Then Jesus, leaving the table, advanced to the foreground and stood for some time with his eyes raised to heaven, the disciples standing on either side watching him with troubled faces. Shortly after he said unto them, "Children, why are ye so sad and why look ye on me so sorrowfully? Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in G.o.d, believe also in me. In my father"s house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you; and I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also. I leave you not as orphans. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Keep my commandment. This is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you! By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another. Hereafter I will not talk much to you, for the prince of this world cometh, although he hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, so do I. Let us go hence."
The Sanhedrin was again in session. Caiaphas presided, Annas as before sat on his left hand and Nathanael on his right. No sooner had all the members of the a.s.sembly taken their seats than Caiaphas rose and with radiant countenance began, "a.s.sembled fathers, I have a joyful piece of news to impart to you. The supposed prophet from Galilee will soon, we hope, be in our hands. Dathan, the zealous Israelite, has won over one of the most trusted companions of the Galilean, who will let himself be employed as a guide, so that we may surprise him by night. Both are here, only waiting a summons to appear before us."
"Bring them in," cried with eager voices the priests and Pharisees.
Josue volunteered, "I will call them."
"Yes, call them," said Caiaphas. When Josue left the room Caiaphas asked their counsel as to the price which should be given for the betrayal of Jesus.
Nathanael stood up and said, "The law of Moses gives direction for such a case; a slave is valued at thirty pieces of silver."
The priests laughed thereat and said, "Yea, yea, it is just the price of a slave that the false Messiah is worth."
Then came in Dathan and Judas, Josue conducting them into the presence of the Sanhedrin. Dathan stood forward and said, "Most learned council, I here fulfil the task entrusted to me, and present to the fathers a man who is determined for a suitable reward to deliver our and your enemy into our power. He is a trusted friend of the notorious Galilean and knows his ways and his secret abiding places."
Then said Caiaphas to Judas, "Knowest thou the man whom the council seeks?"
Judas answered, "I have now been a long time in his company and know where he is accustomed to abide."
Then said Caiaphas, "What is thy name?"
He replied, "My name is Judas, and I am one of the twelve."
"Yes, yes," cried several of the priests, "we saw thee often with him."
Caiaphas asked him, "Art thou steadfastly resolved to do our will?"
Judas answered firmly, "I give you my word."
"But," continued Caiaphas, "wilt thou not repent of it? What induced thee to take this step?"
Judas answered, "The friendship between him and me has been cooling down for some time, and now I have quite broken with him."
"What has led to this?" asked Caiaphas.
Judas replied, "There is nothing more to be got from him and indeed I am resolved to remain loyal to lawful authority, that is always the best. What will you give me if I deliver him up to you?"
Then Caiaphas, speaking as if they were promising great things, said, "Thirty pieces of silver, which shall be at once paid over to thee!"
"Hear that, Judas?" cried Dathan, "thirty pieces of silver, what a gain!"
Before Judas could reply, Nathanael sprang to his feet, saying, "And mark thee well, Judas, this is not all! If thou executest this work right well thou shalt be cared for still further."
"And thou mayest become a rich and famous man," added a priest.
Judas said aloud, "I am contented," and added to himself, "Now the star of hope is rising for me."
Then said Caiaphas to the rabbi who sat below the judgment seat arrayed in blue velvet and gold, "Bring the thirty pieces of silver out of the treasury, and pay it over in the presence of the council."
"Is this your will?" he added, putting the question to the Sanhedrin.
A great shout went up of "Yes, yes, it is."
But some there were present who did not join in that cry. One of these, Nicodemus, stood up and asked the Sanhedrin, "How can you conclude so G.o.dless a bargain?" Then turning to Judas, he said, "And thou, abject wretch, dost thou not blush to sell thy Lord and master, thou G.o.d-forgetting traitor whom the earth shall swallow up? For thirty pieces of silver wouldst thou now sell that most loving friend and benefactor? O, pause while there is yet time. That blood-money will cry to heaven for vengeance, will burn like hot iron thy avaricious soul!"
Judas, surprised by this sudden outburst, stood trembling and amazed.
Dathan, Caiaphas and the rest of the Sanhedrin displayed unmistakable indignation at this unexpected intervention on the part of Nicodemus.
Josue said: "Don"t trouble yourself, Judas, about the speech of this zealot; let him go and be a follower of the false prophet. Thou dost thy duty as a disciple of Moses in serving the rightful authorities."
Then came in the rabbi with the silver in a dish. "Come, Judas," said he, "take the thirty pieces of silver and play the man," counting the coins out on a stone table so that they c.h.i.n.ked merrily as they fell.
Judas s.n.a.t.c.hed them up eagerly, testing them now and then to see if they were genuine, and then transferred them piece by piece with feverish haste to his bag, which he tied up when filled and replaced in his girdle. Then, resuming his place on the left of the judgment seat, he exclaimed: "You can rely upon my word."
"But," said the priests, "the work must be accomplished before the feast."
Judas answered and said: "Even now the fairest opportunity offers itself. This very night he shall be in your hands. Give me an armed band so that he can be duly surrounded and every road of escape cut off."
Then said Annas, who up to now had not broken silence: "Let us send with him the Temple Watch."
"Yes, yes," cried all the priests, "let us order them to go."
Caiaphas said: "It would also be advisable to send some members of the Holy Sanhedrin with them."
Half the a.s.sembly sprang to their feet crying: "We are ready."
Caiaphas said: "If the choice is left to me I appoint Nathan, Josaphat, Solomon and Ptolomaus." Each of the four, as he was named, rose and bowed low.
Then, Caiaphas, turning to Judas, said: "But, Judas, how will the band be able to distinguish the Master in the darkness?"
Judas answered: "They must come with torches and lanterns and I will give them a sign."
"Excellent, Judas," cried the priests in approving chorus.
"Now," said Judas, "I will hasten away to spy out everything. Then I will come back to fetch the armed men."
"I will go with you, Judas," said Dathan, "and will not leave your side until this work is finished."
"At the gate of Bethpage I will meet your people," said Judas, as he departed, taking with him Dathan and the four priests to accompany him.
When they had left the Sanhedrin Caiaphas addressed the a.s.sembly: "All goes admirably, venerable fathers, but now we are called to look the great question frankly in the face. What shall we do with this man when G.o.d has delivered him into our hands?"
Then: said Zadok: "Let us throw him into the deepest and darkest of dungeons and keep him well watched and laden down with chains. Let him be buried while still alive."
This, however, did not please Caiaphas, so using the full might of his eloquence and authority he continued: "Which of you would guarantee that his friends would not raise a tumult and free him, or that the guard might not be corrupted, or could he not break his fetters with his abhorred magic arts?" The priests were silent. Caiaphas replied in tones of the deepest conviction: "I see that ye neither know nor understand. Then listen to the high priest. It is better that one man should die and the whole nation perish not. He must die!" And as the fatal words fell from the lips of Caiaphas the whole Sanhedrin was moved. Caiaphas continued: "Until he is dead there is no peace in Israel, no security for the law of Moses, and no quiet hours for us."
Hardly had Caiaphas ended than the rabbi sprang to his feet exclaiming in excited tones: "G.o.d has spoken through our high priest! Only by the death of Jesus of Nazareth can and must the people of Israel be delivered!"