THE STONE THAT CLOSES THE TOMB
YERUSHALAYIM, FRIDAY, APRIL 7, AD 30
— HERE IS THE PLACE of my tomb,— Yousef said. — I had prepared it for myself and my family. It would be a nice place to visit. But it was never used.
They were a long way from the execution site and the soldiers were left behind. Yohanan approached the man and said:
— Thank you, Yousef. You have given us an important gift.
Did Yohanan not speak of a Yousef of Armathajim, who was a member of the Sanhadrim and a secret disciple of Yeshua?
It must have been him...
It was a tomb for rich people. Relatives who came on a ceremonial visit to their dead. There was no conversation inside that elegant place either. The bodies that lay there would wither and their shrouds would mold, until they turned to dust and were transferred to decorated ceramic urns, allowing new burials to be made there. Graves were always makeshift, even for the rich.
In the rocky region of Yerushaláyim, no one could afford to have a private grave that would last forever. Anyway, at least for the moment, it was a grave, not the mass grave where dogs went and where Dimas and his companion Gesta would be taken.
— I have scents— Yousef said, showing a box that was beside one of the graves to both Myrians — Nicodemus got them for me.
Hearing his name, a man slowly emerged from one side of the stone, walking towards them.
— We thought it might be necessary — he said solicitously to the Galilean's mother.
Nicodemus, too, was an old and well-dressed man. Maybe it was another secret disciple. Myriam approached the box, opened it and was amazed: inside it were alabaster containers with aloe and myrrh, extremely expensive essences.
Nicodemus had made no savings...
— It is very generous and we are all very grateful — said Yeshua's mother, her voice trembling.
— Very well — Yousef said.
They turned their attention to a rounded stone that was on the side of the cliff, in a rut.
— Close the entrance — Yousef said.
The three men pushed the stone across the furrow with their shoulders. It took some time to roll the huge stone, but eventually it fit into the opening of the tomb, sealing it carefully until it made a thud. There was an echo from inside the tomb.
— There, it's done — Yousef said. — May he rest in peace. A really good man, and maybe more than that.
Yohanan, Myriam, Yeshua's mother and the others, who had participated in everything up until then, said nothing. The dull sound of the stone sealing the sepulcher had silenced them all. It was a sound so dull and deep that there was nothing they could say.
— Thank you — said Yohanan at last, speaking for everyone — We have no words to thank you for what you did and we wouldn't know how to repay you.
Yousef shook his head.
— A pity... a great loss...
Nightfall. They didn't want to stay there at night.
— I can offer you a house to stay in Yerushaláyim — Yousef said. — You can rest there until you decide what you want to do...
***
A NEW KIND OF SHABBAT
YERUSHALAYIM, FRIDAY, APRIL 7, AD 30
THEY WERE ALL TOGETHER, sitting in the large living room of the house borrowed by Yousef. A borrowed grave, a borrowed house... Yousef was a generous person. He had left, fearful of his Sanhadrim colleagues.
— Stay hidden — he had warned. — They don't know them and they can't identify them, but in general the disciples will be persecuted, like their master. Lifting the collar of his cloak until it covered most of his face, he had disappeared.
Perhaps that was why Cephas had denied knowing Yeshua, he thought. Yohanan — And maybe that's why the others had run away...
Yohanan was very brave. He cared about everyone, tried to comfort everyone. He took Yeshua's mother to a sofa, where she lay down, and asked Myriam of Magdala to see if there was any food that could be served. He made the arrangements that had to be taken with survivors wounded in the war. But in front of him were only the silent, prostrate faces of people immobilized by pain.
— We need light — he said, starting to light oil lamps around the room, which was almost completely dark. It was late at night and the only light was from the moon, which had just risen.
— We shouldn't turn on the lights on Shabbat — Myriam said mechanically. — We should light them up before Shabbat starts.
— I'm not worried about Shabbat. Yohanan calmly uttered those unholy words. — I stopped worrying about Shabbat after all I've seen of those who really should have and didn't.
He bent a piece of red-hot reeds, lighting the wick of a lamp, slowly. The lamp came on, illuminating the dark room.
