CHAPTER XIII
That evening, before sunset, some women were washing clothes onthe upper step of the flight that led down into the basin of thePool of Siloam. They knelt each before a broad bowl of earthenware.A girl at the foot of the steps kept them supplied with water, andsang while she filled the jar. The song was cheerful, and no doubtlightened their labor. Occasionally they would sit upon their heels,and look up the slope of Ophel, and round to the summit of what isnow the Mount of Offence, then faintly glorified by the dying sun.
While they plied their hands, rubbing and wringing the clothesin the bowls, two other women came to them, each with an emptyjar upon her shoulder.
"Peace to you," one of the new-comers said.
The laborers paused, sat up, wrung the water from their hands,and returned the salutation.
"It is nearly night--time to quit."
"There is no end to work," was the reply.
"But there is a time to rest, and--"
"To hear what may be passing," interposed another.
"What news have you?"
"Then you have not heard?"
"No."
"They say the Christ is born," said the newsmonger, plunging intoher story.
It was curious to see the faces of the laborers brighten withinterest; on the other side down came the jars, which, in amoment, were turned into seats for their owners.
"The Christ!" the listeners cried.
"So they say."
"Who?"
"Everybody; it is common talk."
"Does anybody believe it?"
"This afternoon three men came across Brook Cedron on the roadfrom Shechem," the speaker replied, circumstantially, intendingto smother doubt. "Each one of them rode a camel spotless white,and larger than any ever before seen in Jerusalem."
The eyes and mouths of the auditors opened wide.
"To prove how great and rich the men were," the narrator continued,"they sat under awnings of silk; the buckles of their saddles wereof gold, as was the fringe of their bridles; the bells were ofsilver, and made real music. Nobody knew them; they looked as ifthey had come from the ends of the world. Only one of them spoke,and of everybody on the road, even the women and children, he askedthis question--'Where is he that is born King of the Jews?' No onegave them answer--no one understood what they meant; so they passedon, leaving behind them this saying: 'For we have seen his star inthe east, and are come to worship him.' They put the question tothe Roman at the gate; and he, no wiser than the simple people onthe road, sent them up to Herod."
"Where are they now?"
"At the khan. Hundreds have been to look at them already, and hundredsmore are going."
"Who are they?"
"Nobody knows. They are said to be Persians--wise men who talkwith the stars--prophets, it may be, like Elijah and Jeremiah."
"What do they mean by King of the Jews?"
"The Christ, and that he is just born."
One of the women laughed, and resumed her work, saying, "Well,when I see him I will believe."
Another followed her example: "And I--well, when I see him raisethe dead, I will believe."
A third said, quietly, "He has been a long time promised. It willbe enough for me to see him heal one leper."
And the party sat talking until the night came, and, with the helpof the frosty air, drove them home.
* * * * * *
Later in the evening, about the beginning of the first watch,there was an assemblage in the palace on Mount Zion, of probablyfifty persons, who never came together except by order of Herod,and then only when he had demanded to know some one or more of thedeeper mysteries of the Jewish law and history. It was, in short,a meeting of the teachers of the colleges, of the chief priests,and of the doctors most noted in the city for learning--the leaders ofopinion, expounders of the different creeds; princes of the Sadducees;Pharisaic debaters; calm, soft-spoken, stoical philosophers of theEssene socialists.
The chamber in which the session was held belonged to one ofthe interior court-yards of the palace, and was quite largeand Romanesque. The floor was tessellated with marble blocks;the walls, unbroken by a window, were frescoed in panels ofsaffron yellow; a divan occupied the centre of the apartment,covered with cushions of bright-yellow cloth, and fashioned inform of the letter U, the opening towards the doorway; in thearch of the divan, or, as it were, in the bend of the letter,there was an immense bronze tripod, curiously inlaid with goldand silver, over which a chandelier dropped from the ceiling,having seven arms, each holding a lighted lamp. The divan andthe lamp were purely Jewish.
The company sat upon the divan after the style of Orientals,in costume singularly uniform, except as to color. They weremostly men advanced in years; immense beards covered their faces;to their large noses were added the effects of large black eyes,deeply shaded by bold brows; their demeanor was grave, dignified,even patriarchal. In brief, their session was that of the Sanhedrim.
