SAUL & THE RESURRECTION CHAPTER TWENTY TWO- Page 2

MEANTIME, SAUL ARRIVED at the home of Caiaphas, and found the High Priest and his father-in-law Annas agitated and excited. The guards that had been assigned to watch the tomb were already in bonds, and being interrogated by the High Priest. One of the guards named Antonius was still trembling. Speaking for the others, he said haltingly, "We were simply standing in the quiet darkness of the night, when suddenly we were enveloped in a blinding light, and a being of great brightness clothed in raiment as white as snow rolled back the stone."

"Go on! Go on!" shouted Caiaphas. "And you saw Jesus leave?"

"No," stammered Antonius. "Together we fell to the ground as dead men in the blinding light. When we recovered sufficiently we beheld that the stone was rolled back and the tomb was empty. A man in white garments said Jesus had risen and left the tomb."

"You cannot say that! You dare not say that!" shouted the High Priest. "I command you to never utter those words again. Do you understand me? I can have each of you put to death for neglecting your duty. Do you understand I can have you executed for negligence?"

"Pay them," whispered the old High Priest Annas. "Pay them well. These fellows understand money more than threats. Pay them well. But you can't ask them just to keep quiet. To refuse to speak is to cause Jesus' followers to know they are hiding truth."

"But you have just heard what they said. Do you want them to tell that?"

"No, no," said Annas impatiently. "Let me handle this, Caiaphas. You still have much to learn."

Caiaphas drew back with a sullen expression, annoyed at the reproof from his father-in-law.

In a voice that was most solicitous and a manner for which he was famous, the old high priest said to the guards, "We are aware that something unusual has happened, and it is of great concern to us that we give some explanation to the public that sounds reasonable for this strange disappearance of the body of Jesus. To simply say you saw a light and nothing more is not enough. You know that both I and my son-in-law are Sadducees, and do not believe in angels. So forget this vision that you had about seeing someone in white, and let us say, well, you will have to give thought to 'how' you explain your failure, but it appears the best you can do under these strange circumstances is to say that the disciples came and stole the body while you were sleeping."

"But if Pilate hears we were sleeping, when we were assigned to stand on guard, we will be executed."

"Under normal circumstances, that would be true," continued Annas. "But these are not normal circumstances. Pilate is an honorable man, but no man is immune to receiving money. Whatever it takes to appease Pilate's appetite for gold, we will have to meet it." Turning to Caiaphas, the older priest said with pained expression, "This may cost us more than I care to state, but I feel we have no other recourse." And turning once more to the guards, he stated again, "I assure you men that we will protect you from the wrath of Pilate."

Then Caiaphas called for their treasurer, saying, "We are going to need a large sum of money."