— What I mean is, I don't care about the rules that govern Shabbat. The Rabbi said that the Sabbat was made for men, not men for the Sabbat. And I don't think Moshe wanted us to sit in the dark for several hours when the dearest member of our family has just died, even though he died at a time that coincided with Shabbat.
— That's precisely why they rushed the crucifixion — Myriam de Magdala said at last. — The soldiers killed those men so that Shabbat could be respected. Shabbat and its iron grip on their lives...
Yeshua had performed healings and worked during Shabbat. How could they now go back to thinking as before?
In the end, that was why they had killed him. There were a lot of people thinking the same thing, a lot of people breaking away from the old structures, a lot of people dancing behind him. The iron grip of religious power, like the iron grip of Shabbat, in whose name they ruled, was being broken. And that could not be tolerated.
— I'll also turn on a light. Myriam rose and took the red-hot rush from Yohanan's hand. Their eyes met: they were partners in the challenge. Bending down, she lit another lamp, greatly increasing the light in the room.
— Take it — he said, passing the reed to her, who took it from his hand and lit another lamp. Yousef's living room had many lamps. One by one, everyone stood up and the room was flooded with light.
When they decided to sleep, or rest, or whatever gift God would bestow on them, they put out the lamps, breaking another strict rule of the Sabbat. And they lay down in darkness, each one communing with God.
Lying on a narrow bed next to Yeshua's mother, Myriam waited for everyone to be silent before going to God's feet. Stiff, fists clenched, she sent her misshapen thoughts and feelings skyward, praying they would be accepted.
During the night, divine mercy passed a veil over her thoughts, covering her with sleep. He had no dreams, no answers to his questions, but for a time he escaped the torture the world had become.
***
LONGIUS BEFORE PILATUS
5:40 pm — YERUSHALAYIM, FRIDAY, APRIL 7, AD 30
DESPITE THE PAIN of the yearning, Longinus wished that something in his life could also mean all that to him. Later that day, he saw that expression of unfathomable yearning again. This time, in the eyes of a man. Man of some wealth and authority.
Pilatus summoned Longinus and, being in his presence, asked:
— Was Yeshua of Natsrat really already dead?
— Yes — replied the centurion.
— What a? In less than half a day? All others take days to die.
— It's unusual, but I saw him die myself. Is dead.
— I assume you sought evidence of his death…
— Well, I wouldn't have, just to be sure, I speared him with my spear, but the Jews wanted to get all three of them off the cross before late afternoon — Because of Shabbat.
— I know, I know... — said Pilatus — There was a guy here who wanted the body of Yeshua Nazareno. Member of their Sanhedrim. Nicodemus, along with Yousef. I wanted to bury him in his grave. So are you sure he's dead?
— My lord, we had to break criminals' legs to hasten their death. But Yeshua was already dead when we did. The blood that flowed came mixed with water.
Pontius Pilatus, his chubby hand, waved the centurion away.
— I will never understand these people. Never.
***
YOUSEF'S PRISON OF ARMATHAJIM
WHEN THE JEWS heard that Yousef had claimed Yeshua's body, they began to look for him, as did those who had declared that Yeshua was not born of fornication. Nicodemus and many others who had appeared before Pilatus to bear witness to his good works. And when all had gone into hiding, only Nicodemus appeared, because he was the chief male among the Jews.
So Nicodemus said to them:
— How did you get into the synagogue?
The Jews replied:
— And thou? How did you get into the synagogue? Since you are his accomplice, be also his part contained in the coming century.
And Nicodemus said:
— So be it, so be it.
Yousef, in turn, introduced himself in a similar way and told them:
— Why have you been apprehensive of me for having claimed the body of Yeshua? For know that I laid him in my new tomb, after I had wrapped him in a white sheet, and rolled the stone over the entrance to the grotto. But you did not behave well with that righteous man, since, not content with crucifying him, you also pierced him with a spear.
The Jews then arrested Yousef and had him imprisoned until the first day of the week. Then they said to him:
— You know very well that the late hour does not allow us to do anything against you, for Saturday is already dawning; but know that we will not even do you the favor of burying you, but we will expose your body to the birds of the air.
Yousef replied:
— This manner of speaking is that of the proud Goliath, who reviled the living God and holy David. For the Lord said through the prophet: — Vengeance is mine, and I will repay — And a little while ago, he who is not circumcised according to the flesh, but is circumcised in heart, took water, washed his hands facing the sun and said, — I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; you shall see. — But ye answered Pilatus — His blood be on us and on our children.
