NEUOFFENBARUNGDeutscher Text · Volume contents
Here the Pharisees get apprehensive, and the rather bold one says to the Judge: ‘Lord, cancel the second fine, and we shall deliver the first fourfold, and that within 48 hours’.
[2] Says the Judge: ‘I accept the offer, but stick with the banishment for 10 successive years. Are you satisfied with this?’
[3] Says the Pharisee: ‘Lord, we pay fivefold if you fully remit us the banishment.’
[4] Says the chief justice: ‘So be it, but with the High Court reservation that you remain under Roman police supervision for 10 years, and that any unlawful attempt to lead the state or its titular head up the garden path, or any evil aspersion cast upon Rome, as well as any high-handed omission to report or confess any seizures regardless of nature, shall carry the aforementioned banishment to Europe for 10 years, for which there then shall be no further release. The money however needs to be deposited to this court chamber within 48 hours. 1 hour overdue and it would not be acceptable under the present moderated conditions, but instead under the conditions of the first verdict.
[5] And a further matter. Before freedom can be restored to you, you must give the names and addresses of all the parties that were so shamelessly dispossessed by you, so that I may summon them here and restore to them all the things you robbed, such as children, cattle, grains and wine.’
[6] The Pharisees went along with this demand, giving all the precise names and addresses. And the Judge immediately dispatches messengers to all the named locations, and 10 hours hardly passed before all the parties arrived who had anything to pick up.
[7] The 12 Pharisees at once uncover their wagons, harnessed to mules, and everyone was astounded beyond measure at the immense masses of gold and silver. They carried enough silver and gold to easily pay their fines 5 times over. The chief justice felt sorry that he had not imposed higher damages.
[8] A wise thought struck him however which made him to interrogate the 12 again, and he said to them: ‘Hear me, you have indeed correctly paid on demand, and you have the receipt for it in your hands. But since I discover on you now a colossal sum of money, this has to make it appear to me impossible that you came by such masses of gold and silver through rightful means. Verily, if the emperor came here today with his cash, it would be extremely doubtful whether this would equal yours, wherefore explain to me briefly how you came by such masses of gold and silver, for this seems to me suspicious to the highest degree.’
[9] Says the chief Pharisee: ‘What suspicious, what suspicious? This is 50 years’ pay saved for the Temple by all the Pharisees, priests and Levites of this country; and the time being up, we have to deliver to the Temple. It nevertheless is the smallest sum ever delivered from Capernaum to the Temple. These are nothing but offerings, legacies and special Temple donations, and therefore perfectly rightful earnings and consolidated moneys.’
[10] Says the chief justice: ‘Let’s leave the word ‘rightful’ out of this. Even if so, they are extortion and base legacy hunting, and so, rightfulness is remote from this wealth.
[11] A month ago, the following was reported directly from Rome to myself and all high courts: “For a half year now, taxation moneys have been awaited from Asia Minor and some of the localities in the Pontus. They are supposed to have been collected and dispatched a long time since, and consist in gold, silver, precious stones and pearls – the gold and silver largely not in the form of coins. The said sum in gold alone would amount to 20,000 pounds, in silver 600,000 pounds and approximately a similar amount in precious stones and pearls”.
[12] I notice another 5 unopened wagons. Uncover them so that I may view them too.’
[13] Visibly embarrassed, they also uncover the other 5 wagons, and see, these were filled with all sorts of precious stones, in a mostly still rough and unpolished state, while one wagon, weighing over a ton, was filled with small and large undrilled pearls.
[14] On examining these carefully, the chief judge says: ‘It seems clear to me where the dispatched taxes and treasures from Pontus and Asia Minor ended up. With all due respect to your cunningness, it shall be hard for you to come up with proper evidence, but I dare to swear before all gods and their heavens that the overdue tax moneys and other treasures, awaited in Rome long since, here lie open before me, and are as good as in my hands. Let you then hang around here. On arrival of the concerned parties I shall institute a big inquiry.’
[15] On hearing such words from the chief judge, they turn pale and are gripped by fever, which does not escape the observant judge, saying also to the judge of Kis: ‘Brother, I think we have netted the big birds of prey.’