No evil followed on the words which Jesus had spoken concerning divorce;
and we remained many days in peace, even till the day of Atonement, which
falleth toward the beginning of the autumn in the month called Tisri. But
we had friends in Tiberias, who were to send us word by day, or signify to
us by lights during the night, if perchance any plot were intended against
Jesus.
Now so it was that some of the Galileans did not consent to James the son
of Judas, and to Barabbas in forsaking Jesus, neither did they allow the
conduct of the Pharisees; but having gathered themselves together they
agreed that it was not fit that Israel should so long halt between two
opinions; but as it had been in the days of Elias the prophet, so should
it be now. “For,” said the chief man among them, “Elias gathered the
people together and the people promised to be on his side, if he brought
down fire from heaven; and he did so. Now perchance this Jesus is even
Elias; for many so report of him, and even the Scribes say that Elias must
come, and some say that Elias hath come oftentimes before now. But whether
he be Elias or no, doubtless, if he be a true prophet, he can work the
sign of Elias. For a false prophet can work signs on the earth and in the
air, and in the deep; but a sign in heaven or from heaven he cannot work.
Therefore meet it is that the Pharisees, instead of setting snares for
Jesus, should promise to obey him if he will work a sign in heaven in
their presence. My counsel is therefore that we ask Jesus to work a sign
in heaven; and if he consent, then that we obey him, even though all the
Pharisees speak against him, yea, and though he bid us hold out our
throats to be cut by the Romans.”
Thus spake the Galileans at their council, not many days after the
discourse of Jesus concerning divorce. And the counsel of the Galileans
was reported unto the Scribes. But when Abuyah the son of Elishah heard
it, he said that this was according to the Scripture and the Traditions,
and that it should be so. But Eliezer the son of Arak said that it should
not be so; for that it was in no wise certain that a magician could not
work a sign in heaven, or at the least, a sign that should appear to be in
heaven. But if he could, said Abuyah, then, though the sign should not
really be in heaven, yet if it appeared to be therein, all the foolish
rabble, even the people of the land, would be drawn after Jesus, and the
Pharisees also would be obliged to submit to him. “For,” added he, “I have
heard of magicians which can make statues walk, and can knead loaves of
stones; and of others that can become serpents, and transform themselves
into goats, and can open locked gates, and can melt iron in a moment of
time; but if they can do things so wonderful, think ye they cannot
likewise perform signs which shall appear to be signs in heaven?”
Others also protested to the same effect, and one said that he had been
present when a certain magician had been smitten right through his body
with the sword, but behold, the sword had passed through him as through
smoke, and he had taken no hurt; and another said that he had seen an
enchanter at a banquet create all manner of images, and cause dishes to be
borne of themselves to wait upon the guests, no bearers being seen. At the
last Abuyah himself confessed that he also had once seen a certain
magician roll himself on the fire, and yet not burned; and the same man
also to fly in the air. “Wherefore,” said he, “true it is, as Eliezer
saith, that one flying high enough in the air, might seem to fly down from
heaven, and so to perform some sign in heaven; and thus might he lead away
the common people, which know not the Law.” All this I heard from a
certain Scribe, a friend of Jonathan the son of Ezra; his name was Eleazar
the son of Azariah, and he was present at the meeting of the Scribes.
The same Eleazar also told me that whilst the Scribes were yet debating
what they should do, a message was brought, as from one that had spoken
with the chosen disciples of Jesus, saying that Jesus would certainly not
work a sign in heaven; for that he had refused to do this, though he had
been besought by his disciples. When they heard this, they rejoiced
greatly; and Eliezer the son of Arak rose up and straightway gave his
judgment that they should now change their policy. “For,” said he, “the
Lord having revealed this new thing unto us, meet it is that we change our
path accordingly, neither harden our faces against the will of God.
Wherefore my judgment now is, that we ask this Jesus to work a sign in
heaven before the face of the whole congregation in the synagogue. For
when it shall be perceived that he cannot work a sign in heaven, all men
will go from him; for they will know that he is a false prophet.” And
thereto the rest agreed, and it was so resolved. But I knew not thereof
till many days after.
