The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
New events in Kis
- Chapter 234 -
The trapped Pharisees. Steep penalty paid. Another suspicion: ambush by the Pharisees of imperial tax moneys. The robbers take fright.
Here the Pharisees get apprehensive, and the rather bold one says to the Judge, 'Lord, cancel the second fine, and we shall deliver the first fourfold, and that within forty eight hours'.
2
Says the Judge, 'I accept the offer, but stick with the banishment for ten successive years. Are you satisfied with this?'
3
Says the Pharisee, 'Lord, we pay fivefold if you fully remit us the banishment.'
4
Says the Chief Justice, 'So be it, but with the High Court reservation that you remain under Roman Police supervision for ten years, and that any unlawful attempt to lead the state or its titular head up the garden path, or any evil aspersion cast upon Rome, as well as any high-handed omission to report or confess any seizures regardless of nature, shall carry the aforementioned banishment to Europe for ten years, for which there then shall be no further release. The money however needs to be deposited to this court chamber with in forty eight hours; one hour overdue and it would not be acceptable under the present moderated conditions, but instead under the conditions of the first verdict.
5
And a further matter. Before freedom can be restored to you, you must give the names and addresses of all the parties that were so shamelessly dispossessed by you, so that I may summon them here and restore to them all the things you robbed, such as children, cattle, grains and wine.'
6
The Pharisees went along with this demand, giving all the precise names and addresses. And the Judge immediately dispatches messengers to all the named locations, and ten hours hardly passed before all the parties arrived who had anything to pick up.
7
The twelve Pharisees at once uncover their wagons, harnessed to mules, and everyone was astounded beyond measure at the immense masses of gold and silver. They carried enough silver and gold to easily pay their fines five times over. The Chief Justice felt sorry that he had not imposed higher damages.
8
A wise thought struck him however, resulting in his re-examining of the twelve, starting as follows: 'Hear me, you have indeed correctly paid on demand, and you have the receipt for it in your hands. But since I discover on you now a colossal sum of money, this has to make it appear to me impossible that you came by such masses of gold and silver through rightful means; verily, if the Emperor came here today with his cash, it would be extremely doubtful whether same would equal yours, wherefore explain to me briefly how you came by such masses of gold and silver; for this seems to me suspicious to the highest degree.'
9
Says the first Pharisee, 'Suspicious what, suspicious what? This is fifty years' pay saved for the Temple by all the Pharisees, Priests and Levites of this country; and the time being up, we are having to deliver it to the Temple. It nevertheless is the smallest sum ever delivered from Capernaum to the Temple. These are nothing but sacrificial bequests and special Temple donations, and hence perfectly rightful earnings and consolidated moneys.'
10
Says the Chief Justice, 'Lets leave the word 'rightful' out of this! Even if so, they are extortion and base legacy hunting, and so, rightfulness is remote from this wealth.
11
A month ago, the following was reported directly from Rome to myself and all high courts: For a half year now, taxation moneys have been awaited from Asia Minor and some of the localities in the Pontus; they are supposed to have been collected and dispatched a long time since, and consist in gold, silver, precious stones and pearls - the gold and silver largely in unminted form. The said sum in gold alone amounted to 20,000 pounds; 600,000 pounds in silver and approximately a similar amount in precious stones and pearls.
12
I notice another five unopened wagons. Uncover them so that I may view them too!'
13
Visibly embarrassed, they also uncover the other five wagons, and behold, these were filled with all sorts of precious stones, in a mostly still rough and unpolished state, whilst one wagon, weighing over a ton, was filled with small and large undrilled pearls.
14
On examining these carefully, the Chief Judge says, 'It seems clear to me where the dispatched taxes and treasures from Pontus and Asia Minor ended up! With all due respect to your roguishness, it shall be hard for you to come up with proper evidence; but I dare to swear before all gods and their heavens that the overdue tax moneys and other treasures, awaited in Rome long since, here lie open before me, and are as good as in my hands. Let you then hang around here; on arrival of the concerned parties I shall institute a big inquiry.'
15
On hearing such words from the Chief Judge, they turn pale and are gripped by fever, which does not escape the wily judge, saying also to the Kis Judge; 'Brother, I think we have netted the big birds of prey.'