for these six months past have been clamouring for him?
A Jew Truly, my lord, it were better to deliver him into our hands.
Herod Enough on this subject. I have already given you my answer. I will not deliver him into your hands. He is a man who has seen God.
A Jew That cannot be. There is no man who hath seen God since the prophet Elias. He is the last man who saw God. In these days God doth not show Himself. He hideth Himself. Therefore great evils have come upon the land.
Another Jew Verily, no man knoweth if the prophet Elias did indeed see God. Perad venture it was but the shadow of God that he saw.
A Third Jew. God is at no time hidden. He showeth Himself at all times and in everything. God is in what is evil even as He is in what is good.
A Fourth Jew That must not be said. It is a very dangerous doctrine. It is a doctrine that cometh from the schools at Alexandria where men teach the philosophy of the Greeks. And the Greeks are Gentiles: they are not even circumcised.
A Fifth Jew No one can tell how God worketh. His ways are very mysterious. It may be that the things which we call evil are good, and that the things which we call good are evil. There is no knowledge of anything. We must needs submit to everything, for God is very strong. He breaketh in pieces the strong together with the weak, for He regardeth not any man.
First Jew Thou speakest truly. God is terrible; He breaketh the strong and the weak as a man breaks corn in a mortar. But this man hath never seen God. No man hath seen God since the prophet Elias.
Herodias Make them be silent. They weary me.
Herod But I have heard it said that Jokanaan himself is your prophet Elias.
The Jew That cannot be. It is more than three hundred years since the days of the prophet Elias.
Herod There are some who say that this man is the prophet Elias.
A Nazarene I am sure that he is the prophet Elias.
The Jew Nay, but he is not the prophet Elias.
The Voice of Jokanaan So the day is come, the day of the Lord, and I hear upon the mountains the feet of Him who shall be the Saviour of the world.
Herod What does that mean? The Saviour of the world?
Tigellinus It is a title that Caesar takes.
Herod But Caesar is not coming into Judaea. Only yesterday I received letters from Rome. They contained nothing concerning this matter. And you, Tigellinus, who were at Rome during the winter, you heard nothing concerning this matter, did you?
Tigellinus Sire, I heard nothing concerning the matter. I was explaining the title. It is one of Caesar’s titles.
Herod But Caesar cannot come. He is too gouty. They say that his feet are like the feet of an elephant. Also there are reasons of State. He who leaves Rome loses Rome. He will not come. Howbeit, Caesar is lord. He will come if he wishes. Nevertheless, I do not think he will come.
First Nazarene It was not concerning Caesar that the prophet spake, sire.
Herod Not of Caesar?
First Nazarene No, sire.
Herod Concerning whom, then, did he speak?
First Nazarene Concerning Messias who hath come.
A Jew Messias hath not come,
First Nazarene He hath come, and everywhere He worketh miracles.
Herodias Ho! ho! miracles! I do not believe in miracles. I have seen too many. [To ike page] My fan!
First Nazarene This man worketh true miracles. Thus, at a marriage which took place in a little town of Galilee, a town of some importance, He changed water into wine. Certain persons who were present related it to me. Also He healed two lepers, that were seated before the Gate of Capernaum, simply by touching them.
Second Nazarene Nay, it was two blind men that he healed at Capernaum.
First Nazarene Nay; they were lepers. But He hath healed blind people also, and He was seen on a mountain talking with angels.
A Sadducee Angels do not exist.
A Pharisee Angels do exist, but I do not believe that this Man has talked with them.
First Nazarene He was seen by a great multitude of people talking with angels.
A Sadducee Not with angels.
Herodias How these men weary me! They are ridiculous! [To the page] Well! my fan! [The page gives her the fan.] You have a dreamer’s look; you must not dream. It is only sick people who dream. [She strikes the page with her fan]
Second Nazarene There is also the miracle of the daughter of Jairus.
First Nazarene Yes; that is sure. No man can gainsay it.
Herodias These men are mad. They have looked too long on the moon. Command them to be silent.
Herod What is this miracle of the daughter of Jairus?
First Nazarene The daughter of Jairus was dead. He raised her from the dead.
Herod He raises the dead?
First Nazarene Yea, sire, He raiseth the dead.
Herod I do not wish Him to do that. I forbid Him to do that. I allow no man to raise the dead. This Man must be found and told that I forbid Him to raise the dead. Where is this Man at present?
Second Nazarene He is in every place, sire, but it is hard to find Him.
First Nazarene It is said that He is now in Samaria.
A Jew It is easy to see that this is not Messias, if He is in Samaria. It is not to the Samaritans that Messias shall come. The Samaritans are accursed. They bring no offerings to the Temple.
Second Nazarene He left Samaria a few days since. I think that at the present moment He is in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem.
First Nazarene No; He is not there. I have just come from Jerusalem. For two months they have had no tidings of Him.
Herod No matter! But let them find Him, and tell Him from me I will not allow Him to raise the dead. To change water into wine, to heal the lepers and the blind . . . He may do these things if He will. I say nothing against these things. In truth, I hold it a good deed to heal a leper. But I allow no man to raise the dead. It would be terrible if the dead came back.
The Voice of Jokanaan Ah! the wanton! the harlot! Ah! the daughter of Babylon with her golden eyes and her gilded eyelids! Thus saith the Lord God. Let there come up against her a multitude of men. Let the people take stones and stone her. . . .
Herodias Command him to be silent
The Voice of Jokanaan Let the war captains pierce her with their swords, let them crush her beneath their shields.
Herodias Nay, but it is infamous.
The Voice of Jokanaan It is thus that I will wipe out all wickedness from the earth, and that all women shall learn not to imitate her abominations.
Herodias You hear what he says against me? You allow him to revile your wife?
Herod He did not speak your name.
Herodias What does that matter? You know well that it is me he seeks to revile. And I am your wife, am I not?
Herod Of a truth, dear and noble Herodias, you are my wife, and before that you were the wife of my brother.
Herodias It was you who tore me from his arms.
Herod Of a truth I was the stronger. . . . But let us not talk of that matter. I do not desire to talk of it. It is the cause of the terrible words that the prophet has spoken. Perad venture on account of it a misfortune will come. Let us not speak of this matter. Noble Herodias, we are