Jews see the Nazarene in that way?”
“I imagine that is the case. I cannot speak for all Jews, questor.”
Varro shifted his position on the couch, leaning closer to Agrippa. “Your Majesty, in the strictest confidence, I can reveal that my mission is to prove that Jesus of Nazareth did not rise from the dead. Is there anything you could suggest, any line of inquiry I might follow, that would assist me in that quest?”
Agrippa looked at him without replying for a time, pursing his lips, as if deliberating on hisreply. “My good friend Flavius Josephus and I have discussed this very matter at some length,” he then said. “If I were you, questor, I would ask myself two questions. Firstly, can I find witnesses who would testify that those who claimed to have met and spoken with Jesus following his execution lied? In other words, prove that the Nazarene prearranged for friends to fabricate this story following his death to comply with the prophesies and confirm the myth of his divinity.”
Varro nodded. “I must admit,” he said thoughtfully, “I have wondered how the Nazarene’s followers could accept this story of the resurrection with so little evidence to support it. Nazarenes in Antioch seem to believe in it implicitly, yet they could not tell us why. A thinking man must conclude that it would take either great faith or great gullibility to believe that a man could rise from the dead, without substantial proof. The balance of probabilities would seem to point toward this story being a concerted fabrication. So, yes, that is a line of inquiry I must pursue—prove that the witnesses lied. The other question, Your Majesty?”
“The other question you might ask yourself, questor, is this. Did Jesus somehow fabricate his death, so that he was in fact not dead when he was taken down from his cross? This, of course, would have enabled him to appear to followers several days after the execution, and so confirm the prophesies.”
All four Romans looked at him with surprise bordering on astonishment. None had even considered this possibility.
“How might that have been achieved?” a disconcerted Varro asked.
“You are saying that the execution was a sham?” said Marcus with disbelief.
Agrippa shrugged. “I merely suggest that the question might be asked, tribune.”
“How could the Nazarene’s execution have been a sham?” Martius queried, making no attempt to hide rising anger. “Surely, that would have required the complicity of the Roman authorities at Jerusalem? That is a strong charge.”
“I could not say how it might have been done,” Agrippa coolly replied. “I merely point it out as a possibility to be explored. You might ask, where did the Nazarene go following his so-called resurrection? If he did rise, why did he so abruptly terminate his teachings? In my experience, fanatics cannot help themselves, they require an audience. They will loudly proclaim their doctrine, ignoring the likely consequences. As I said previously, fanatics are blind to reality and deaf to reason.”
“If he did not die on a cross, however that might have been achieved,” Varro said, speculating aloud, “he would have had to go into hiding or leave the province. If he were found alive, he would have been rearrested and executed all over again.”
“Ah, but if he were a god, as his followers claim,” said Martius, with a smile which broadened into a grin, “the Nazarene could not be killed. We could have put him on a dozen crosses, and he would have risen time and time again. Surely?”
Venerius, who had held his tongue ever since receiving the withering glance from Varro earlier, let out a cackle of laughter. Then, seeing no one else laugh, he quickly and self consciously wiped the smile from his face, and lowered his eyes once more.
There was now a poignant silence. All the diners had stopped eating. Varro realized that none of the king’s retainers had entered into the debate about the Nazarene. Was
“I imagine that is the case. I cannot speak for all Jews, questor.”
Varro shifted his position on the couch, leaning closer to Agrippa. “Your Majesty, in the strictest confidence, I can reveal that my mission is to prove that Jesus of Nazareth did not rise from the dead. Is there anything you could suggest, any line of inquiry I might follow, that would assist me in that quest?”
Agrippa looked at him without replying for a time, pursing his lips, as if deliberating on hisreply. “My good friend Flavius Josephus and I have discussed this very matter at some length,” he then said. “If I were you, questor, I would ask myself two questions. Firstly, can I find witnesses who would testify that those who claimed to have met and spoken with Jesus following his execution lied? In other words, prove that the Nazarene prearranged for friends to fabricate this story following his death to comply with the prophesies and confirm the myth of his divinity.”
Varro nodded. “I must admit,” he said thoughtfully, “I have wondered how the Nazarene’s followers could accept this story of the resurrection with so little evidence to support it. Nazarenes in Antioch seem to believe in it implicitly, yet they could not tell us why. A thinking man must conclude that it would take either great faith or great gullibility to believe that a man could rise from the dead, without substantial proof. The balance of probabilities would seem to point toward this story being a concerted fabrication. So, yes, that is a line of inquiry I must pursue—prove that the witnesses lied. The other question, Your Majesty?”
“The other question you might ask yourself, questor, is this. Did Jesus somehow fabricate his death, so that he was in fact not dead when he was taken down from his cross? This, of course, would have enabled him to appear to followers several days after the execution, and so confirm the prophesies.”
All four Romans looked at him with surprise bordering on astonishment. None had even considered this possibility.
“How might that have been achieved?” a disconcerted Varro asked.
“You are saying that the execution was a sham?” said Marcus with disbelief.
Agrippa shrugged. “I merely suggest that the question might be asked, tribune.”
“How could the Nazarene’s execution have been a sham?” Martius queried, making no attempt to hide rising anger. “Surely, that would have required the complicity of the Roman authorities at Jerusalem? That is a strong charge.”
“I could not say how it might have been done,” Agrippa coolly replied. “I merely point it out as a possibility to be explored. You might ask, where did the Nazarene go following his so-called resurrection? If he did rise, why did he so abruptly terminate his teachings? In my experience, fanatics cannot help themselves, they require an audience. They will loudly proclaim their doctrine, ignoring the likely consequences. As I said previously, fanatics are blind to reality and deaf to reason.”
“If he did not die on a cross, however that might have been achieved,” Varro said, speculating aloud, “he would have had to go into hiding or leave the province. If he were found alive, he would have been rearrested and executed all over again.”
“Ah, but if he were a god, as his followers claim,” said Martius, with a smile which broadened into a grin, “the Nazarene could not be killed. We could have put him on a dozen crosses, and he would have risen time and time again. Surely?”
Venerius, who had held his tongue ever since receiving the withering glance from Varro earlier, let out a cackle of laughter. Then, seeing no one else laugh, he quickly and self consciously wiped the smile from his face, and lowered his eyes once more.
There was now a poignant silence. All the diners had stopped eating. Varro realized that none of the king’s retainers had entered into the debate about the Nazarene. Was
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