He who sat before the tripod, however, in the place which maybe called the head of the divan, having all the rest of hisassociates on his right and left, and, at the same time, before him,evidently president of the meeting, would have instantly absorbedthe attention of a spectator. He had been cast in large mould,but was now shrunken and stooped to ghastliness; his white robedropped from his shoulders in folds that gave no hint of muscleor anything but an angular skeleton. His hands, half concealedby sleeves of silk, white and crimson striped, were clasped uponhis knees. When he spoke, sometimes the first finger of the righthand extended tremulously; he seemed incapable of other gesture.But his head was a splendid dome. A few hairs, whiter than fine-drawnsilver, fringed the base; over a broad, full-sphered skull the skinwas drawn close, and shone in the light with positive brilliance;the temples were deep hollows, from which the forehead beetled likea wrinkled crag; the eyes were wan and dim; the nose was pinched;and all the lower face was muffed in a beard flowing and venerableas Aaron's. Such was Hillel the Babylonian! The line of prophets,long extinct in Israel, was now succeeded by a line of scholars,of whom he was first in learning--a prophet in all but the divineinspiration! At the age of one hundred and six, he was still Rectorof the Great College.
On the table before him lay outspread a roll or volume of parchmentinscribed with Hebrew characters; behind him, in waiting, stood apage richly habited.
There had been discussion, but at this moment of introduction thecompany had reached a conclusion; each one was in an attitude ofrest, and the venerable Hillel, without moving, called the page.
"Hist!"
The youth advanced respectfully.
"Go tell the king we are ready to give him answer."
The boy hurried away.
After a time two officers entered and stopped, one on each sidethe door; after them slowly followed a most striking personage--anold man clad in a purple robe bordered with scarlet, and girtto his waist by a band of gold linked so fine that it was pliableas leather; the latchets of his shoes sparkled with precious stones;a narrow crown wrought in filigree shone outside a tarboosheof softest crimson plush, which, encasing his head, fell downthe neck and shoulders, leaving the throat and neck exposed.Instead of a seal, a dagger dangled from his belt. He walkedwith a halting step, leaning heavily upon a staff. Not untilhe reached the opening of the divan, did he pause or look upfrom the floor; then, as for the first time conscious ofthe company, and roused by their presence, he raised himself,and looked haughtily round, like one startled and searching foran enemy--so dark, suspicious, and threatening was the glance.Such was Herod the Great--a body broken by diseases, a conscienceseared with crimes, a mind magnificently capable, a soul fit forbrotherhood with the Caesars; now seven-and-sixty years old, butguarding his throne with a jealousy never so vigilant, a powernever so despotic, and a cruelty never so inexorable.
There was a general movement on the part of the assemblage--abending forward in salaam by the more aged, a rising-up by themore courtierly, followed by low genuflections, hands upon thebeard o
r breast.
His observations taken, Herod moved on until at the tripod oppositethe venerable Hillel, who met his cold glance with an inclinationof the head, and a slight lifting of the hands.
"The answer!" said the king, with imperious simplicity,addressing Hillel, and planting his staff before him withboth hands. "The answer!"
The eyes of the patriarch glowed mildly, and, raising his head,and looking the inquisitor full in the face, he answered,his associates giving him closest attention,
"With thee, O king, be the peace of God, of Abraham, Isaac,and Jacob!"
His manner was that of invocation; changing it, he resumed:
"Thou hast demanded of us where the Christ should be born."
The king bowed, though the evil eyes remained fixed upon thesage's face.
"That is the question."
"Then, O king, speaking for myself, and all my brethren here,not one dissenting, I say, in Bethlehem of Judea."
Hillel glanced at the parchment on the tripod; and, pointing withhis tremulous finger, continued, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thusit is written by the prophet, 'And thou, Bethlehem, in the landof Judea, art not the least among the princes of Judah; for outof thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel.'"
Herod's face was troubled, and his eyes fell upon the parchmentwhile he thought. Those beholding him scarcely breathed; they spokenot, nor did he. At length he turned about and left the chamber.
"Brethren," said Hillel, "we are dismissed."
The company then arose, and in groups departed.
"Simeon," said Hillel again.
A man, quite fifty years old, but in the hearty prime of life,answered and came to him.
"Take up the sacred parchment, my son; roll it tenderly."
