The next day Jesus and his followers again entered the temple, and after the noon hour retired across the brook up in to the renowned Olive Orchard, which overlooks Jerusalem. Among the throng which followed them was Caiaphas, who the previous day had convened the chief rulers into his palace, when he advocated decoying Jesus from his friends and murdering him, which was opposed by the more conservative, who said it would cause an uproar among the people.

Again in the evening Caiaphas assembled his co-conspirators and, after setting forth what Jesus had said on the mountain and how the people were all turning to him, said, "Some means must be devised to destroy this man, as I fear if the case comes before Pilate he will require more evidence than is at hand, before he will consent to his death."

Nicodemus, still a member of good standing among them, arose and asked, "Does our law judge any man before it hear him and know what he doeth?" which created so strong an opposition that it broke up the council and Caiaphas ordered each man to his own home.

Caiaphas, nervous and weary from the perplexity of the day, reclines on an elaborate divan in an alcove off from his spacious court, where the Sanhedrim of seventy elders were wont to convene and discuss important matters. As he sips wine to drown his troubles, trouble seems to arise, when he is startled from his phlegmatic vision by an intruder in the form of a huge lizzard, creeping over a cactus urn. Then the great high priest murmured, "I wonder if there is a God, as that which I daily proclaim; if I knew there were not it might eliminate this fear of the devil."

As he thus soliloquized at the dead of night, a trusted servant intrudes upon his forced quietude, by announcing that the gatekeeper informs him that one of the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth is at the gate, craving audience with the high priest personally.

Caiaphas, frowning, orders the servant to bring his message, "but first," says he, "send two officers of the court to detain him."

Servant returns: "He must commune with the high priest personally."

Caiaphas hesitates, then to the servant growls: "Summon my guard." To the guard he says, "Search him that he bears no arms and bring him to my inner court chamber."

The arch conspirators now meet. Caiaphas thin and pale, with his three score years and ten all past, while the broad burly frame of Judas Iscariot indicated not more than forty years.

"Art thou a Galilean?"

"I am not."

"Are not the disciples of Jesus Galileans?"

"All but me. I am an Edomite."

"What? Edom at the south?"

"Yes."

"Did you join the Galilean band as a spy?"

"No."

"Then why comest thou hither?"

"It hath been rumored that you would have Jesus delivered and that none volunteer."

"Can you deliver him?"

"I can."

"Alive or dead?"

"Dead? Why dead?"

"Alive then. How can it be done?"

"One hundred pieces of silver, one hundred brigands and ten officers from your court, but it must be done in the dark."

"You are shrewd. Retire and await my summons."

Caiaphas immediately summons his kin to the Sanhedrim; wealthy priests, scribes and Pharisees, among them, tottering under the weight of years, came Annas, his father-in-law, who inquired, "Sanhedrim at dead of night?"

"Exactly so, august father," and bowing low, the conspirator whispered, "this is an important, private affair to which Joseph, Nicodemus and like traitors must not be admitted. See?"

Stealthily, one by one, the rulers arrive and while the watchmen on the tower and outside the gates of Jerusalem cry, "All is well," the most loathsome, dogmatic group known in the annals of history draw near in the dim light of a lantern to listen to Caiaphas, who, after glancing nervously about, said:

"The Lord, God of Israel, who gave to the seed of Abraham, Canaan for their inheritance, also, through one Moses, gave them laws with priests and Scribes to execute over the unsanctified. The mouth of our high priest is the chosen oracle through which God speaks to his chosen people. Through slavery in Egypt, insurrection among the ten tribes and captivity in Babylon, we have suffered under the promise of God that through the prophet he would send a redeemer that should bring the world to our feet for mercy. As you know, some three years since, one Jesus of Nazareth began preaching and assuming himself to be that redeemer. At first we gave him credence that he would restore Israel from the Roman yoke, but soon discovered that he criticised the priests as well as the heathens, claiming for himself direct communication with our God. His fame went abroad and the world assembled in Galilee to hear him. Now he comes to Zion, in the city of David, and what will we do? for this man doeth miracles! If we let him alone the Romans will come and take away our place and nation."

"The assassin's blade often executes the will of God," ejaculated the venerable Annas.

"True! True!" continued Caiaphas in an undertone, as the conspirators drew themselves nearer. "But should it be known, priesthood would suffer the condemnation of the world, for all the common people, both Jews and Gentiles, believe him to be the Christ, an error which we must correct at once or our power will wane. I have a scheme which if carefully executed will exclude us, God's chosen, from all blame.

"You know Pilate refuses to interfere with our dogmatic religious troubles, but if we clamor before him he will favor the voice of the people. For several days I have been unable to detain the intruder, either with officer or mob violence, but at last I have, through patience and perseverance, sought out an agent, even Judas Iscariot, his most confidential disciple, who is now in waiting at the gate, to lead a band of our most vicious brigands to bring him before me, when through previously instructed witnesses I will condemn him and turn him over to Pilate. Now listen,—my scheme is that the same assassins, led by Judas Iscariot, will crowd every available space of standing room in Pilate's court, and clamor for his conviction. These assassins Pilate will suppose to be the common people and of course will yield to their demand and permit his execution, while we, his countrymen, will shed a tear that the Romans have crucified a Jew."

"Our captains tomorrow will summon the squad of ruffians, who will exact one piece of silver each, except Judas, who is wrangling for 100 pieces, but will accept much less."

"The plan I would suggest is that tomorrow evening our gate-keepers be instructed to retain the squad inside the city walls until our common people are asleep, then when the Galileans are crossing the Cedron, fall upon them and bring him in for examination, and I, after a mock trial, will turn him over to Pilate."