It was the intent of the Scribes to have asked Jesus to work a sign in
heaven on the next Sabbath; but in the meantime, lights having been held
up by night in Tiberias (on I know not what report or rumour of some
danger intended to Jesus by Herod, or some marching forth of the Thracian
guard), Jesus gave command to pass over again unto the other side of the
lake. We accompanied him, albeit sorely against our will; for there seemed
to be no end unto these wanderings or flights; and each new flight was
like to turn the hearts of the people more and more from Jesus. Moreover,
the manner of Jesus at this time disquieted us, and made some of us to
doubt. Not that he seemed to fear; for fear had no part in him, neither
did he seem to know what fear meant. But he appeared again (as in former
days) like unto one waiting for a message and marvelling somewhat that the
message came not.
During these days, and these wanderings to and fro, the words of the
prophet Jonah were often in his mouth, and he seemed as if he discerned a
certain likeness between that prophet and himself; but what it was we
understood not. For sometimes he spake of Nineveh, and how Jonah thought
only of his own people, and had no compassion upon that great city of the
Gentiles, yea, and fought against the voice of the Lord, who bade him go
prophesy unto them; and how he wandered hither and thither, if perchance
he could flee from the voice of the Lord. But at other times he spake how
Jonah cried unto the Lord even from the belly of hell, and how the Lord
inclined His ear unto him, and heard him, and raised him up to prophesy
unto the Gentiles; and he quoted oftentimes the words of the prayer of the
prophet, “I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her
bars was about me for ever; yet hast thou brought up my life from
corruption, O Lord my God.” Likewise he made mention of some sign of
Jonah, which he said should be manifested to this generation; but whether
he meant that he should be sent far away unto the Gentiles, or that he
should be cast into the depths, and delivered again, as Jonah was, this we
understood not, and the saying was hidden from us.
Now it came to pass, when we had journeyed now many days on the other side
of the lake, we came nigh to the mountain of Hermon. Snows cover the top
of this mountain both summer and winter; and when the sun in his strength
shineth on the snows thereof, it is as though the glory of the Lord had
come down from heaven. Towards this mountain Jesus had set his face as
though he had an errand thither from the Lord; and as we journeyed towards
it, he gazed often thereon and rejoiced greatly. But it came to pass, as
we now drew nigh unto the mountain, we journeyed through a certain village
of the country; and because we were in haste and Jesus desired that none
should know him, we were to have passed quickly through the village before
dawn. For the fame of Jesus, how he could cast out unclean spirits, was
spread abroad even in that country. But as we passed through the village,
we heard sounds as of one calling after us: and some thought they heard
shrieks. Howbeit we turned not back, but journeyed forward the more
quickly.
Now a certain woman in this village (a worshipper of idols, after the
manner of the people of that land) had a daughter possessed with an
unclean spirit, which, whensoever it took her, drove her to all manner of
wickedness, even to the attempting of her mother’s life. So the woman had
resolved in her own mind that when Jesus passed by (for he must needs come
through that village), she would beseech Jesus to heal her daughter, and
she had told her daughter of her purpose, and likewise all her friends and
acquaintance; and she had been advised of the approach of Jesus and was
watching for us. Therefore seeing us pass quickly through her village, she
adventured to bring out her daughter unto Jesus: but her daughter would
not come. For even then, at the hearing of the name of Jesus, the devil
took her, and she shrieked aloud and strove against her mother, and would
have slain her: but her mother ran forth from the house and followed
Jesus, calling and crying aloud and piteously lamenting.
Now to us it seemed a strange thing and an unseemly, that a prophet of
Israel should thus be beset and importuned by an heathen woman. So we
expected that Jesus should have at once sent the woman away. But Jesus
uttered never a word, nor so much as turned his face towards her, but
journeyed steadfastly forward. And even as one running a race towards a
goal settleth his soul upon the prize that is before him, even so seemed
Jesus to settle his soul upon the snows of the mountain of Hermon: for
they shone in the light of the rising sun, like unto a dove sent from God,
whose breast‐feathers are as silver, and whose wings like unto fine gold.
