A.D. The Bible Continues

Truth?

What is truth?

Many here have seen you employ demons to heal

and call it the work of God!

Many heard you say

you would destroy the Temple

and in three days build another.

Some testified here before the Sanhedrin that you said this.

How do you respond?

Are you going to refuse to answer?

Are you, or are you not, the Messiah?

I am.

And soon you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God.

How dare you speak His name!

The charge is blasphemy.

He deserves to die!

Judas!

You. You're one of his men. No.

It is you. I... I'm not.

This man is one of the Nazarene's men!

I don't know him. You're mistaken!

This man walks with this "Son of God!"

I do not! I don't know him!

I've never seen him before!

Take him away.

Governor.

The Nazarene's popularity has strengthened the zealots' resolve

to rise against us.

His trial could trigger rebellion.

The word of one Jew against the might of Rome?

I don't think so, Marius.

Crucify him!

Release him. Release him! Don't!

Let him go!

Are you the King of the Jews?

My kingdom is not of this world.

So, you are a king, then?

You say that I am.

I was born and came into this world to testify to the truth.

Everyone on the side of the truth listens to me.

Truth?

What is truth?

I find no basis for a charge against him.

Crucify him!

Please. No, no!

Crucify him!

Take him and crucify him.

Crucify him!

Move along, move along there, move!

Quickly!

Out of the way!

Nail them in.

(SCREAMING)

See how they come in their hundreds of thousands

to keep themselves in God's favor.

Well, it is undeniable

that the Temple is a great focal point for their celebrations, Father.

However, they thrive in their daily lives

due to the leadership of their High Priest.

You have protected our sacrificial rites admirably

against the Nazarene's desire to sweep them away.

My one regret is that you involved the governor.

It was necessary to call upon the full force of Roman law.

The Nazarene's crucifixion sends a message

to all who might challenge what we labor so hard to uphold.

Well, you did the right thing.

That is open to question.

Day by day, more and more people were being seduced

by the Nazarene's simplistic homilies.

He had to be exposed.

And so brutally executed?

My husband took a decision any high priest would've taken.

Though my methods may have differed during my time in office,

I would have pursued the same objective.

It was the needless death of a harmless soul.

Harmless?

He threatened everything we represent and these people believe in.

The life of one man is as nothing, Joseph,

for the sake of God's nation.

Caiaphas, surely... Enough.

We shall see you at supper.

Joseph and his lofty morals,

floating above the daily grime of public affairs.

His words come cheap.

Without actions to test them, his opinions are fruitless.

Is it correc t the Nazarene alleged he would rise from death?

One of his many outrageous claims and crude manipulations of prophecy.

Then ensure he dies swiftly,

before he has the chance to perform a final deception,

before the first star, Caiaphas,

before the very sight of the rogue is allowed to pollute our celebrations.

To you, Lord, I call. You are my rock.

Do not turn a deaf ear to me, for if you remain silent,

I should be like those who go down to the pit.

Hear my cry for mercy.

I call for your help as I lift my hands to your most holy place.

My God?

My God?

Why have you forsaken me?

Two items, Governor.

A request to expedite the death of the Nazarene from High Priest Caiaphas

and a petition to repossess the Nazarene's body upon death.

Who requests the body?

A Jewish elder,

troubled by the Sanhedrin's persecution of the Nazarene.

His name?

Joseph of Arimathea.

Grant each request.

Keeping them at each other's throats

prevents them from wrapping their fingers around ours.

And have Cornelius put the Nazarene out of his misery.

Are you enjoying the spectacle?

Spectacle?

Is that how you regard the crucifixion of the Nazarene?

Any man who claims to be king in a Roman province

is committing treason

and must suffer the consequences.

He does not behave as a king in my dreams.

The running of the province can hardly be determined

by the dreams of the governor's wife.

The gods find us in our sleep.

Their message was clear.

The Nazarene is a good man.

Humble, pure of heart.

The man was a danger to the status quo.

Our garrison in Judea is not large, Claudia.

You'll live to regret your hand in his death.

I took advice. I weighed it up. I acted accordingly.

Advice from men who feared his popularity would eclipse their own.

He claimed to be their Messiah. It was intolerable.

At worst, he's mad! Is that reason enough...

Claudia.

It's tiresome enough

having every Jewish priest on my back.

I don't expect my own wife to join them,

and, yes, even if he were mad,

we should nail him up to destroy the messenger

and to warn the people against his message.

Killing him won't be the end of him.

It usually is, my darling.

It is finished.

Help me!

Out of my way!

This way!

(SCREAMING)

This is his mother.

So?

Spare her this. You can see he's dead.

I'll be the judge of that.

There's no need for this.

Please.

The order is to make sure.

Identify yourself.

I have permission to take possession of the Nazarene's body.

On whose authority?

The governor's.

If you will allow,

I would like to offer my own tomb as your son's final place of rest.

He'll be at peace there.

I've done the most terrible thing.

For which there can be no forgiveness.

I've betrayed innocent blood.