Hearing these words the Jews felt their hearts fill with rage, and, after capturing Yousef, they arrested and imprisoned him in a house where there was no window, then sealed the door where Yousef was being held and some guards remained next to her.
With this, they dared not lay hands on those who had spoken before Pilatus in defense of Yeshua.
***
REVENGE IS A COLD DISH
YERUSHALAYIM, FRIDAY, APRIL 7, AD 30
BAR ABBAS PATIENTLY WAITED for the old Kaiafa to be alone in his personal room, the old man was already drunk, he knew that unlike other people, he did not keep the Shabbat that he preached so much with his lips, Judith had entrusted him with everything and he as a man of zeal I should send you a message.
Bar Abbas came out of the shadows and Kaiafa didn't have time to scream for help, he tripped over his own legs.
— It's time to pay your debt, you bastard, you laughed when the damn Romans pissed on me, didn't you?
— I... I... kept my promise and changed the convict, put the Nazarene in his place.
— You mean you think I should be eternally grateful to you for that, don't you?
Bar Abbas, who was still in severe pain from the punishment he had suffered the night before, felt somewhat relieved by what he was going to do.
— Please do not kill me...
— Kill you? You do not deserve such an honor, but I will give you a gift so that you will always remember this day, not for what you did to an enemy, but what an enemy did to you.
Bar Abbas took his knife, tore off his robes, put a piece of cloth in his mouth to muffle the screams of that obese old man, pulled out his flaccid little penis and cut him off.
— Judith sends you her love, you pig.
***
LETTER FROM PILATUS TO TIBERIUS
PONTIUS PILATUS salutes Emperor Tiberius Caesar. Yeshua Christ, whom I have explicitly presented to you in my last reports, was finally given over to a harsh torture at the request of the people, whose instigations I followed out of fear and against my will. A pious and austere man like this never existed and never will exist at any time. But the truth is that there was a strange effort by the people to get this ambassador of Truth to be crucified, as well as a conspiracy of all the scribes, chiefs and elders, in spite of the warnings of their prophets, or, as we say, the sibyls. And while he was hanging on the cross, signs appeared that surpassed natural forces and that foreshadowed.
According to the understanding of philosophers, the destruction of the whole world. His disciples still live and they do not deny the Rabbi nor his works nor the purity of his life; and are still doing very well in his name. Therefore, if it weren't for the fear of a possible revolt among the people who were already almost enraged, perhaps that remarkable man could still be among the living. Assign, therefore, more to my sense of fidelity to you than to my own caprice, the fact that I did not resist with all my might so that the blood of a just man, free from all blame, but a victim of human malice, might be perversely sold and suffer all passion. Indeed, as the interpreters of his scriptures say, to spare him would be his own ruin. Goodbye. The seventh day of the calends of April.
***
NEW MEN
YERUSHALAYIM, FRIDAY, APRIL 7, AD 30
FALLEN IN A CORNER was the figure of a large man, wrapped in a blanket. On tiptoe, she approached him and lifted the covers a little. Cephas! He was so startled that he almost cried out.
How had he gotten there? How had he found them?
The other figure, hunched over, was Shim-on... and the third, Tomé...
Why would they all come back in that furtive way? What had brought them here?
Yousef had already taken care of practical things, but there was still a lot of work to do, so he directed David to find the disciples and protect them.
— And Yohanan? Cephas said when he saw the emissary, when they were alone in the other room. 'How did they find us?'
— Somehow they found out where we were.
David nodded.
— They came one by one — David replied. — Yousef managed to warn. He paused. — They seem relieved to be here at Elazar's house.
— What are we going to do now?
— We have to wait — said Thomas at last — As Yousef said, we will be persecuted, but perhaps this persecution will not last long. We must not attract attention, nor must we be seen for the time being. The authorities won't be worried.
— Why you say that? Shim-on asked, taking his arm.
— Because Yeshua is gone — replied Thomas, as practical as ever.
— And there will never be another Yeshua. No one will know how to speak like him, no one will know how to heal like him, no one will do... anything he used to do!
