nmity, and eventually crucified that divine Spirit,
the Word of God, and named Him Beelzebub, the evil one, as is
recorded in the Gospel. The reason for this was that they said:
"The Revelation of Christ, according to the clear text of the
Torah, will be attested by certain signs, and so long as these
signs have not appeared, whoso layeth claim to be a Messiah is an
impostor. Among these signs is this, that the Messiah should come
for an unknown place, yet we all know this man's house in
Nazareth, and can any good thing come out of Nazareth? The second
sign is that He shall rule with a rod of iron, that is, He must
act with the sword, but this Messiah has not even a wooden staff.
Another of the conditions and signs is this: He must sit upon the
throne of David and establish David's sovereignty. Now, far from
being enthroned, this man has not even a mat to sit on. Another of
the conditions is this: the promulgation of all the laws of the
Torah; yet this man has abrogated these laws, and has even broken
the sabbath day, although it is the clear text of the Torah that
whosoever layeth claim to prophethood and revealeth miracles and
breaketh the sabbath day, must be put to death. Another of the
signs is this, that in His reign justice will be so advanced that
righteousness and well-doing will extend from the human even to
the animal world--the snake and the mouse will share one hold, and
the eagle and the partridge one nest, the lion and the gazelle
shall dwell in one pasture, and the wolf and the kid shall drink
from one fountain. Yet now, injustice and tyranny have waxed so
great in his time that they have crucified him! Another of the
conditions is this, that in the days of the Messiah the Jews will
prosper and triumph over all the peoples of the world, but now
they are living in the utmost abasement and servitude in the
Empire of the Romans. Then how can this be the Messiah promised in
the Torah?

In this wise did they object to that Sun of Truth, although that
Spirit of God was indeed the One promised in the Torah. But as
they did not understand the meaning of these signs, they crucified
the Word of God. Now the Baha'is hold that the recorded signs did
come to pass in the Manifestation of Christ, although not in the
sense which the Jews understood, the description in the Tora