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. I-I'm not.

This man is one of the Nazarene's men!

I-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.

don't!

Release him!

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!

Take him...

And crucify him.

Crucify him!

Out of the way!

Nail them in.

Aah!

Aah!

Aah!

Aah!

See how they come in their hundreds of thousands

to keep themselves in God's favor.

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 the 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.

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 have 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 --

ah, enough.

We shall see you at supper.

Joseph and his lofty morals.

Floating above the daily grime of public affairs.

Well, words come cheap.

Without actions to test them,

his opinions are fruitless.

Share this feast. We're hungry.

Is it correct 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 shall 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.

I-it is...Finished.

Save yourselves!

Come with me!

Out of my way!

This way!

Aah!

Aah!

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!

Aah!

She's exhausted.

She's waiting.

Does she really believe it,

or is it what her grief wills her to believe?

I think she truly believes he will rise from death.

Do you?

And I'll tell you the rest of the story tomorrow night.

Good night. Come, off to bed.

Good night.

Good night.

Drink something.

In my lifetime, I could never have imagined