The Great Gospel of John
Volume 4
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 17 -
The Templars' policy of state.
Says Zinka: "High Friend! High lord! We all see this quite clearly; but in addition we see something, that you apparently don't see!"
2
Says Cyrenius: "And this would be?"
3
Says Zinka: "It is the dear state politics according to which in nearly all times and in all countries of the earth, priesthoods posses certain privileges, whereby they can do many things, which would be regarded as a crime for the rest of humanity. Priests are daringly enough to impose themselves almost as gods onto the people and carrying the supposedly word of God according to their own interest in their mouth before the people. And nobody stand up against them, and even the emperor must watch this cheeky game with a friendly face, for the sake of the old habitual national superstition, through which the people are kept in a certain obedient, modest position and not rising up against the king of a country, if he nearly always gives them laws which are difficult to follow and imposes heavy taxes on them.
4
But if the priests are allowed to do as they please in the place of God, even the emperor will not act too seriously, if those nation-numbists in requisite circumstances sometimes secretly or even openly slip into the skin of a monarch, to speak in his name or even impose laws, if they regard it as salutary for the ruler, for his country and of course also for themselves, what especially in those provinces must appear forgivable, which are very far away from the rulers residence, as the Jewish homeland here.
5
If the emperor today demands from them an explanation and responsibility for the false authority, they will speak the absolute truth, that they have done this without any instructions; but alongside they will also be able to give the emperor a very good reason, whereby they have done this only to the best advantage of the monarch and his state! And they will also try to prove in great detail and sun bright clarity, why such an imposition was necessary, and what use it yielded for the state and the monarch. And in the end the emperor will be forced to praise and reward them.
6
Question them today, and after the interrogation you will be able to punish them just as little as the emperor himself and in the end you will even be forced to confirm the certain authority for Herodes, if they can proof to you that such an act was necessary, namely to put up certain barriers for the imperiousness of Herodes, because without it, with his unmeasurable treasures and wealth, he could easily set up a large army unit, putting him in the position to categorically start negotiating with you romans! However, they discovered the plot and by an enlightenment from above they immediately used the right means, whereby Herodes received a pro forma privilege form the emperors willpower, which he otherwise would have taken by force in the near future. - If the temple knights come with such explanation to you, what else can you do other than praise and reward them?"
7
Says Cyrenius: "I'm not yet completely convinced about that! If Herodes had such an evil plan in mind and wanted to carry it out, why wasn't I informed about it in a secret way? I also could have seized the correct means against it! It isn't that far from Jerusalem to Sidon or Tyre! And finally, how are the temple clerics going to explain the large treasure and the thirty camels which they have taken away from the emperor? I think this will be somewhat difficult for them!"
8
Said Zinka: "High friend, high lord! Apparently you possess a lot of thorough state knowledge, but in this matter you seem to be very inexperienced - like someone who never held only one house scepter in his hand! Firstly: Danger by delay; and secondly: Avoidance of any dangerous publicity in the matter! If you had known it too early you would have immediately besieged the whole of Jerusalem and have guarded it thoroughly; this would have caused a large excitement among the people and they would have hated you bitterly for it. Herodes then would have used such mood against you to his advantage, by which entirely different quite unpredictable consequences could have originated!
9
Taking all this into account and knowing it beforehand, the temple in its divine wisdom did something, whereby without any noise the bad matter was remedied; at the right time they would have anyway informed you and the emperor quite gently about what had happened, accompanied with the advice what should be done further. The treasures destined for the emperor they could have handed to you in anyway only after they had found it advisable to inform you about everything.
10
If you, high friend and high lord, would most certainly have received such answers to some of your questions, tell me, if you according to true state politics could have done anything else, than praise the temple clerics highly and reward them according to the law, like every good and honest businessman must be rewarded with ten to one-hundred!"
11
Says Cyrenius: "But if I by myself am only too convinced about the extraordinary wickedness of the temple clerics, can I still praise and reward them? Doesn't there exist any means and no way to get hold of these brothers of Satan?"
12
Says Zinka: "If Zinka or you know the evil knights better and abhors them more deeply, is a significant question; if I could destroy the temple and all synagogues with one breath, believe me, I would not need more than two moments to think about! But the situation is as such, that even a God can give you no other advice, than, for the time being, look at the evil game with a friendly face. If the time comes later, advice will also come?"
13
According to my calculation and the calculation of Johannes, in forty years time from know on, they will be completely ripe to fall down, and you will be forced to reconquer Judea and the whole of Jerusalem and must destroy their nests from the ground upwards; before that time very little or even nothing can be done against them by force, except what I have advised you before. In time you can asked them about the things and matters under discussion; however, if you receive an explanation apparently immediately, then act as I have told you, otherwise you will give the matter a bad ending!"