BEN HESED IN JERUSALEM.
On the fifth day of his journey Ben Hesed reached Jerusalem. And he
encamped without the city, saying to his servants, "Bide ye here while I
offer a sacrifice in the temple; afterward I will seek out the men with
whom I have business."
So he went his way into the city, he and his two sons, leaving the men
in the encampment. And he went straightway into the temple and offered
a burnt offering for his tribe by the hand of the priest, casting also a
goodly sum into the treasury for a thank-offering, as he came out,
because that he had completed his journey in safety. "We will go now to
the house of John the Apostle," he said to his sons, his face shining
with peace.
But as the three of them went their way through the streets, they came
suddenly upon a great concourse of people gathered about the doors of a
synagogue. They could see that the synagogue also was crowded, the
doors standing open because of the pressure of the multitude.
Ben Hesed paused for a moment, and it seemed to him that he could hear
the sound of heavy blows and of groaning from within. The multitude
also heard, and they cried aloud and gnashed their teeth at the sound.
"Fetch the blasphemers forth!" cried one.
"Stone them!" howled another.
"What is this that is taking place within the synagogue?" asked Ben
Hesed of one who stood next him in the crowd.
The man glanced carelessly at his questioner. "They are scourging two of
the Nazarenes," he replied. "There is no use to try to get in, friend,"
he added. "One must come early to secure a good place for seeing the
sport. Fetch the blasphemers forth and stone them," he yelled, putting
his hand to his mouth. "Ha! they will fetch them forth; we shall see
them after all!" And he struggled through the crowd toward the steps of
the synagogue.
"What is the meaning of this tumult?" said Ben Hesed again, and this
time he put his question to a respectable-looking man in the garb of a
carpenter, who stood eying the scene with an inscrutable expression upon
his face.
The man turned at the sound of his voice, and looked at him
suspiciously. "Whence dost thou come that thou shouldst ask?" he said
coldly. Then with another searching glance he added, "They are merely
torturing some of the followers of the Nazarene under the scourge. It
is lawful."
"Lawful!" cried Ben Hesed. "Who is it that dares call such an outrage
lawful? Room here! that I may look further into this matter."
But the carpenter laid a warning hand upon his arm. "Hist, man," he
whispered. "If thou art indeed a friend of the Nazarenes, hold thy
peace; else wilt thou shortly find thyself where thou canst advantage
neither thyself nor them that believe."
His last words were drowned in the savage yell with which the multitude
greeted the appearance of a detachment of temple police armed with drawn
swords. These marched rapidly down the steps of the synagogue--the
crowd opening to let them pass--half dragging, half carrying the limp
figures of two men, whose blood-stained garments and drawn, ghastly
faces betrayed what they had suffered within. After them poured out the
congregation, gesticulating and talking excitedly.
"Stubborn fools," Ben Hesed heard one man say. "They have but to
confess the crucified Nazarene accursed, to escape all. If they will
not do that, let them die."
"Where are they taking these men?" said Ben Hesed to the carpenter, who
still stood at his elbow.
"To the prison, to recover from this scourging, when they will receive
another--or worse--if they repent not of their blasphemous folly,"
answered the man in a hard voice. "Let us get out of this crowd, for
God's sake," he whispered in the next breath, "or we shall both be
seized."
The upper end of the street was comparatively clear of people, and here
they presently found themselves.
"Thou art then a stranger in Jerusalem?" queried the carpenter, wiping
the great drops from his forehead. "And a follower of the man Jesus?
Ay, I thought so. Verily, thou must needs know that it were best to get
thee back into thine own country--and as speedily as possible; Jerusalem
is no place for them that believe. I myself am going this very day with
my wife and little ones; only this morning I saw the spies of Saul in
our street."
"Thou blowest both hot and cold, friend," said Ben Hesed severely; "but
a moment since----
"Yes, yes, I know what thou wouldst say. I spoke of their blasphemous
folly, but"--and he lowered his voice to a whisper and looked anxiously
about--"one of the temple police stood at my elbow; I have a family to
feed, therefore I must needs be cautious."
"'Trust in the Lord and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and
verily thou shalt be fed.' Why didst thou not hold thy peace altogether
rather than speak deceitfully?"
The man shrugged his shoulders. "I have no mind to be either scourged
or stoned for the faith," he said; "I saw the stoning of Stephen and--"
"What is it that thou art saying?" cried Ben Hesed aghast.
"The stoning of Stephen--hast thou not heard of it? The very day after
his death this persecution broke out. Saul of Tarsus and the
Sanhedrim----"
"Where is John?" interrupted Ben Hesed. "And the other apostles--what of
the women?"
