Jesus Of Nazareth Part 5

CAIAPHAS: Who are you?

JUDAS: Judas Iscariot.

DANIEL: An Edomite.

ANNAS: Long live Edom, if Edom gets us out of our trouble.

CAIAPHAS: You wanted to speak to us? Speak.

JUDAS: I can tell you where Jesus the Nazarene can be found tonight.

CAIAPHAS: Well.

JUDAS: I am able to lead soldiers to the place where he can be arrested.

CAIAPHAS: Who told you we wanted to arrest him? (to Annas) The treasury is not rich; I am feigning indifference. (to Judas) What makes you suppose we want to arrest this Jesus?

JUDAS: The soldiers of the Temple on the outer sanctuary just now CAIAPHAS: You questioned them?

JUDAS: I heard them.

CAIAPHAS: Aren't you a disciple of this Galilean?

JUDAS: He deceived me, the impostor!

CAIAPHAS: Ah! How?

JUDAS: He's not the Messiah.

CAIAPHAS: You thought him?

JUDAS: Many believed it, who no longer believe it. He said to us this evening while eating the Pa.s.sover, "When I shall have left you." Can the Messiah die?

"Do this in memory of me." Mustn't the Messiah always dwell with us? And he often says, "Woe to you, Jerusalem." Can the Messiah curse Jerusalem?

CAIAPHAS: And may he not be a prophet?

JUDAS: He said, "You will see heaven open over the Son of Man and the Angels descend to surround him." And no one has ever seen angels. And there have never been any except the poor surrounding him; to whom he commends me to give all the money in the common purse. He is generous because he possesses nothing and is much received in their houses, like this Lazarus.

CAIAPHAS: You are shaking? Didn't he revive Lazarus? Answer.

ANNAS: We're not back to that story.

JUDAS: He's the devil!

JOEL: The wretch!

CAIAPHAS: Silence! Judas, you know that if you give up your master, he will die?

JUDAS: Let him die.

CAIAPHAS: You are ferociously disillusioned.

ANNAS: He already sees himself as royal treasurer or grand butler: somebody in Israel.

CAIAPHAS: He's falling from on high.

JUDAS: He has seduced only the wretched and the women.

DANIEL: And what women!

JUDAS: He makes them love him; he says he belongs to no one. When they came to him to announce that his mother and his brothers were coming to see him, he pointed to us, his disciples, saying, "Behold my mother and my brothers." He has no guts. When a rich man asked him for advice he said, "Leave everything, abandon all, and follow me. Poverty saves the soul." Because he is poor and poor folk relinquish their bread to him and share their bread with him. And who gave him rights over the dead? Lazarus was sleeping contentedly. Will a man ever be sure of sleeping in peace? He's a tyrant. He knows quite well he must die; he knows it. Then why did he come? To preach the impossible? For one must be mad to undo oneself and ruin one's children; and one cannot love everybody, nor return good for evil, nor protect a woman who misbehaves, nor, struck on the right cheek offer the left. And earth is made for man to enjoy, and woman for man to enjoy, and riches for man to enjoy, and one cannot tear out one's heart, nor tear all desire from one's heart, nor close one's eyes to everything. And he says the kingdom is not of this world and that Jerusalem is not the true Jerusalem! The impostor!

PHAROS: These then are his doctrines!

SEMEIAS: A variety of Essenism.

SARAI: Nothing astonis.h.i.+ng that the rabble delight in him.

JUDAS: Give me soldiers. Tonight I will give him up to you.

CAIAPHAS: Well, you will have them.

JUDAS: But I want my wages.

CAIAPHAS: What?

JUDAS: The price of blood.

CAIAPHAS: He hasn't been condemned; we will hear him first.

JUDAS: Well, summon him then! Arrest him yourself.

ANNAS Insolent.

JOEL: Abominable traitor.

CAIAPHAS: It's essential that he be judged this very night.

JUDAS: I want fifty sheckels.

ANNAS: Bandit! You are killing us!

JUDAS: I can continue to follow him; I will eat every day at the table of his dupes.

CAIAPHAS: The service is insignificant. You will have twenty sheckels. The Temple is not rich. Be Jewish from conscience.

JUDAS: I am an Iscariot. Give me forty sheckels. In two hours he will be in the hands of your soldiers. The skin of the worst of wretches is indeed worth forty sheckels.

CAIAPHAS: By giving him up you are only doing your duty as an honest man. You will have twenty sheckels. Rehabilitation cannot be bought; don't you have any conscience?

JUDAS: Leave my conscience out of it. Poorer men than you give us greater alms.

I've seen a woman anoint his feet with balm worth triple what you are giving me.

I want thirty pieces of silver.

ANNAS: You will have them.

