The Childhood and Youth of Jesus · Part 1 · Chapter 78

A work of compassion. The intelligent storm. Cyrenius' foreboding. The visit to the harbour. 27 November 1843

01] After this they dug further and Cyrenius gave the order for all the dead bodies that were not too much mutilated to be laid face down at a designated place covered with mats;

02] only the highly mutilated should either be immediately cremated or buried eight feet deep at the common burial ground.

03] It should be attempted to awaken the less mutilated as had been done with the seven.

04] And if one or the other could come back to life, he should be brought immediately to the inn with the other seven!

05] After this order was given, Cyrenius left with his company, to have a look at other parts of the city.

06] But to his great astonishment he found that none of the civilians' houses had been damaged in the least;

07] whereas there was not one temple to be found which did not lay in ruins, except one small, locked temple with the inscription: "To the unknown God!"

08] When the entourage accompanied by a crowd of people had marched through the whole city – not insignificant with a population of eighty-thousand people – Cyrenius called Joseph to him and spoke:

09] "Listen, most exalted friend and brother! Somehow I really feel like laughing when I look at the strange effects of the earthquake and the storm!

10] Just look over there! Along this road before us are houses of such poor construction; dry stones without mortar – and rather asymmetrically at that – that form a wall.

11] One should think that such walls are hardly strong enough to resist a quake caused by the hoof beat of a horse of above-average weight!

12] But you see, these ant buildings are still standing! Not one of them has been damaged in the least,

13] while among these really no more than temporal structures, the temples solidly built to last for millennia have turned into heaps of rubble one by one!

14] What do you think of this most peculiar phenomenon? – Does it not make sense to say that the earthquake as well as the storm have acted in a very intelligent way?!

15] Indeed! To my utmost joy I have to confess and tell you:

16] If your little Son has not used His almighty fingers to play a bit with the temples, accompanied by the storm, my name is not Cyrenius!"

17] But Joseph spoke: "Keep entirely to yourself what you believe and talk to nobody about it – because it seems to be so!

18] But let us go to the harbour now, as I want to see if there is some work for me to be done there!" – And Cyrenius promptly followed Joseph's advice and went to the sea shore.