THE ENLIGHTENED ONES 19

When 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 spent the days in Yerushalayim, the nights were spent on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. And the talmidim built shelters close to a place where there was an oil press.

2 However, one day at eventide, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 went to the house of Shim’on the Pure, where some women who were followers of His were living. Though the talmidim were given food, little was said to them; for, they being strangers, the people in the house were suspicious, and Shim’on lay on a cushion across from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏.

3 After they had eaten and were talking together, a woman came from a house nearby. She was veiled and carried an alabaster jar. Now, this was Miryam of Maḡdala, whose father had been a merchant, but he disowned her, for she had lived with a centurion serving in the army of Rome. When he returned to his lawful wife, Miryam had kept herself by singing in the taverns of Galil.

4 The woman unsealed the jar and poured a sweet-scented oil over the head of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏, seeing which some of those present were indignant, saying, “What a waste, when this could have been sold for a lot of money which would have benefited the poor.”

5 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “Leave her alone. There is little point in being angry with her when all she has done is to honor Me. You can help the poor whenever you like, but I will not be here much longer.”

6 Turning to Miryam of Maḡdala, He said, “Why do you pay Me this honor? For the cost to you must have been great.”

7 Someone said, “The price was easily obtained.”

8 [Miryam said to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏, “Sire, I am she whom You saw in Paneas, for when women reviled me, I came to You and said, ‘Forgive my sins.’ When You asked wherein I had sinned, I said, ‘By loving while unwed.’ Thereupon You said, ‘That of itself is no wrongdoing and demonstrates greater love than that of many who say, “The price of my love is marriage.”’ You said I gave the greatest form of love any woman can give, for, being virgin, I went to my love without the security of marriage, seeking in no way to bind the man.”

9 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “With this man you did no wrong, and though your love was not baruḵ in the eyes of men, providing you loved truly, it was pure and sanctified in the sight of Elohim. The man, however, is not without sin in this manner and will surely be called to a proper accounting. And though since leaving him you have done wrong; he bears his portion of the guilt. You chose freely not to be a woman reserved for marriage – a choice you could rightly make. Only should you now seek marriage, saying, ‘Though I love you too, now I have my price,’ would you be doing wrong, this being committed against Elohim, love and your husband.”]

10 Miryam said, “Sire, I have been a sinner but have not sinned this last year, nor shall I again. Should I love once more, I will not now claim the rights of marriage which I once repudiated.”

11 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “Love is a blending of spirits, and not a union of flesh. Woe to those whose love compounds discord in the place where love is fulfilled. If these things confound you, read the Books of Wisdom.

12 During this time, those in positions of power were taking counsel as to how they might take 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 by guile and deliver Him to the Romans. For they feared a rising of the people during the Great Festival of the Yahuḏim.

13 Now, Yahuḏah of Qeriyoth, son of Shim’on, who had followed Yosĕph the Just before coming to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 and becoming one of the twelve apostles, sought for ha’Mashiaḥ who would deliver the Yahuḏim. This he now believed to be another, not 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏; and he therefore sought to have 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 held during the festival. Yahuḏah, unlike the other emissaries, was of the Yahuḏim; therefore, he was unrestricted.

14 Yahuḏah went to the Council and said, “My Aḏonai performs signs and fulfills neḇuoth which speak to the hearts of the people. Therefore, might they not proclaim Him in the coming days?”

15 The Council said, “The people are ripe for revolt, and troublemakers are many. We will take this one also. Reveal Him to us, and we will hold Him. And for the service you will be paid in silver.”

16 One who sat in the Council sent a warning to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏, saying, “Leave Bĕyth Anyah and go to Ephrayim.”

17 But 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 returned a reply which said, “Things are as they should be, and the neḇouth will be fulfilled.”

18 On the first day of the festival, when lambs were being sacrificed, the talmidim came to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 and asked where the Pesaḥ meal should be eaten. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 chose two of these and sent them away with this instruction:

19 “Go down and cross the stream flowing eastward from the city, at a place where there is a covered well. There you will see a man seated with a water pitcher beside him. Say to this man, ‘We thirst but need more than water.’ He will then arise, saying nothing, and you must follow him at a distance. And when you see him enter a house, go in also, giving this message to the owner: ‘We come from the Aḏonai.’ He will then show you a room where you must make preparations.”