The order was obeyed.
"Now lend me thy arm; I will to the litter."
The strong man stooped; with his withered hands the old one tookthe offered support, and, rising, moved feebly to the door.
So departed the famous Rector, and Simeon, his son, who was to behis successor in wisdom, learning, and office.
* * * * * *
Yet later in the evening the wise men were lying in a lewen of thekhan awake. The stones which served them as pillows raised theirheads so they could look out of the open arch into the depths ofthe sky; and as they watched the twinkling of the stars, they thoughtof the next manifestation. How would it come? What would it be?They were in Jerusalem at last; they had asked at the gate for Himthey sought; they had borne witness of his birth; it remained onlyto find him; and as to that, they placed all trust in the Spirit.Men listening for the voice of God, or waiting a sign from Heaven,cannot sleep.
While they were in this condition, a man stepped in under the arch,darkening the lewen.
"Awake!" he said to them; "I bring you a message which will notbe put off."
They all sat up.
"From whom?" asked the Egyptian.
"Herod the king."
Each one felt his spirit thrill.
"Are you not the steward of the khan?" Balthasar asked next.
"I am."
"What would the king with us?"
"His messenger is without; let him answer."
"Tell him, then, to abide our coming."
"You were right, O my brother!" said the Greek, when the stewardwas gone. "The question put to the people on the road, and to theguard at the gate, has given us quick notoriety. I am impatient;let us up quickly."
They arose, put on their sandals, girt their mantles about them,and went out.
"I salute you, and give you peace, and pray your pardon; but mymaster, the king, has sent me to invite you to the palace, where hewould have speech with you privately."
Thus the messenger discharged his duty.
A lamp hung in the entrance, and by its light they looked at eachother, and knew the Spirit was upon them. Then the Egyptian steppedto the steward, and said, so as not to be heard by the others,"You know where our goods are stored in the court, and where ourcamels are resting. While we are gone, make all things ready forour departure, if it should be needful."
"Go your way assured; trust me," the steward replied.
"The king's will is our will," said Balthasar to the messenger."We will follow you."
The streets of the Holy City were narrow then as now, but not sorough and foul; for the great builder, not content with beauty,enforced cleanliness and convenience also. Following their guide,the brethren proceeded without a word. Through the dim starlight,made dimmer by the walls on both sides, sometimes almost lostunder bridges connecting the house-tops, out of a low groundthey ascended a hill. At last they came to a portal rearedacross the way. In the light of fires blazing before it in twogreat braziers, they caught a glimpse of the structure, and alsoof some guards leaning motionlessly upon their arms. They passedinto a building unchallenged. Then by passages and arched halls;through courts, and under colonnades not always lighted; up longflights of stairs, past innumerable cloisters and chambers,they were conducted into a tower of great height. Suddenly theguide halted, and, pointing through an open door, said to them,
"Enter. The king is there."
The air of the chamber was heavy with the perfume of sandal-wood,and all the appointments within were effeminately rich. Upon thefloor, covering the central space, a tufted rug was spread, andupon that a throne was set. The visitors had but time, however,to catch a confused idea of the place--of carved and gilt ottomansand couches; of fans and jars and musical instruments; of goldencandlesticks glittering in their own lights; of walls painted inthe style of the voluptuous Grecian school, one look at which hadmade a Pharisee hide his head with holy horror. Herod, sitting uponthe throne to receive them, clad as when at the conference with thedoctors and lawyers, claimed all their minds.
At the edge of the rug, to which they advanced uninvited, theyprostrated themselves. The king touched a bell. An attendantcame in, and placed three stools before the throne.
"Seat yourselves," said the monarch, graciously.
"From the North Gate," he continued, when they were at rest,"I had this afternoon report of the arrival of three strangers,curiously mounted, and appearing as if from far countries. Are youthe men?"
The Egyptian took the sign from the Greek and the Hindoo,and answered, with the profoundest salaam, "Were we otherthan we are, the mighty Herod, whose fame is as incense to thewhole world, would not have sent for us. We may not doubt thatwe are the strangers."
Herod acknowledged the speech with a wave of the hand.
"Who are you? Whence do you come?" he asked, adding significantly,"Let each speak for himself."
In turn they gave him account, referring simply to the cities andlands of their birth, and the routes by which they came to Jerusalem.Somewhat disappointed, Herod plied them more directly.
