Chapter 37 - Dafei

The sanhedrin found out immediately that I had raised Lazarus from the dead. No wonder too, Jerusalem was only 15 stadia from Bathania, and the people he rushed to deliver the glad tidings. There was perhaps nothing so stirring as the possibility of resurrecting someone, but almost no one spoke up about what that was good for. What did a man want to preserve, if, as Herofiles observed, his body consisted of three-fourths of exuberance? The rest was a tragic tangle of words, passions, habits, fear of the future and the hope that unites all that, but which as such does not exist itself.

I gave up on the people, and to may that be of loam and rags, it was the great mass enough. We hope for rules, the world rules. This, then, was exactly what so alarmed the Sanhedrin. High priest Caiaphas in all his Levites together could do nothing new, they were only concerned with the endless sacrifices in the temple, pouring oil into the candlesticks and taking from the faithful silver sickles for the holy treasury. They could not plead a living word and customers clung to power like a dying graybeard clings to the edge of his deathbed with cramped fingers. They had tired God with the uniformity and meaninglessness of their worship.

I think they failed to get rid of me as quickly as shit because the Sanhedrin is never united. The Sadducees took the most places in it, and they blood hated the Pharisees, on whom people were more inclined and who held written tradition for God's word. The Sadducees played the card of Rome, the Pharisees that of the gray. And then there stood these venerable people, the orators who represented the interests of the rich merchants, the landowners and the aristocracy. They fought among themselves, as always, with each other, while a force tried to get on their side. Thus high priest Caiaphas also decided to act, although I don't know why, because his power was unassailable. Probably he had decided to fool around with me a bit and see what came of it.

It went like this. We left the house of Lazarus in Bethania and made our way to Jerusalem. It was the middle of the day. The crowd accompanying us had thinned out considerably. I understood that I had to enter the city as a triumphator, as the man who personified the expectations of the people. I became excited as I thought of how to conduct the dialogue with the Sanhedrin, how to present my reforms... I could already see myself in the huge rooms of the provincial perfect, he and I discussing how we would reform Jerusalem, for the transformation of the land of Israel should begin in the most important city.... In my mind I was talking to the prefect about the fact that the death of the cross should be abolished with immediate effect and forever, how I explained that in place of the yeshivas new, free schools for everyone should be created there you could learn philosophy, mathematics, astronomy and medicine.... The prefect, though astonished, would have also agreed with all my proposals, for he was an educated Roman, not a headstrong elder of the sanhedrin... I saw a Jerusalem without slaves, with legions of trees along the streets, there were no discontented people, and those in need called, came to get assistance. The whole land of Israel would thus take on a different appearance, and the Romans would be amazed at how magnificent and yet thought their distant province was.

I really believed in that.

If I could perform a small miracle from time to time, if the Lord God had given me that gift, like a scroll of mezuzah in the army, then I would give the Jews the miracle of a new Kingdom. Perhaps my life would not be long enough for that, but I would cast the grain into the earth.

I did not want to think that on the stones of Judea nothing could grow but sparse thistles.

I wandered along the dusty road with my students, who were sad because they were scared. As always, we were surrounded by a mess of troublemakers. It was. A multitude of people were moving along the road, some to and others from Jerusalem. Some solidly dressed Jews pointed fingers and complained at me. A Roman patrol passed by, whose headman watched our standing with great suspicion.

Two stadia from Jerusalem there was a tavern along the road with the flag out, signaling that the owner had gotten a new couch in, and I decided to drink some of that, on that it would calm me down a bit before the entry into the city. Would soothe, humble and reflect. There was nothing better for me at that moment than wine. With me is the fire of the prophet, the volcanic gift of the earth that strengthens spiritual balance and purifies the spiritual ether.

I stepped into the tavern with my disciples and women; the large crowd remained outside. Or rather, an old man from among my followers, leaning on his cane, wanted to slip in behind us, but the owner of the establishment kicked him right back out, he smelled too hard and was too dirty.

One brought us chilled wine. It was excellent wine, from Eshkola. I drank two goblets and the ghosts of unrest soaked off me. My disciples also felt more confident. Andreas and Simon started arguing where best to stay in Jerusalem, mattheus took out his book rolls and sat down to write, while Magdalene secluded herself with the owner of the tavern to settle the bill, for the wine and some food, with her love, thus sparing our resources. I did not balk at it and was not at all jealous, by now I was above all these petty earthly passions, and besides, what could such a fat-bellied innkeeper with his little zajien change Magdalena's fate, when she had already given herself to thousands of men before?

After us, a tall man in attire as expensive as it was sober entered the tavern: a light chiton of twined sea silk, a dark brown silk coat. Hanging from his belt, in a silver scabbard, was a thin interpreter with a hilt set with emeralds.

He dropped his gaze past the tavern's visitors, came over to our table and sat down across from me. He was middle-aged. Jew. A petite, clean-shaven face with a narrow nose. Sharp gray eyes.

'You are Jesus, aren't you? I want to discuss something important with you,' he said. 'But in private, let your people go away.'

'Those are my students, I trust them,' I replied. 'Let them stay mag. Who are you?

