Fifth Gospel(18)
‘Contact with a gentile,’ Herod said, with a look of apology, ‘a…heathen, especially as it nears the great feast, may render a Jew levitically and inconveniently unclean, and so disqualify him for a day from participating in the rituals, for he shall be…defiled.’
Rufus dismissed it, ‘Nonsense!’
Herod was not to be put off, ‘Also, the houses of Gentiles are considered defiled, procurator. So you may not bring any suspects to your Praetorium.’
Rufus scowled. ‘This is an outrage!’
‘Romans are idolaters.’
‘Idolaters?’ he said, at the peak of irritation.
‘You make idols.’
‘What does that have to do with anything?’
‘These are contrary to our laws.’
‘Damn your ridiculous laws!’
Herod took hold of some grapes and popped them into his mouth. ‘They may be damned and yet…they are what they are. A procurator must know them in detail,’ he continued, chewing, ‘if he is to keep peace in his province. Peace is good for business, don’t you agree? After all, dead men are not usually disposed to paying taxes.’ He flashed him a grape-stained smile. ‘And, as you have paid an inordinate sum for the revenues of this province, procurator, I trust you would not want to see future handsome dividends lost to your purse through rashness. No…all in all, it will be far wiser to have any suspects brought before the Sanhedrin for questioning by the priests.’
Rufus grew weary with the cynicism in Herod’s voice, but he knew his orders were to remain, at all times, sensitive to the volcanic temper of these bedlamites.
‘You say my prisoners should be at the disposal of the priests but the priests themselves have defended the rebels!’ he cried.
A paternal smile lit Herod’s face. ‘You need not fear for the High Priest, Ananias. He was given his position by the Governor himself and relishes the comforts that Rome provides. Besides, I have just come from my astrologers…they see only peaceful times ahead…’ he leaned forward, ‘and the stars never lie.’
Rufus huffed. ‘Well, the stars may never lie, Herod, but astrologers have been known to lie about the stars!’ Then to his commander, ‘Be vigilant, captain, watch and wait, do your searches discretely and let me know what you find. I want good soldiery everywhere. I myself will not leave the praetorium again until after Passover. But at the first sign of trouble, I wish to know it….’ He waved a half-hearted salute and dismissed the centurion.
When they were alone Herod clapped for more wine, but the procurator raised a hand to prevent it, saying he wanted better wine, perhaps that fruity wine from Cyprus, brought to his praetorium, where Herod’s pleasures awaited his eager attention.
Herod sighed, seemingly pleased with himself. ‘You must not give way to nervousness, procurator, nervousness has been known to turn a man to madness.’
‘You mean to say, as it did your father before you?’
There was a long, odious moment between them. Rufus thought he could see shadows, wings, flapping over the Jew but his reverie was broken by Herod himself, who spoke now with a strained voice, ‘You are weary…go to your rest…remember…soon you will return to the cool airs of Caesarea and Judea will be a distant speck in your mind. This night you need not concern yourself with anything more than the pleasures awaiting your attention!’
Rufus did not know how true these words would come to be, for Herod had made certain that he would be taken to new heights of carnal ecstasy, surpassing himself in the quality of flesh prepared for Rufus’ amusement. Three days and nights were spent without a thought for insurrections and dissidents. Fear had no moment among those orgies of naked flesh, wine and gluttony. At the zenith of his sexual raptures, an ecstatic vision of his wife, in her death throws, struck Rufus such a note of joy that he consummated his lust with a power he had never before known and it caused him to fall into a satiated unconsciousness that lasted the rest of the Paschal Festival.
For this reason, he did not hear of the strange goings on at the gates of the city…though it is unlikely he would have even if he had been sober and awake, for his Captain, Gaius Cassius, would not have reported it.
8
PASSOVER
Mariam was among the pilgrims from Nazareth who travelled the Jordan valley to Jerusalem. In a solemn ceremonial mood they had come to the other side of Jericho, having left its palm groves, gardens of roses and balsam plantations behind them.
This was the last leg of the journey and many thought they could almost smell the Temple incense wafting in the breezes. The anticipation of it made all minds and hearts full of gladness, all except Mariam.