The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 68 -
The Martyrs Gain Time
IN THE MEANTIME the couriers were still waiting for the supreme command of Cyrenius.
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Cyrenius now arose from the crib and said to the couriers,
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'Go to the priests, and deliver to me the list of the youths and maidens intended for sacrifice,
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for I must ascertain for myself whether the choice is just!'
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At this the couriers hastened away while the storm had already come to a complete standstill.
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But when they arrived in the city, they found to their horror that the palace which housed the priests had been transformed into a mighty heap of rubble, under which with the exception of three lesser priests all other higher priests had found their doom.
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The couriers therefore soon turned back and brought the news of what had happened with the priests to Cyrenius.
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Cyrenius, now fully convinced of the correctness of the Baby's declaration, did not know what to do next and again wanted to ask the Baby's advice.
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But at that moment the three remaining lesser priests also came,
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and hurriedly asked what was to be done, since a new earth-shock had buried all the devout servants of the gods in their palace while they were in fact equipped for the great sacrifice.
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They stated that the thousand youths and the thousand maidens already stood prepared for the great sacrifice at the site where the pillar of Jupiter had been, which unfortunately was also fully destroyed.
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Should the sacrifice be undertaken directly or only at sunrise?
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In no case could the sacrifice be cancelled, since this could easily cause the gods to fall into still greater anger because of the ingratitude and the treachery of men!
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Here Cyrenius answered the three lesser priests,
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'The sacrifice may under no circumstances be undertaken today, and tomorrow morning under penalty of death only when I personally give the order for it!'
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Thereupon the three lesser priests left Cyrenius and went to the site where the poor martyrs wept and lamented and in fear of death lifted their hands to the gods, begging that they might be spared.
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And Cyrenius could hardly await the next morning, for he felt very sorry that the frightened martyrs had to endure such a night of terror.