the supposed Governor, together with the moneys and treasures, received into possession by your Roman soldiers in disguise, you commanded him to withdraw to the Pontus as quickly as possible, in that you had heard from reliable sources that disturbances had broken out there on account of oppressive taxation, and the inhabitants of the far Pontus had combined with Scythian hordes against Roman rule, 'Herein lies a rising threat, wherefore he as the (fake) Governor had, on instructions from Rome, come to meet him - the toughest chieftain of Pontus and Asia Minor, part of the way, in order to shorten his trek back for the emergency.'
8
It goes without saying that the supreme commander of Pontus and Asia Minor and his three thousand horsemen at once tuned back, and were at such a distance in a few hours as to leave us nothing further to fear from him. We all were threatened with secrecy upon death and were premised two hundred pounds of silver each, which however we have never received yet, but are not to receive until at Jerusalem. Fate however decreed otherwise, and the prospects for the two hundred pounds look somewhat slim.
9
The moneys and treasures were then moved to Capernaum by night, where same had now rested for some two moons, whilst the secret road was built only on account of the great treasure, and does not as far as I know lead to Jerusalem, but towards a great hidden cave in these mountains, within which rather than the Temple, quite many a thousand pounds of gold already are awaiting retrieval.
10
Only the twelve of us were initiates to this secret and beside us no Pharisee knows anything about it, but for our thirty accomplices, although these are not aware of the purpose. They are told this is being preserved for the coming Messiah, Who shall imminently liberate the Jews from their Roman yoke. But I of course know a quite different purpose, namely, first: a life of luxury over luxury and secondly: mighty corruption powers in important emergencies, where it is intended to have the mighty Romans dance according to one's tune, or to purchase a supreme position at the Temple, which of course is always worth a fortune of gold. Now you know the lot, and you can now examine all the thirty and they shall tell you the same.
11
Only the pledges were destined for Jerusalem, in order to win the Temple's favour; the moneys and treasures however would have joined their likes in the cave, had they not suffered this mighty shipwreck here. Now you know everything and can act as you see fit, only let you not be too hard and inexorable towards myself and the thirty misguided ones.'
12
Says Faustus, 'Towards you and the thirty I shall not be acting as judge but as protector. What is to be done with the eleven, Cyrenius shall decide. Only tell me one more thing, whether any of the moneys or treasures has been stolen or whether all that was brought from Asia Minor is here together and whether you know about the famous cave.'
13
Says the Pharisee, 'Just as it all was taken into possession, together with the wagons, so it still is here, unscathed and unwasted. Regarding the famous cave however, I as a co-sworn know of everything it contains of course, and without one of us twelve, no one could find either entry or exit.'
14
Following this, Faustus praises the more destitute Pharisee named Pilah, saying to Kisjonah, 'Well, friend and now most esteemed father-in-law, the cave, located in your mountains, obviously, shall be given to you as pronounced in the initial verdict; the Emperor's moneys and treasures however, let you take into custody for the present; for they shall be safest in your custody pending the conclusion of this major trial.
15
Let Pilah be placed on my bill, but let the thirty be given good accommodation for the night. I cannot give them freedom until the cave is cleared, then afterwards they can go wherever they choose. Nor do I intend to have them whipped, since their co-operation led to big revelations.'