20 Now, the house belonged to Oḇĕḏ, who was nigh four score years of age, whose brother was Barnaḇah the Elder. In an upper room, the talmidim prepared the Pesaḥ meal. And when it was evening, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 came with the twelve emissaries and three others, but only thirteen ate with Him.

21 After He had taken His place at the table and all were seated, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “I have very much wanted to keep this Pesaḥ with you because it is the last before My ordeal. And I tell you, I will not share another with you until My purpose is fulfilled.”

22 Then He took the cup before Him and drank, saying, “Blood is the ḥai of men, while this is the ḥai of the grape sacrificed for men, so it is a fitting and worthy symbol of He who offers His ḥai for men. I will not taste wine again until the Rule of Elohim is established.”

23 He then passed the cup to Yoḥanan, and, taking the bread, He gave thanks and broke it, saying, “This represents My body, which will be broken as an example to the sons and daughters of men; for all must freely sacrifice for others. As you eat of the bread, which is sacrifice, so shall you eat the Bread of Eternal Ḥai. For without sacrifice, there is no ḥai. Henceforth, call it Remembrance Bread and Remembrance Wine; when meeting afterwards, do this and remember Me. But remember also the sacrifices which must be made for the cause of Elohim.”

24 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “The sacrifice is ready. The hand of the betrayer rests upon this table and dips in the bowl. But this is as it should be. Take the cup and drink again; let it seal a new covenant signed with the blood of One who is dedicated to the cause of men and their deliverance from darkness into ḥai eternal.”

25 Those about the table began to speculate among themselves as to who would do such a thing. But 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 bid them be silent, saying, “There is no evil lacking some seeds of goodness which, if extracted, can be nurtured into great trees. A man, finding his store bag of seed grain is moldy, does not throw it out, but searches to find the good grains; and from these he grows a crop which ripens to goodness.”

26 They then began disputing among themselves as to who was first in precedence among them. And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “Those with worldly authority derive satisfaction from declaring themselves benefactors of the people, but the benefit they seek is that accruing to themselves. Let this not be so among you, the ones seeking least for themselves and giving most being those taking precedence.”

27 After a while, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “My friends, I shall be with you only a short time now.”

28 Kĕpha said, “Aḏonai, where do You go? Are You deserting us? Can we not come with You?”

29 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “You cannot follow Me immediately on this path, and to accompany Me would serve no purpose. But later on you can follow Me. Do not become fainthearted, for if you believe in what I have taught you, believe also that I will be guided and strengthened.”

30 “I shall prepare a place for you in the Reign of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and wait there to welcome you. Where I will be, you shall be also; and where you are, there too I will be. You know the way to where I am going and can follow, for the Torah and the Books of Wisdom are the Way, the Truth and the Light. I have brought you a light to show the way; follow it and you will not go astray.”

31 “Later you will understand that I am united with the Father. And as I am united with Him, so you are united with Me. Though we are many, let us stand as one. And those who serve I will serve.”

32 “To he who believes in My teachings I will manifest. For what I do is done to prove to men My own convictions, that they will come to accept My teachings and follow the road of deliverance. The people yearn for the fulfillment of the prophecies and will surely follow one who fulfills them.”

33 T’oma said, “Are You going to manifest only to us?”

34 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 answered, “If anyone care for Me and My cause, I will speak to him through the power of the Ruaḥ Ha’Qodesh, and it will come to him also. Those who do not care for Me or My cause will ignore My teachings, but do not fear them. Be on guard against those who pay lip service only. While I am with you, I can speak as men speak; but when I am gone, the Ruaḥ Ha’Qodesh will bear messages in My Name, clarifying your minds so you recall all I have taught you.”

35 “In the Reign of the Ruaḥ there are many splendid places, and I assure those who remain steadfast that they will be in the best of these. For when men die, each is drawn to the place whereof he is worthy; even to each one is prepared a place for his soul.”

36 “I will go down in the flesh to arise again in the ruaḥ with power to manifest to men. I will demonstrate what man can do; and as I do, so can all men. I am a sacrifice to the misguided beliefs of men, that, in the fulfillment of those beliefs, they might turn to the path of their deliverance.”

