Miracle at Golgotha - Augustus (best short books to read TXT) 📗

soup we made for Rabbi Moshe. He asked me specifically to bring you some.”
“Thank you, mother,” said Titus. A certain sense of guilt came over him, as he realized that earlier in the day he had helped to rob the same holy man who was looking after him.
“Yes, thank you, very much,” added Simon.
Just then, a commotion from the east gate caught their attention. In the remaining light of dusk, Titus could see a large group of legionnaires and a centurion surrounded by a yelling mob. The entire mass of people was moving steadily in their direction. Titus’ mind immediately reflected upon his conversation with his father and his lawless friends. Was this the commotion his father had said he would create? Had the general public found out about the missing garments?
“What do you see?” asked Leah looking at Simon, the tallest of the three.
“It appears the Roman soldiers have a prisoner and they’re bringing him to the Temple.”
“Oh my! I hope it isn’t someone we know,” she added.
As the mob moved closer to the east door of the temple grounds, Titus could make out the countenance of a familiar man. By the flickering light of the hand-held torches he saw the one called Jesus in the middle of the throng.
“It’s the Teacher, mother. They have him in restraints.”

Chapter 12

The mob stopped at the steps to the door of the Temple, but did not ascend. A centurion who appeared to be in charge addressed the temple guards. “Go. Bring your high priest here. We have a prisoner for him.”
Titus saw a confused look on the temple guards’ faces. They consulted with each other in muffled voices, then the oldest looking one, answered with two words. “Wait here!”
The elder guard hurried into the temple and in a few minutes returned, escorting Rabbi Annas. The holy man was not wearing the extravagant garments of ceremony. In fact, he looked to Titus as if the man had been taking a nap. His grey hair was pressed against the back of his head and the upper part of his robe was wrinkled.
As if drawn by some invisible force, Titus, Simon and Leah edged closer to the door, standing only a few strides away from the rabbi. They stared at Jesus who cast his look downward. His shoulders were slumped and he appeared defeated, on the verge of tears.
The rabbi lifted his right hand in the air and the crowd immediately fell silent. He studied the man from Nazareth, then spoke. “Who is this prisoner you have brought?”
The centurion pointed at Jesus. “This man has been spreading rumors of a rebellion. He says he is king of the Jews. That makes him one of yours, a prisoner of yours. We have orders to bring him to you.”
Rabbi Annas gave a slight nod. “I’m sure you do. We’ll take him from here. Now, please leave the temple grounds. We are beginning our holy celebrations and we do not wish to defile the dignity of the occasion.”
The Romans marched away but the mob remained as a murmur ran through the crowd. The temple guards held their spears at the ready, just in case anyone felt the need to storm the building.
Rabbi Annas walked into the temple foyer, the first room of the long temple building. The guards held Jesus by the arms as they walked him to spot within two paces in front of the rabbi. They forced the rebel leader to his knees. He raised his head and looked at the rabbi. Rabbi Annas raised his hand and showed his palm to the prisoner.
“Be silent. This is a matter of serious concern. I do not want to hear with my ears what should be heard by the entirety of the Sanhedrin.” He glanced at the temple guards. “Take him to a holding cell downstairs while I summon Caiaphas and the others.”
Jesus did as he was instructed. He remained silent.
The guards bowed and hurried Jesus down the side hallway and entered the same door Titus had used to descend to the basement. The rabbi looked around at the remaining temple workers. “This could be a long night. Go back to your duties.”
Leah took Titus by the hand and glanced at Simon and his mother. “We may be here all night. We should return to our stations.”
This was not good news for Titus. His father, Dimas and the men were counting on him to help rob the temple later in the night. Now, those plans would have to be revised dramatically. This man, Jesus, had created a better commotion than any chaos his father could have invented, but the timing was all wrong. The Jews were up in arms, but instead of being angry at the Romans for losing the garments, they were upset at a seditious rabble-rouser. The angry mob was not at the Tower of Antonia but at the Temple, the very place Dimas and his men wanted deserted.
When they returned to their work station, Titus was about to speak when he saw Simon put a finger to his lips. Titus glanced at the temple door which was only twenty paces away and noticed a temple guard staring at them. Everyone, it seemed, was nervous and afraid.