— But Cephas… we went together on the mission that Yeshua sent us on. And, by some strange power, we also heal people. And we preach to the people. I cured...
Beside Cephas, David was reminding him of what they had done.
— But nobody talks like he did. We just repeated what he said. We didn't say anything original. He spoke softly. Perhaps it was enough to repeat what he said.
— But people asked him questions and he answered them individually, one at a time, which we don't know how to do. We don't have that wisdom. And we can't just quote him. If we did, we would do like the Pharisees, who only know how to name their teachers.
Thomas shook his head.
— Yeshua wanted us to go ahead, like him. He said that missions were just the beginning of our teaching work. If it weren't so... Everything would disappear with him. I don't think... I don't think he wanted that. I think that's what our mission was all about, whether we performed it for better or worse... even if we performed it clumsily and unprepared...
— And she was undoubtedly clumsy and unprepared — agreed Cephas. — But we… are different from him.
— He knew we were clumsy and irritated, and he didn't blame us for it. Cephas waited for his companion to respond. When he didn't respond, he continued:
— He knew we would learn. I knew we would be able to continue the mission.
— So I was wrong — said Thomas. — It's all over. There is nothing more to be continued.
Cephas stood up and blinked.
— My friends — he said, — I'm so happy to be with you again...
And she began to cry, burying her head in her arm.
— I thank God for accepting me back among you. I betrayed him... said I didn't know him...
And sobbed, in tears.
— I know — David said helpfully.
— My God! — Cried Cephas.
— You were surprised, but Yeshua was not — said Elzar as he entered the room. — He foresaw it.
Cephas nodded.
— It's unforgivable — sobbed Cephas.
— Yeshua always forgave you — Elazar said. — You must accept it.
— I can't.
— Then you'll be cheating on him again.
Elazar looked at him seriously.
— He died on a Roman cross, as Kaiafa and his allies wished. Everything went as ordered. Yeshua was overcome by them, he was silenced and executed. Do you know what happened?
— I… heard about it… but I don't know the details.
Cephas dropped onto a bench.
— I don't think I can bear to know...
— After you left — David said, trying to keep his voice steady, and after the Sanhedrim's trial was over, he was brought before Pilatus.
He had to stop so his voice wouldn't shake.
— Pilatus has lived up to his reputation as a cruel man. He gave in to them... he gave in to the screaming crowd, even though minutes before he had said he was innocent...
— No!
Cephas stood up, hesitantly not understanding the emissary.
— Was Pilatus going to release him?
— But the mob challenged Pilatus... by words... threatened him... and he was afraid...
David shook his head, unable to continue.
— Pilatus gave in to their pressure — said Elazar. — And then Yeshua was executed in a deserted place where there is a quarry, which they call the Place of the Skull. Now he is dead, his body rests in a borrowed grave thanks to the kindness of the man who also sent me to this house to inform you of everything that happened to the Rabbi.
Elazar saw that Cephas was stunned by each new revelation. He had run away like a coward. His faith and determined spirit hadn't stopped him from running for his skin.
— My God, forgive me!
It was the only thing Cephas could say, sobbing incessantly. Thomas didn't say anything.
Shim-on seemed so amazed by the executions of Yeshua and his two former companions, Gesta and Dimas, that he just kept repeating
— But one was innocent, and the others were not. Did they not understand?
Bar Abbas' release left him in a state of uncontrollable agitation.
— They released... Bar Abbas... after all that killing — An enemy of the state. And Pilatus didn't even care, even after he tried against his own house... Yeshua didn't kill anyone. This means that Yeshua's message was wrong. He said that whoever lives by the sword, dies by the sword, but what happened was the opposite...
That was the question everyone was grappling with. It took Shim-on for it to be clearly stated:
— Yeshua was wrong. He ordered me to put an end to the violence, but they let the murderer Bar Abbas go free and had Yeshua executed in his place, a man who had killed no one. Yeshua had predicted the end of present times, but the sun rose and the moon shone as they always did. Yeshua was wrong. And if he was wrong about these things, what else would he be wrong about? Said he'd always be with us, but now he's gone. Maybe we were crazy to follow him. Now it was all over.
Cephas, unlike what was expected of him, hugged him, in other times he would have a different attitude, but seeing the change in his friend, Shim-on understood the message, they were all other people at that time.