CAIAPHAS: But earn them honestly.

JUDAS: Give me them.

CAIAPHAS: Fifteen before, fifteen after. Phaniel, count him fifteen sheckels. (a servant goes out and returns with Selomith) Phaniel, is it counted? Is the Galilean accompanied, Iscariot?

JUDAS: By sheep.

CAIAPHAS: No weapons?

JUDAS: Two or three old swords.

CAIAPHAS: How many soldiers will be necessary?

JUDAS: A dozen if there are only his disciples. Thousands if CAIAPHAS: If? Why this reticence?

JUDAS: If G.o.d meddles with it.

CAIAPHAS: d.a.m.nation! You are mad. Selomith, have someone replace you and take fifteen men. You know Jesus, the Galilean.

SELOMITH: By reputation.

JUDAS: He's the one to whom I will give the kiss of peace. I will explain as we go.

CAIAPHAS: Where is he?

JUDAS: In Gethsemane.

CAIAPHAS: The hill of olives. Fine. Go and be diligent. As for us, we will eat the Pa.s.sover. Selomith, a word. Keep an eye on your guide. If you don't bring the other, don't allow this one the least chance to escape. I'll make him return the money. Get going. (Judas and Selomith leave) Brothers, I am counting on you so we'll have witnesses. Joel, will we have your revived man? In four hours you can go to Bethany and be back. You have good mules.

JOEL: I will bring him.

ANNAS: If you find him alive, of course.

SARAI: Ah! Ah! If not, let him sleep in peace.

(All leave except Nicodemus and Joseph.) NICODEMUS: Fatal rus.h.!.+

JOSEPH: They won't dare. His doctrine is pure.

NICODEMUS: And we are not pure enough to understand it. I've argued with him.

JOSEPH: You?

NICODEMUS: Once. Shortly after the death of John the Baptist. A word from him among others struck me. "No one, who is not born anew can see the kingdom of G.o.d. What is born from the flesh is flesh; what is born from the spirit is spirit. The wind blows when it wishes; you hear its voice and you don't know where it is coming from, nor where it is going. Thus it is with someone born of the spirit." I remember, I remember, and since then I haven't stopped thinking of his words, and now, listening to this Judas, I think I understand. Come Joseph, we must talk. I have I don't know what confused notions in my soul. I am extraordinarily troubled. Let's go to my home, if you like. You will be my guest tonight. We won't allow a prophet to be murdered, right?

JOSEPH: Prophet or not: the cruelty of condemning him without sure proofs would be enormous. And I believe him just.

NICODEMUS: He is! He is! More than we. Let's go.

(They leave.) CURTAIN.

SCENE V. THE GARDEN OF OLIVES.

JESUS: Keep me company. Let's sit here.

PETER: You are very weary, Lord. Stretch out and sleep a little, while John, James and I, we will watch.

JESUS: It's not the body that is weary, Simon Peter, it's the soul which refuses to sleep.

PETER: Where will we spend the night, Master? Won't we go to Bethany?

JESUS: Should I go to prepare such a mishap for Judas? Those who are looking for me tonight must find me.

JAMES: The Iscariot will betray you, Lord?

JESUS: He will betray me if my father permits it.

JOHN: Lord, wouldn't it be better to hide yourself?

JESUS: Where must one go, John?

JOHN: Out of Judea where they hate you. No one would pursue you in Galilee.

JESUS: Where Antipas reigns, who caused John the Baptist's death. There is no longer any safe place for me anywhere. Any more than for David fleeing before Saul whom the prophet nonetheless commanded to remain in the kingdom. No prophet has commanded me to remain. My soul alone, and my Father who says, "Don't desert your people, don't abandon the flock I have confided to you." Who to talk to anyway, in the Arabian desert? I belong to this soil and it's not mine to take across the frontier. And as for Galilee, is there one of its towns, one of its cities where I have not planted the seed, one of its Synagogues where I have not unveiled G.o.d, one of its ill that I have not cured, one of its wretches that I have not pointed out the way of salvation to? Bethesda, Capernaeum, Corazin, the countryside, the sh.o.r.es of Tiberaide, it's only right up to the great sea and the confines of Syria where I haven't breathed life, combated death and revealed the Spirit. I have nothing more to do in Galilee. I have no more business except in Jerusalem and I cannot avoid it.

JAMES: They wanted to stone you, Master.

PETER: Today again, to arrest you.

JESUS: And, this very night, Judas made a bargain with the Princes of Priests and the Elders of the people.

PETER: But their plans will be baffled, for you are the Messiah and the Father won't allow them to put a hand on you.

JAMES: And you are in safety everywhere, Master, because the Father protects you everywhere.

JESUS: My soul is sad to death.