The Great Gospel of John
Volume 4
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 12 -
The capture of John the Baptist. Herod's relationship with Herodias.
Says Zinka: "If I may speak completely freely and openly without any bad consequences, I could give you the true reason since I myself was an accomplice to the most innocent of all most innocent people; but if there is perhaps too much dry hay on the roof, it then is much better for me, if I may keep quiet about the matter, which I cannot remember without the greatest heartbreak, but also not without the most bitter and most poisonous rage!"
2
Says Cyrenius: "Speak completely free and openly, because among us you will not find any very dry straw on the roof!"
3
Says Zinka: "This is good, and now listen to me! I said previously to you, that I do not believe in any God anymore; since everything what is taught in the temple about Him, is a lie, the darkest and most shameful lie! Because such a God can forever never exist! Our unlucky friend Johannes taught the people in all seriousness to recognize the right God, and his teachings were long overdue and did good in the highest degree to every person who does not belong to the temple and who wasn't a pharisee. But therefore his teachings were an even bigger horror to the temple. As a very reasonable man, you will now be able to slowly and gently start to understand from where the storm is blowing.
4
The temple clerics would have liked for quite some time already to have the poor Johannes eliminated, if it wasn't for the people whom they were afraid of, of whom the majority already started to realize the most shameful lies and the darkest fraudulence. They therefore devised a plan, to make Herodes believe, that our Johannes secretly had a plan, to incite the people to a most terrible mutiny against the oppressor Herodes, by all kinds of very subtle disguised pretenses.
5
In the end Herodes was influenced by this plot to such an extend, that he himself, accompanied by us, rushed to the very desolate area of the Jordan, to convince himself, if the case with Johannes was in fact really such a dangerous matter! On arrival at Johannes, even by the utmost critical investigation, he couldn't find the slightest sign of anything, of what the temple clerics had tried to make him believe. In the end he himself was fiercely upset about such undescribable wickedness of the temple and his inhabitants.
6
After the temple was putting pressure on him, to demobilize Johannes, he said with a threatening face in my presence to them: Upon the advice and will of wretched, greedy dogs, he will never condemn a person against his conviction!
7
Upon such vigorous response the black knights withdrew and kept quiet. Nevertheless, did they rest by forging new evil plans; while outwardly presenting a friendly face about the bad situation for them and pretending as if they weren't worried about Johannes in the slightest sense anymore, they secretly hired assassins, who were supposed to eliminate the man of God.
8
When Herodes became news about this, he felt pity for the honest, harmless seer. He called us together and told us, what he had heard and finally said: 'Listen, I must save this person! Go out under pretence with weapons and cords, bind him lightly, tell him my secret plan and he will follow you! Here I will protect well him in a good prison; but he will be allowed to communicate freely with all his disciples!'
9
This then also happened and Johannes was as much as possible content with the circumstances. But the black vipers' brood of the temple learned very soon, that Herodes kept Johannes under false pretence in prison, at the same time allowing him all the freedom to communicate with his disciples. They then again started to consult with each other, how they in the end could influence Herodes, that he himself will lay his hands on Johannes."
10
Thereupon Zinka was quiet; but Cyrenius even begged him to continue telling his story. And Zinka continued to speak: "The black servants of the temple quickly learned that Herodes, who was half Jew and half still a heathen, liked to see the young Herodias, but as a Jew he did not really dared to enter into a closer relationship with her, because of committing adultery. By himself he would really not care too much about it; but because of the loudmouth temple he was forced to follow at least the outer decor.
11
The black knights were aware of all this, so they send a rather mischievous double talker to Herodes with the proposal, that Herodes, for a small sacrifice into God's offerings bin, it was alright for him to keep a concubine because of the known infertility of his wife and that he can be fully assured that the temple will not take any exception.
12
Herodes jumped at this proposal, gave the messenger of the document a few pounds of gold and the matter was concluded. He immediately send a messenger to Herodias, and she of course did not objected too much to comply with the wishes of the lease-ruler Herodes, since in addition she has been persuaded and driven to it by her mother; because the old Herodias was a woman as if made for Satan. There was nothing good in her, - but instead more evil. The old woman, terribly richly made up, presented her daughter for the first time to Herodes herself and recommended her to his mercy. Although Herodes caressed her very affectionately, he still did not committed a sin with her. He gave her many presents and granted her absolutely free admission to himself.
13
When she returned home to her mother, she questioned her what she had spoken and done with Herodes. The daughter spoke the truth, praised Herodes' friendliness but, nevertheless, very level headedness, and that he gave her many copious presents and that he permitted her completely free access to him; she only should remain loyal to him in her heart.
14
But the old witch thought by herself, what I could read like a clear written script from the eyes of the old woman, since I had to accompany Herodias back home: 'See, there is something behind this! If Herodes did not let him be caught by the great charms of my daughter this time round, he will also not get caught a second time!' But since the old woman will loose her right to asked Herodes for compensation for the daughter losing her honour, she gave the daughter a fine lecture how she should go about the next time, to persuade Herodes sleeping with her.
15
Annoyed I soon left the house of the witch, got back to Herodes and told him everything what I have observed; that Herodes was not very pleased with this, everybody can see for himself. He soon went to Johannes and told him the whole story."