37 “I am the vine, and He who is above Me is the cultivator; you are the branches, and the sap in Me flows out to you. The sap is My teachings, severed from which you will be like a branch cut from the vine, only suitable for burning. I am the vine, and you are its fruit; and if the vine is sound, surely its fruit will be sound also.”

38 “This is My last instruction to you: Love one another as I have loved you. For there is but one greater love than that of a man who would sacrifice his life for His friends, and that is sacrifice of a life for a cause where he serves those unknown to him. I have said, ‘Love one another,’ for you will be strengthened in the knowledge of that love.”

39 “If the world hates you, it has hated Me first. If you were to remain part of the world, it would accept you as its own and love you. But because I have severed you from the world, setting you apart, it will hate you. For it is in the nature of worldly men to hate those who are different. And not only are you different, but you also seek to point out their wickedness.”

40 “If I chose an easier path, your burden would be so much greater, and the fruit of the vine might fall on barren ground. As they have persecuted Me, so they would have persecuted you. As they have spurned My teachings, so they would have spurned yours. And as they rejected Me, so they would have rejected you.

41 “I have much more to say, but you cannot receive it now. Later, the Ruaḥ of Wisdom will come when you are ready and guide you truthfully. It will speak to you with a voice of its own, but will convey to you what comes from above. Soon now you will see Me no more in the flesh, but you will behold Me in a new and glorious form.”

42 Those with 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 did not understand the meaning of what He said, and discussed it among themselves, saying, “What does He mean by ‘soon’?” Others said, “What can He mean when He says, ‘Soon you will no longer see Me, but then you will behold Me’?” The others said, “We just cannot tell.”

43 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏, knowing what they were saying and what was in their thoughts, said, “You are wondering about the things I have said. I can assure you that while you sorrow, the world will rejoice, for its hopes are fulfilled. A woman becomes afraid just before she gives birth, but once the ordeal is over, she no longer recalls the labor pains but rejoices in her child. So too you will grieve for a while, but I will manifest to you, and then you will rejoice in your hearts.”

44 “The Father’s Will is that the things I teach should be given to the people, but they will not listen, arguing among themselves as to who I am. Therefore, I must drain the bitter cup of ḥai to its last dregs. Then they will say, ‘This is He,’ and heed My words. This I do for men, and none can say I have not faced up to the tests of ḥai or I have shirked its supreme trial.”

45 The talmidim then drank the reeling cup, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said to Kĕpha, “I depend upon you to carry the burden among the brethren.”

46 Kĕpha said, “Aḏonai, I am ready to go anywhere, to follow You to prison or even to death.”

47 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “Before the cock’s crow in the morning, even you, the most loyal of men, will desert Me. Must I undergo the ordeal friendless?”

48 Then all the others assured Him of their loyalty.

49 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “When I sent you out with few possessions, did you ever go short of anything?”

50 They said, “No.”

51 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 then said, “Things are different now. Those who have a purse of money had better take it with them and keep a pack prepared for flight. Whoever is without a sword, let him sell his cloak and buy one. For I can assure you I will fulfill all that the Qodesh Books say. And is it not written, ‘He was classified as an outlaw’? Yes, truly all that is written will be fulfilled in Me, and men will find deliverance through this fulfillment.”

52 One of the talmidim said, “Look, Aḏonai. We have two swords among us.”

53 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “That is sufficient.”

54 Kĕpha said, “Aḏonai, are You going to lead us against the reign of evil in arms?”

55 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “The battle is for the immortal souls of men. Feast your eyes on Me, for the hour draws near when I shall no longer be with you in body.”

56 Then He said to Yahuḏah, “Go, spend whatever money is needful, but make haste.” No man there understood the meaning of this saying.

57 When Yahuḏah had gone, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “Upon Me has fallen the obligation for fulfilling the hopes of men. Now I give you a last command: Stand by one another. For if you remain loyal to My cause and to each other, all will know you are true men of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄. Do not worry overmuch; have faith in the goodness of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and in Me. In the Reign of the shamayim there are many places, and had it been otherwise, I would have told you. I go first and will prepare a compatible place for all who are with Us.”