Titus nodded at his friend and began his chores. After cleaning the fireplaces of the ashes from the afternoon fires, Titus and Simon brought more wood into the temple storage area. Apart from some grunts and guttural sounds, they performed their work without speaking until it was almost midnight.
They were sitting on the wood pile and beginning to doze when they heard the rising voices of men approaching the temple entrance. Titus looked up and saw the high priest Caiaphas. He was surrounded by a horde of lesser priests and holy men. The group proceeded through the foyer and into the more expansive atrium.
Titus recognized a young man in the approaching crowd as a distant relative of Caiaphas. The young man seemed to be trying to persuade the girl servant who was the doorkeeper, to let his male friend into the temple. The girl looked at the male friend and asked, “You’re not one of Jesus’ disciples are you?”
The man tilted his head back slightly as if insulted. “I am not.”
Her eyes twinkled at the young Jew as she waved them in and the two men entered the temple.
Titus and Simon loaded their arms with firewood and walked quietly into the atrium. They set the wood down next to the fireplace which was already burning. During the day, this area of the temple was brightly lit by natural sunshine, but now it was dim and cold. The priests took their seats on the sides of the rectangular room except Caiaphas who sat at the far end of the room.
Titus and his friend awaited a signal from Caiaphas which they knew would be coming. Caiaphas barely raised a finger as he pointed at the unlit torches behind the stone benches where the assembly sat. Without hesitation, Titus and Simon lit the torches, illuminating the room a bright yellow as when evening ceremonies were occasionally held. They then tried to blend into the background, sitting on the floor behind the benches of the Sanhedrin.
“Bring me the prisoner!” ordered Caiaphas.
The temple guards must have known Caiaphas was going to issue such an order because within seconds, two guards brought Jesus into the atrium. The prisoner looked despondent. He was pushed down to his knees. A murmur ran through the assembled holy men.
“So you’re Jesus of Nazareth,” said Caiaphas. “I somehow imagined you would be taller. In any event, tell me why you’ve been going around teaching of a new kingdom when we have one here already. Oh, and tell me too, about these so-called miracles you have been performing.”
Titus leaned close to Simon and cupped his hand to silence his whisper. “It’s true.”
“What’s true?”
“That thing about miracles. I saw Jesus heal a leper,” answered Titus.
Simon raised his eyebrows and he grinned. Titus wasn’t sure whether Simon smiled because Titus had witnessed the miracle or simply because the falsehoods Caiaphas was alleging, were actually true.
“Why do you question me?” asked Jesus. He turned his head and looked at the surrounding members of the Sanhedrin. “I have spoken to the world publicly. I always taught in a synagogue and in the temple where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret.”
Titus leaned into Simon again. “Now that part is not true,” he said in a hushed tone. “I heard him preaching out in the countryside.”
The Nazarene then straightened his back and took in a deep breath. “Question those who have heard what I spoke to them. See! They know what I said.”
As soon as those words left his mouth, Jesus was struck with the back hand of one of the nearby temple officers. Upon impact, he reeled sideways and almost fell over. His cheek began to swell.
“This is how you answer the chief priest?” asked the officer.
For all the splendor of his turban, cincture, vestments and scepter, Caiaphas seemed powerless in the face of this lowly teacher. “I have been told you claim your feasts replace Temple sacrifice because you are God’s own son. Is that true?”
“It is true,” answered Jesus.
“This is blasphemy! Take him to the Romans,” ordered Caiaphas.
The temple guards grabbed Jesus by the arms and jerked him up to his feet. Then Titus noticed something odd. Caiaphas and a few of the Jewish judges began to tear off their own garments, as if the denigrating words of Jesus still clung to their clothes. As the Sanhedrin erupted into a cacophony of insults and verbal abuse aimed at the prisoner, the Nazarene was pushed outside to a screaming mob.
Titus felt a light touch on his shoulder. He turned and saw Rabbi Moshe standing behind him. He and Simon rose quickly and stood at attention.
“We were just curious, Rabbi Moshe. We did not mean to offend,” pleaded Titus.
“It’s quite alright, Titus. Listen to me.” He glanced back and forth from Titus to Simon. “I have spoken to the guards. I want you and Simon to accompany them to the governor’s palace. If it appears they have our ceremonial garments, I want you two to bring them