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month and to…morrow we shall continue our march to Petra；
where there has been trouble with some of the Arab tribes。 I
shall use this evening to answer your questions； but pray do
not expect a detailed report。
I have talked with most of the older men in this city but
few have been able to give me any definite information。 A
few days ago a pedler came to the camp。 I bought some of
his olives and I asked him whether he had ever heard of the
famous Messiah who was killed when he was young。 He said
that he remembered it very clearly； because his father had
taken him to Golgotha （a hill just outside the city） to see
the execution； and to show him what became of the enemies of
the laws of the people of Judaea。 He gave me the address of
one Joseph； who had been a personal friend of the Messiah
and told me that I had better go and see him if I wanted to
know more。
This morning I went to call on Joseph。 He was quite an
old man。 He had been a fisherman on one of the fresh…water
lakes。 His memory was clear； and from him at last I got a
fairly definite account of what had happened during the
troublesome days before I was born。
Tiberius； our great and glorious emperor； was on the throne；
and an officer of the name of Pontius Pilatus was governor of
Judaea and Samaria。 Joseph knew little about this Pilatus。
He seemed to have been an honest enough official who left a
decent reputation as procurator of the province。 In the year
755 or 756 （Joseph had forgotten when） Pilatus was called to
Jerusalem on account of a riot。 A certain young man （the
son of a carpenter of Nazareth） was said to be planning a
revolution against the Roman government。 Strangely enough
our own intelligence officers； who are usually well informed；
appear to have heard nothing about it； and when they investigated
the matter they reported that the carpenter was an
excellent citizen and that there was no reason to proceed against
him。 But the old…fashioned leaders of the Jewish faith； according
to Joseph； were much upset。 They greatly disliked his
popularity with the masses of the poorer Hebrews。 The
‘‘Nazarene'' （so they told Pilatus） had publicly claimed that a
Greek or a Roman or even a Philistine； who tried to live a decent
and honourable life； was quite as good as a Jew who spent
his days studying the ancient laws of Moses。 Pilatus does not
seem to have been impressed by this argument； but when the
crowds around the temple threatened to lynch Jesus； and kill
all his followers； he decided to take the carpenter into custody
to save his life。
He does not appear to have understood the real nature of
the quarrel。 Whenever he asked the Jewish priests to explain
their grievances； they shouted ‘‘heresy'' and ‘‘treason'' and got
terribly excited。 Finally； so Joseph told me； Pilatus sent for
Joshua （that was the name of the Nazarene； but the Greeks
who live in this part of the world always refer to him as Jesus）
to examine him personally。 He talked to him for several
hours。 He asked him about the ‘‘dangerous doctrines'' which
he was said to have preached on the shores of the sea of Galilee。
But Jesus answered that he never referred to politics。 He was
not so much interested in the bodies of men as in Man's soul。
He wanted all people to regard their neighbours as their
brothers and to love one single God； who was the father of all
living beings。
Pilatus； who seems to have been well versed in the doctrines
of the Stoics and the other Greek philosophers； does not appear
to have discovered anything seditious in the talk of Jesus。
According to my informant he made another attempt to save
the life of the kindly prophet。 He kept putting the execution
off。 Meanwhile the Jewish people； lashed into fury by their
priests； got frantic with rage。 There had been many riots in
Jerusalem before this and there were only a few Roman soldiers
within calling distance。 Reports were being sent to the
Roman authorities in Caesarea that Pilatus had ‘‘fallen a victim
to the teachings of the Nazarene。'' Petitions were being
circulated all through the city to have Pilatus recalled； because
he was an enemy of the Emperor。 You know that our governors
have strict instructions to avoid an open break with
their foreign subjects。 To save the country from civil war；
Pilatus finally sacrificed his prisoner； Joshua； who behaved
with great dignity and who forgave all those who hated him。
He was crucified amidst the howls and the laughter of the
Jerusalem mob。
That is what Joseph told me； with tears running down his
old cheeks。 I gave him a gold piece when I left him； but he
refused it and asked me to hand it to one poorer than himself。
I also asked him a few questions about your friend Paul。 He
had known him slightly。 He seems to have been a tent maker
who gave up his profession that he might preach the words of
a loving and forgiving God； who was so very different from
that Jehovah of whom the Jewish priests are telling us all
the time。 Afterwards； Paul appears to have travelled much
in Asia Minor and in Greece； telling the slaves that they were
all children of one loving Father and that happiness awaits all；
both rich and poor； who have tried to live honest lives and have
done good to those who were suffering and miserable。
I hope that I have answered your questions to your satisfaction。
The whole story seems very harmless to me as far as
the safety of the state is concerned。 But then； we Romans
never have been able to understand the people of this province。
I am sorry that they have killed your friend Paul。 I wish that
I were at home again； and I am； as ever；
Your dutiful nephew；
GLADIUS ENSA。
THE FALL OF ROME
THE TWILIGHT OF ROME
THE text…books of ancient History give the date 476 as the
year in which Rome fell； because in that year the last emperor
was driven off his throne。 But Rome； which was not built in
a day； took a long time falling。 The process was so slow and
so gradual that most Romans did not realise how their old
world was coming to an end。 They complained about the unrest
of the timesthey grumbled about the high prices of food
and about the low wages of the workmenthey cursed the
profiteers who had a monopoly of the grain and the wool and
the gold coin。 Occasionally they rebelled against an unusually
rapacious governor。 But the majority of the people during the
first four centuries of our era ate and drank （whatever their
purse allowed them to buy） and hated or loved （according to
their nature） and went to the theatre （whenever there was a
free show of fighting gladiators） or starved in the slums of the
big cities； utterly ignorant of the fact that their empire had
outlived its usefulness and was doomed to perish。
How could they realise the threatened danger？ Rome
made a fine showing of outward glory。 Well…paved roads connected
the di