05 Now on this day of Ramantiy, [that is to say, in the English: the day of his help]; being of good heart, and acting under the authority of the Pontifical College, the Pontiff was desirous to release him, in exchange for one of the three Slaughterers, whomsoever the people shall chose. For he knew that the 'father of the court' had delivered him up in exchange for John's murderer.
06 For there was imprisoned Rufus, who is also called in the Greek, Peter the murderer, the son of Alexander, the abba or 'father of the court'; who was put into prison with two other Slaughterers; who in Monday's sedition had themselves committed murder. For being found out, John's murderer, was sentenced to be crucified upside down, at about the third hour of this very same day.
07 And when the chief priests and the chief pharisees had gathered together the mercenaries from the Temple courtyard, Peter's defender began to demand of Christ that he would make good his promise to them as he had always done in the past; for he was a kind and gracious governor.
08 And being well versed in the Latin and Greek languages, my father who was himself a secret disciple, imposing himself, went in and pleaded his cause, saying: "Pax Romanus! divi filius!" (which is being interpreted: Peace be to Rome! and to the son of God): "I am Joseph of Jerusalem, a noble councilman, and a Baptist: This man has done nothing! for he is my house guest, and at the time of the sedition, he was in Beth`an, in the house of Simon the Essene; and did not return to the city until the Wednesday of our Passing-Over."
09 And seeking an honorable solution, when he had seen many faces in the courtyard below, believing inside of himself that this was a representation of Essenes whom he called Baptists, Christ answered him, again in the Greek, and said: Is it your will then that I release to you the King of Peace?
10 And my father answered and said: It is!
11 But being most zealous to have him crucified, the chief pharisees who were in the courtyard below had already deluded the mercenaries, that Christ should return their abbey to them; for Peter the murderer was the founder of the Herodians, a party of young men better know throughout Jerusalem as the Slaughterers; [but history has recorded them with the Sacarri, the cloak and dagger zealots of Masada, a militant fortress located on the southeastern border of the Red Sea].
12 And standing at the height of the king's palace, Christ again answering in the Greek, said directly to the crowd below: If I return Peter, to you, what will you then that I do with your king?
13 And in an attempt to cast down the over zealous cries from the mercenaries, seeing some innocent bystanders, who were themselves converts at heart, I gave them an exact translation. For they had asked me, saying: what did the High One say?
14 And believing inside of themselves that the Christ was talking about king Herod, they shouted aloud: Disrobe him!
15 But having been paid a shekel each, the zealous mercenaries cried out: Crucify him!
16 And covering his ears in dismay, Christ said to the thirty of them: Why! what evil hath he done! For he was a man, who himself was looking for the Kingdom of God.
17 But with clenched fist raise in the empty air, they cried out the more: Crucify him! Crucify him!
18 And Christ being unable to bridge the chasm between the Essenes and the Herodians, released to them the son of the High Priest; and delivered David up, when he had disrobed Herod of his royal purple. |
ND straightaway, in the morning of the fifteenth day of April, having reached a firm decision to have him sentenced to a public death, Gamal the Chief Priest holding a brief consultation with Alexander the High Priest, binding him, led him away, and brought him directly to Christ; for under the subjugate of authority, only the 'Prefect of Rome', could act as the substitute 'father of the court'.