"What was the question you put to the officer at the gate?"
"We asked him, Where is he that is born King of the Jews."
"I see now why the people were so curious. You excite me no less.Is there another King of the Jews?"
The Egyptian did not blanch.
"There is one newly born."
An expression of pain knit the dark face of the monarch, as ifhis mind were swept by a harrowing recollection.
"Not to me, not to me!" he exclaimed.
Possibly the accusing images of his murdered children flittedbefore him; recovering from the emotion, whatever it was,he asked, steadily, "Where is the new king?"
"That, O king, is what we would ask."
"You bring me a wonder--a riddle surpassing any of Solomon's,"the inquisitor said next. "As you see, I am in the time of life whencuriosity is as ungovernable as it was in childhood, when to triflewith it is cruelty. Tell me further, and I will honor you as kingshonor each other. Give me all you know about the newly born, and Iwill join you in the search for him; and when we have found him,I will do what you wish; I will bring him to Jerusalem, and trainhim in kingcraft; I will use my grace with Cae
sar for his promotionand glory. Jealousy shall not come between us, so I swear. But tellme first how, so widely separated by seas and deserts, you all cameto hear of him."
"I will tell you truly, O king."
"Speak on," said Herod.
Balthasar raised himself erect, and said, solemnly,
"There is an Almighty God."
Herod was visibly startled.
"He bade us come hither, promising that we should find the Redeemerof the World; that we should see and worship him, and bear witnessthat he was come; and, as a sign, we were each given to see a star.His Spirit stayed with us. O king, his Spirit is with us now!"
An overpowering feeling seized the three. The Greek with difficultyrestrained an outcry. Herod's gaze darted quickly from one to the other;he was more suspicious and dissatisfied than before.
"You are mocking me," he said. "If not, tell me more. What is tofollow the coming of the new king?"
"The salvation of men."
"From what?"
"Their wickedness."
"How?"
"By the divine agencies--Faith, Love, and Good Works."
"Then"--Herod paused, and from his look no man could have saidwith what feeling he continued--"you are the heralds of the Christ.Is that all?"
Balthasar bowed low.
"We are your servants, O king."
The monarch touched a bell, and the attendant appeared.
"Bring the gifts," the master said.
The attendant went out, but in a little while returned, and,kneeling before the guests, gave to each one an outer robe ormantle of scarlet and blue, and a girdle of gold. They acknowledgedthe honors with Eastern prostrations.
"A word further," said Herod, when the ceremony was ended. "To theofficer of the gate, and but now to me, you spoke of seeing a starin the east."
"Yes," said Balthasar, "his star, the star of the newly born."
"What time did it appear?"
"When we were bidden come hither."
Herod arose, signifying the audience was over. Stepping from thethrone towards them, he said, with all graciousness,
"If, as I believe, O illustrious men, you are indeed the heraldsof the Christ just born, know that I have this night consultedthose wisest in things Jewish, and they say with one voice heshould be born in Bethlehem of Judea. I say to you, go thither;go and search diligently for the young child; and when you havefound him bring me word again, that I may come and worship him.To your going there shall be no let or hindrance. Peace be withyou!"
And, folding his robe about him, he left the chamber.
Directly the guide came, and led them back to the street, and thenceto the khan, at the portal of which the Greek said, impulsively, "Let usto Bethlehem, O brethren, as the king has advised."
"Yes," cried the Hindoo. "The Spirit burns within me."
"Be it so," said Balthasar, with equal warmth. "The camels areready."
They gave gifts to the steward, mounted into their saddles,received directions to the Joppa Gate, and departed. At theirapproach the great valves were unbarred, and they passed outinto the open country, taking the road so lately travelled byJoseph and Mary. As they came up out of Hinnom, on the plainof Rephaim, a light appeared, at first wide-spread and faint.Their pulses fluttered fast. The light intensified rapidly; theyclosed their eyes against its burning brilliance: when they daredlook again, lo! the star, perfect as any in the heavens, but lowdown and moving slowly before them. And they folded their hands,and shouted, and rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
"God is with us! God is with us!" they repeated, in frequent cheer,all the way, until the star, rising out of the valley beyond MarElias, stood still over a house up on the slope of the hill nearthe town.