58 “Do not fear because of the destruction of the body. Remember all I have told you. But be staunch and steadfast, for as they have persecuted Me, so will they persecute you. Remember, I have overcome the fears of the flesh; this is My conquest. I will now reveal the secret of My glory: It is dedication to service. And that glory is the heritage of all men.”

59 When they had finished, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 went out with His followers and, passing over the wadi Kiḏron, went to a place called Gath Shemen because of an oil press there. He took eleven, as Marqos the Yahuḏim, who was a kohĕn, did not go, Kĕpha being jealous of him. This Marqos had been a follower of Yoḥanan of the Wilderness and was a friend of Yahuḏah.

60 When 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 departed with the eleven, Marqos did not return to his mother’s house in Ophal, but stayed with El’azar and the others. After 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 had gone, men came to take Him, and Marqos, snatching a cloak, dashed out to warn 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏.

61 Though knowing what should be done for ha’Mashiaḥ, Yahuḏah went to the captain of the Hĕyḵal guard and said, “I am one of those who follow 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 the man of Galil, but I fear what He intends to bring about. Therefore, let Him be held as the Council has decreed.”

62 When 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 reached the chosen spot in Gath Shemen, He turned and said to those with Him, “Pray that you may be spared the test.”

63 He then took Kĕpha, Ya’aqoḇ and Yoḥanan and withdrew with them about a stone’s throw away. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 was depressed and filled with foreboding.

64 And He said to the three, “I am going apart to pray for strength to do what must be done. You stay here and keep watch. Perhaps the cup of bitterness will pass Me by, for with the Father all things are possible. But I fear there is no other way for Me but to abide My destiny.”

65 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 went just a short distance and lifted His face to the stars and red-glowing moon above. Ya’aqoḇ heard Him pray,

66 “Father, everything is in Your hand. Let it not be as I would have it, but according to Your Will; I leave it in Your hand. But let not the ordeal be too much for Me. The hour is at hand. Strengthen the Bĕn whom You have glorified with the power of Your Ruaḥ, that He may bring to fruition the task You have set Him, leading men to the path of eternal ḥai. Is there no other way?”

67 He then came back to the three, and the sweat stood out redly on His brow. And finding two asleep, for they were heavy with wine, He said to Kĕpha, “Shim’on, could you not stay awake even at a time such as this? Be vigilant and watch, praying you may be spared a greater test.”

68 “In days to come, men will lift up their eyes to the shamayim and say, ‘Baruḵ was He who came in the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, bringing us the light of deliverance.’ My soul is very sorrowful because of the things I must endure and accomplish, that the aspirations of men shall not be denied a response. Tarry, therefore, a while longer, keeping Me company so I do not weaken. The ruaḥ is willing, but the flesh is weak. It is a dreadful thing I must do.”

69 Then He went away again, but what He prayed no man knows.

70 When He returned, all three were asleep, for the wine had befuddled them. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “Still sleeping. Now it is enough, for the hour has come, and the Servant of Man is betrayed into the hands of His enemies. Let us wait no longer, for here they come.”

71 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 was now quite calm and strengthened.

72 Now, the place where 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 had gone was known to Yahuḏah, who arrived accompanied by the Hĕyḵal guards carrying torches, staves and cudgels. Seeing them, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 stood up and said, “Whom do you seek?”

73 Yahuḏah went up to Him and said, “Aḏonai, I am here.”

74 He kissed 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 to let Him know he came with friendly intentions, but it also identified Him. For though those who came knew 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 by sight, the Torah required that some other identify Him. But He was not taken according to the Torah, but by the Hĕyḵal guards.

75 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “So ha’Mashiaḥ has been selected for sacrifice by a kiss.”

76 But Yahuḏah said, “No, Aḏonai; there will be no sacrifice.”

77 When the Hĕyḵal guards seized hold of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏, one with Him drew a sword and wounded one of them. Another said, “Shall we smite with our swords?”

78 But 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 forbade this, saying to the captain of the guard, “Were My reign of this world, I would order My followers to take up arms. But My Reign is not of this world, and evil cannot be vanquished by evil.”

79 He rebuked them with the words, “Did you expect to find a dangerous criminal who had to be overcome with weapons? I have been among you many days, and you left Me alone. Still, what has to be done will be done, so do as you must.”

80 The captain of the guard said, “If this were left until tomorrow, many would die.”