"Some of the apostles are in prison," answered the man; "others are in
hiding. Many of the disciples are fled from the city. Some are in
their graves; they alone are safe," and the speaker shivered with
apprehension, and again looked furtively about him.
"'Verily, they build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity,"
said Ben Hesed solemnly. "'Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be plowed
as a field, and Jerusalem shall become as heaps; and the mountain of the
house as the high places of the forest.'"
"I cannot tarry longer," said the carpenter impatiently. "If thou art a
discreet man thou wilt leave Jerusalem before nightfall. For my part I
would that I had never heard of the Nazarene. Farewell."
Ben Hesed looked after his retreating figure thoughtfully. "What shall
be the end of these things, O Lord?" he murmured. "Behold many shall be
purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly
and shall not understand; the wise shall understand."
"Wilt thou that we return unto the encampment?" said his younger son.
"We shall not be able to find them that we would; and we are not
sufficient in number to succor the distressed."
The eyes of Ben Hesed flashed. "Return if thou wilt, son, and hide
beneath the robe of thy mother; but as for me, the Lord hath brought me
up to Jerusalem at this time that I might smite the destroyer."
"I am no coward, and that thou knowest right well, my father," answered
the young man haughtily; "but remember, I pray thee, that we have left
the tribe with no leader--now that Pagiel hath been proven false. If we
should all three fall, what of our wives, our little ones, our flocks
and our herds? Verily they would come upon evil days, and shall not a
man set them of his own household before them which are strangers?
Return thou, my father, we will remain."
"Thou hast spoken not unwisely, son," admitted Ben Hesed. "We must even
go cautiously about this matter; and if presently it appear that there
is a likelihood of bloodshed, thou, Ben Abu, shalt return with two of
the strong men. As for me I am already old; if I fall, it matters not.
Come, let us be going."
So they went their way towards the house of John; past the market-places
where excited groups were discussing the reign of blood which had begun
in Jerusalem; past the synagogues crowded with people--for the scourging
of the Nazarenes was going forward briskly in many places at once;
through dark alleys and beneath covered archways, where men garbed as
temple police lurked to entrap the unwary; till at length they had come
to the street which they sought. It was choked with people from end to
end; but a singular and almost breathless silence prevailed.
"What hath befallen here?" asked Ben Hesed of a woman who stood holding
a baby in her arms. The woman turned upon him a white frightened face.
"Alas," she cried. "They refused to fly when they were warned,
declaring that God would take care of them. And now it hath come to
pass that Saul himself hath entered into their dwelling. God help them!"
"Dost thou speak of the household of John?" asked Ben Hesed.
"Yes, yes.--My God, he has seized them!" and the woman burst into a
hysterical shriek as a deep low murmur arose from the multitude.
"Shame! Shame!" cried several voices at once. "Leave the women in
peace!"
"Room there! Silence!" cried a harsh voice. "Use your swords, men, to
clear the way!"
There was an instant scattering amongst the crowd, mostly composed of
women and children--two or three of the more timid ones bursting into
loud screams at sight of the glittering weapons.
"Forward!" commanded the leader, a swarthy undersized man, from whose
scowling face and fiery eyes the frightened children hid their faces.
So this was the dreaded Saul of Tarsus. Ben Hesed looked at him with
undisguised contempt. "Murderous coward!" he muttered beneath his
breath.
But now the prisoners, bound with heavy chains, were filing past. Three
women, their faces wrapped in their mantles, in whom he nevertheless
recognized Mary, the mother of Jesus, Anna, the wife of Caiaphas, and
Anat the Egyptian girl. Behind these walked a young man, also bound,
whose bleeding face and torn garments betrayed the fact that he had not
failed to defend those committed to his charge.
"If we had but come an hour earlier we might have held the place,"
exclaimed Ben Hesed clenching his fists. "Let us follow and see whither
they will take them. It is useless to attempt a rescue now."
"To the Temple," came the second command. "Close up there, and march
more rapidly. Save thy tears, woman; thou wilt have further need for
them."
"Coward!" cried Ben Hesed again.
And this time it was evident that the quick ear of Saul had caught the
sound, for he turned and fixed a murderous look upon the speaker. "Dog
of an apostate!" he hissed, "thy day is coming."
"Callest thou me dog?" cried Ben Hesed in a fury, and would have closed
with the Pharisee on the spot, had not his two sons held him.
"Let be," whispered the younger of the twain, "or we shall not be able
to save them."
Ben Hesed drew back, muttering fiercely. "I will slay him for that
word," he said. "Let us follow them in."
But this it presently appeared was impossible; for the prisoners being
now arrived at the Temple, were conducted by way of the Court of the
Women into the lesser chamber of judgment. And immediately the doors
were shut.