eave to Moses and yet defendest thou that
which the law condemns? Ha! Fathers of Israel, the impious words call
for vengeance."

The priests shouted: "Out with thee from our assembly, if thou persist
in this way of speaking!" when another voice is heard.

Joseph of Arimathea stood forth on the opposite side of the hall and
said: "I must also agree with Nicodemus. No one has imputed any deed
to Jesus which makes him worthy of death; he has done nothing but good."

Then said Caiaphas: "Dost thou also speak in this wise? Is it not
known everywhere how he desecrated the Sabbath; how he has misled the
people by his seditious speeches? Hath he not also as a deceiver
worked his pretended miracles by the aid of Beelzebub? Has he not
given himself out as a God, when he is nothing but a man?"

"You hear that?" cried the priests to Joseph. He remained standing and
continued saying: "Envy and malice have misrepresented his words and
imputed evil motives to the noblest acts. That he is a man come from
God his God-like acts testify."

"Ha," cried Nathanael, with a laugh of scorn, "now we know thee.
Already for a long time hast thou been a secret follower of this
Galilean! Now, thou hast shown thyself in thy true colors!"

Aged Annas, without leaving his seat, remarked: "So, then, we have in
our very midst traitors to our holy law, and even here has the deceiver
cast his net."

"What do ye here, apostates?" cried Caiaphas. "Be off to your prophet,
to see him once more, before the hour strikes when he must die, for
that is irrevocably determined."

"Yes," cried all the priests. "Yes! die he must; that is our resolve."

Then said Nicodemus, "I curse this resolution; I will neither have part
nor lot in this shameful condemnation."

"And I also," said Joseph of Arimathea, "will quit this place where the
innocent are condemned to death. By God, I swear that my hands are
clean!"

Gathering their robes together, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea
walked slowly out of the Sanhedrin.

Then said Josue, "At last we are rid of these traitors. Now we can
speak out freely." Caiaphas, however, profiting by the protests of
Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, said to the assembly: "It will
certainly be necessary that we should sit formally in judgment upon
this man, to try him and to bring forth witnesses against him,
otherwise the people will believe that we have only persecuted him from
envy and hatred."

Then said one