'All right then,' he agreed, attic changing facial expression. 'My name is Dafei, I am the personal assistant to high priest Joseph Caiaphas. I am here by order of his. He knows about you and about the fact that you are on your way to Jerusalem from Bethania, where you supposedly raised someone from the dead. I don't know what happened there, but all people with common sense understand that it is deception, albeit extremely ingenious. Thus, His Edo venerable wants to make a deal with you. Tomorrow morning he will appear before the people with a dutiful word on the occasion of the dawn of Passover. He offers you 30 aurei whether you will join him in facing the people and calling all the itinerant prophets of Israel to Burrell. You must persuade him to return to the womb of the Law, offer sacrifices in the temple and stop making people's heads spin. All first you must thereby pacify those who pretend to be Jesus. And if possible also the other false Messiahs. Do you understand what I mean?

'Yes,' I replied calmly, even though internally I was boiling with anger. 'And that's what that's good for?'

'To end the disturbances,' Dafei explained. 'In Jerusalem and an entire Judea, there is unrest. People are dying. Even in Galilee there is mutiny. Caesarea is taken by disciples of some madman ... The Romans are preparing a punitive expedition there. The venerable Caiaphas know that your word will help to calm tempers... Though I personally think otherwise.'

'Why should I act together with Caiaphas? I am entering Jerusalem and did convince the Romans to cancel their punitive expedition,' I said.

'Don't be stupid, Jesus,' dafei said, equally emotionless. 'The high priest will pay you 30 aurei. I have them with me. And I am ready to give them to you immediately.'

It was a lot of money that not one itinerant doctor would turn down.

"Master, let's think about the proposal!" said Matthew excitedly, "I think it's very wise.

'Shut up, Matthew,' I said.

The faces of the other disciples also showed a desire to accommodate Caiaphas. But I understand that if I agreed, I would never again become a daily great teacher, but at best an errand boy to carry out orders from the sanhedrin. Once I became a silent official, I could no longer be free. Money would bind me stronger than chains. No one would kiss my dogs if I entered a spot. But most importantly Bas, I felt I would lose the gift of healer. I also understood that Caiaphas came to increase his authority considerably if he had managed to tame such a wild animal as me. What kind of aurei were they? I thought. With the full weight? Hadn't the head of Tiberias been erased from them? Or had they been newly minted, under Augustus?

At that moment, the horny and satisfied Magdalena returned to the table. She had another jug then with her. With a smile, the owner of the tavern stepped in after her.

"This wine is also complimentary, guys!" he said.

Caiaphas' envoy eyed Magdalene intently.

'Woman, Are you not condemned to drown in Ashkelon, in a lead coffin? Your name is Mary, isn't it?

'Mee, you're mistaken, good man!" she laughed, drinking the wine right out of the jug. 'I remind everyone of someone else! But who are you, handsome?'

The envoy did not answer. For a while he and I looked at each other silently. Then I said poutily, "Dafei, let's walk outside for a while, and I'll tell you my decision.

Something of surprise slipped across Dafei's face. We got up from the table and walked under the blue sky of Israel to the crowd waiting for me. My disciples and the women came after us. Magdalena with the wine jug in her hand.

'Listen carefully, poor slob of Caiaphas!" cried I. 'I am going to Jerusalem to give the people their freedom! 12 legions of angels the Lord God will send me, and I am not afraid of you! The heavenly hosts be with me!'

Dafei recoiled from me and his face paled, became even leaner and stern. The crowd began to murmur joyfully. Dafei put his hand on the hilt of his dagger.

'They want me to act like an Indian elephant, plowing, and thirsting, and stamping its paws on the ground under the sacred shepherd's whistle! Nothing will come of that, nothing!" I continued, turning to the crowd. 'From now on you will see in me the son of man, seated on the right hand of the power of heaven! With an iron broom I will sweep away all the dirt from Jerusalem!'

"So truly it is, Jesus!" agreed a petite, pimple-faced youth who had followed us from Bethania and seen the clay lazarus at the gate of his wife's house.

'All hope is in Him alone! On Jesus we build,' an old woman began to lament. 'He is our teacher, our precious treasure, our own blood! And if anyone dares to touch him with a finger, he gets it with this very stick!' And she menacingly showed Dafei her stick.

'Tell Caiaphas he can choke on that gold!' ' I said hoarsely, having lost my voice a little from all the shouting. 'Did you understand me, Dafei? And when he runs out of that gold, then the silver may stay down his throat!'

I dashed off this speech, but I must confess that at that moment I thought nothing evil about Caiaphas, nor about his envoy. I had only very precisely gauged the mood of the crowd, in the crowd wanted me to look out and be categorical. I wanted to gather around me as many people as possible who would defend me in order to avoid arrest.

'Jesus, take back your words,' Dafoe spoke calmly, 'let's go back to the tavern and talk about it again. Maybe you misunderstood me.'

'Go hey and don't come any closer to me than a stone's throw!" I replied. 'And let the whole sanhedrin know that they are not people but decorated coffins! Off you go!

The crowd began to rant excitedly.

But as soon as Dafei's view disappeared, I immediately regretted not having accepted Caiaphas' offer. As if the spirit of contradiction that ignited my hand suddenly no longer clouded my mind. My disciples stood away with a dismayed face, and everyone else around us just wanted food and merriment. But food we didn't get for him, nor was merriment in sight. And after my furious tirade, no more people joined us, either, in this not very trusting crowd. I thought of the aurei of Caiaphas, and it became even more bitter to me.