But the woman ceased not from her following and lamenting, and poured
forth before Jesus all the story of her troubles.
At last we adventured to accost Jesus, and we besought him to send her
away. But he answered us, still not turning his face, “I am not sent but
unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Yet as he spake, he slackened
his going, and spake, as it were, like unto one doubting somewhat, and
willing to have his words amended. Now came the woman in haste up to him,
and threw herself before his feet and said, “Lord, help me.” Then Jesus
stayed. Yet did he still keep his eyes fixed on that which he saw afar
off; and for a brief space he was silent; but then he said, as though he
were asking a question of his own soul, “It is not meet to take the
children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs?” But the woman answered,
“Truth, O Master, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their
master’s table.”
When Jesus heard these words he turned his face straightway from the glory
of the mountain and looked down on the woman; and behold, he rejoiced more
because of that which he beheld nigh unto him, than because of the glory
that was afar off. For the fashion of his countenance was changed so as I
cannot describe it. And immediately he stooped down, and took the woman by
the hand and raised her up, and said unto her, “O woman, great is thy
faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt.”
Now when the woman ran back to her house, she found the child on a bed,
struggling, and scarce held of her friends; who stood by, weeping and
supposing the child to be possessed, not now with one devil but with many.
Then she cried aloud for joy, and told her acquaintance how that Jesus had
granted her prayer. And straightway, when the devil heard this saying,
even at the mention of the name of Jesus, he tare the child, and departed,
leaving her, as it seemed, lifeless. But presently she rose up whole and
sound, being delivered from the devil; nor was she ever again afflicted.
All this was done by the word of Jesus spoken by the Syrophœnician woman;
for he was not present to heal the girl; albeit (as I gathered) the girl
had before heard oftentimes of her mother that Jesus was to come to heal
her, and how great things he had done for others that were possessed. But
when Jesus had heard the words of the Syrophœnician woman, he was no
longer minded to journey towards the north, but went back into the village
where was the girl afflicted with the unclean spirit. Now the people would
fain have constrained him to tarry with them; but he would not, but set
his face southward again to go toward the Sea of Galilee. For the faith of
the Syrophœnician had strangely moved him, insomuch that he spake as if
the Redemption were nearer than it had been before; and, as I judge, he
desired to make one more proof of the Pharisees, whether they also would
not have faith in him. And straightway he crossed over and came again to
Capernaum.
As we rowed across the lake back to Capernaum we rejoiced greatly; for we
thought that the time was at hand when the Galileans (for of the intent of
the Pharisees we knew naught) would ask Jesus to work a sign in heaven,
and Jesus would now grant their request. But when Jesus had done this, we
trusted that the whole nation should have believed in him, and that the
time should have come that he should redeem Israel. Howbeit certain of the
disciples (and more especially Judas of Kerioth) took it ill that Jesus
should have listened to the prayer of an heathen woman which was an
idolater. For although Esaias saith that the Gentiles are to come to the
rising of the Lord, and that the Gentiles shall seek to the Deliverer of
Israel, yet had it been always fixed and rooted in our hearts that the
deliverance of the Gentiles (if it should come to pass at all) must come
by the uprising of the children of Israel, who should be princes and
kings, conquering and triumphing over the nations of the earth. And then
the Gentiles were to seek to Israel and to become proselytes, entering
into the true fold. And this belief Jesus had confirmed in our hearts in
that he had bidden us to go not to the Samaritans nor to the Gentiles, but
only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Which saying Jesus himself
now seemed to contradict, having thus healed the Syrophœnician maiden. But
whether it had been revealed to our Master, through the words of the
Syrophœnician, that the deliverance of the Gentiles should come more
speedily than had been supposed, and not by fetching a compass, as it
were, round all the borders of Israel, but by a more direct course,
concerning this I know nothing: but Quartus judgeth that it was so.