46
THE APOSTLE
of whom Manahem has not ceased to talk since the day broke.
pauL: I thank thee, Sir, for thy invitation to me to preach the joyful tidings, and I thank God for having led me hither, for by whom should they be more joyfully received than by the Essenes and by whom more easily understood, your learning being famous throughout Judea?
MATHIAS: Our minds are always open to new interpretations of Scripture; we would debate thine with thee, but before entering into debate we would have thee finish thy lentils.
PauL: I would spend some days with you, but am under bond to the noble Festus to return to Caesarea before the ship sails.
MANAHEM (to Mathias): Our guest has appealed to Caesar.
MATHIAS (to Paul): Thou art then a rich man that paid a great sum of money for thy citizenship?
PAUL: My citizenship was not purchased. I was born free.
MATHIAS: Stranger still, for why then shouldst thou be at the same time an enemy of the Jews and of the Romans?
PauL: I am an enemy of neither, but a prisoner of the Romans for a riot that began two years ago in Jerusalem, whither a great pressing of the spirit urged me, for I would not leave Asia before preaching once more in Jerusalem to the Jews, a stiff-necked, gainsaying race, but dear to me despite its stubbornness, for I am a Jew like yourselves. But the people were stirred up against me and would have stoned me had not the Roman guard come out to quell the uproar and borne me on their shoulders up the steps of the castle, whither the people thronged after me, rending their garments, throwing dust into the air, crying: Away with him for scourging. As I was being bound I turned to the centurion and asked him if it were -awful to scourge a Roman citizen and he untried; whereupon they desisted, and I was sent to Caesarea to be judged. And there I have remained for the last two years, the Jews still thirsting for my blood; and to get it they sent elders from the Temple to Festus, saying: We would question this man in Jerusalem on some points of the law; give him over to us. But I said to the noble Festus: These men are planning to kill me in an ambush; I appeal to Caesar. He answered me: Thou hast appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar thou shalt go. . . .
MANAHEM: Paul travels the whole world over, founding churches.
