IN the autumn of the year of the city 783 (which would be 62 A.D., in
our way of counting time) AEsculapius Cultellus, a Roman physician,
wrote to his nephew who was with the army in Syria as follows:
My dear Nephew,
A few days ago I was called in to prescribe for a sick man named Paul.
He appeared to be a Roman citizen of Jewish parentage, well educated
and of agreeable manners. I had been told that he was here in connection
with a law-suit, an appeal from one of our provincial courts, Caesarea
or some such place in the eastern Mediterranean. He had been described
to me as a "wild and violent" fellow who had been making speeches
against the People and against the Law. I found him very intelligent and
of great honesty.
A friend of mine who used to be with the army in Asia Minor tells me
that he heard something about him in Ephesus where he was preaching
sermons about a strange new God. I asked my patient if this were true
and whether he had told the people to rebel against the will of our
beloved Emperor. Paul answered me that the Kingdom of which he had
spoken was not of this world and he added many strange utterances which
I did not understand, but which were probably due to his fever.
His personality made a great impression upon me and I was sorry to hear
that he was killed on the Ostian Road a few days ago. Therefore I am
writing this letter to you. When next you visit Jerusalem, I want you to
find out something about my friend Paul and the strange Jewish prophet,
who seems to have been his teacher. Our slaves are getting much excited
about this so-called Messiah, and a few of them, who openly talked of
the new kingdom (whatever that means) have been crucified. I would like
to know the truth about all these rumours and I am
Your devoted Uncle,
AESCULAPIUS CULTELLUS.
Six weeks later, Gladius Ensa, the nephew, a captain of the VII Gallic
Infantry, answered as follows:
My dear Uncle,