A Thousand Dimensions ~ Eastertide ~ A View ~ Part III of III ~ He IS Risen?!
A Thousand Dimensions
2024
Anno Domini XXXIV as it would one day become
Pontius Pilate
The Governor of All Israel stood transfixed.
For the first time in his life
he was about to do that
which he had never, knowingly, done before.
He would condemn an innocent man to death
and release a guilty man in his place.
Art by KTW © 2023 KTW
Egnatius
Clearly, the physical and mental strain
upon Egnatius in serving as Prefect to Pontius Pilate
showed.
Art by KTW © 2023 KTW
I
Pontius Pilate and Prefect Egnatius
Annus XXXIII
Egnatius braces himself.
WHAT?!? He is Risen?
What do you MEAN He is risen?
Explain yourself, Egnatius!
Excellency
The body is not there!
But I had guards posted!
Bring them to me.
I will hear from them!
They are fearful, Excellency
And so they should be!
Was not a stone
rolled across the entrance?
Yes Excellency
Then how can the body be gone?
How can my own Guard
be overcome by thieves?
What on earth is going on, Egnatius?
Excellency
These were no thieves
Then what?!
Men, yes!
But glowing.
An incredible light and a countenance
about them
that left the guards panic-struck
One said as if they had
come down from on high.
What?
He said that?!?
Yes, Excellency
Pilate pondered…
casting his mind back
to that dark hour three days ago.
In his anger, he had threatened the Man.
But the Man,
bloodied and torn,
replied with
a conviction,
an utterance,
a look,
that pierced …
that seemed to him
To be almost deified …
“Do you not realise
That I have only to summon,
And twelve legions of angels
Will come down to My aid?”
It had frightened him at the time …!
Now he knew the Man was true!
Whispering Pallisade ~ Procula
Her Excellency’s Warning
He spoke quietly to Egnatius,
almost a whisper, glancing over his shoulder.
I should have listened to my wife,
Egnatius!
Excellency?
My Wife warned me! Her dream!
Husband, this man is innocent,
release him.
Instead? I washed my hands of it… …
A long silence followed.
And Pilate listened to that silence.
Pilate had never heard silence whisper before.
He recovered himself.
He knew that his prefect was alarmed.
What on earth would get reported back to Caesar?
As of in reply, the silence becalmed him, still more.
Egnatius, I wish to hear no more of this.
I do not wish to see the guards.
Do not threaten them, either!
Leave them be.
Excellency
There is one small matter.
A delegation awaits you.
The High Priest and the
leaders of the Pharisees.
No, I said I wish to have no more!
Pilate paused, pondered, listened to the Whisper…
Egnatius, tell them I have seen their Rabbi …
Suddenly, emboldened, Pilate spoke with defiance …
Yes!
Tell them… ! … !
I have seen the Great High Priest!
Now leave me…
Egnatius did not speak, he gave a slight bow, crisp, from the neck up,
turned, and left his Governor,
efficiently gesturing with the vaguest of hand movement
to the sentries to precede him.
The Prefect’s eye caught the Centurion.
His silent gaze, the clearest instruction,
the warning, too, should it not be heeded.
Nothing shall be said of this.
Nothing.
As the Centurion and sentries departed,
Egnatius slowly turned,
and quietly closed the great doors.
As he did so,
he saw something he would never forget.
He would, himself, one day also do the same
much later in life…
… And in the quiet of the evening hour
Pontius Pilate
Governor of all Israel
Communed not with gods
But with The Most High
And knew Salvation
Written 20 April 2014
Assistant to Egnatius … contemplative … How in the names of the gods do we break this news to His Excellency?
II
What the Roman Courtiers and Servants Saw
Annus XXXIII
Juliana, Maid-servant to Antonia
“I will never forget the scream,
then seeing Her Excellency
rush into the pallisade
hastening a gown about her,
her lady-in-waiting trying to hold her back.
But she could not,
and she spoke so severely to her husband … … and I will
take it to my death, his face haunted, ghostlike …”
Antonia, Wife to Prefect Egnatius
“I fear, Antonia, Rome, that is to say, us,
that we have done a terrible thing this
night.
Speak not a word of it.
If the women gossip, deal with it.”
Petunia
That man was evil,
an affront to the gods …
Claudia
Petunia! How can you say that?
They released that murderer Barrabus.
Keep your views to yourself.
Euphrosyne
Claudia, Mistress. The guards did terrible things.
I watched him dragging the beam.
What Legionnaire Gaius did was despicable … and … and
Mistress, I carry his child … …
Legionnaire Gaius, the father of the child being carried by Euphrosyne these past four weeks.
III
Antonia’s Counsel
Annus XXXIII
Antonia, Wife of Prefect Ignatius
Antonia’s Counsel
Petunia
Claudia
Euphrosyne
Suddenly, there was movement. Claudia looked up to see the wife of Egnatius walking very purposefully toward them. Petunia and Euphrosyne followed Claudia’s gaze. Euphrosyne quietly stood. She noticed Antonia had changed her apparel. Now she wore the formal emblem indicating her standing, as Wife to Egnatius, Prefect in Jerusalem, second only to the Governor, Pontius Pilate, himself.
Her youth belied her upbringing and skill in statecraft and diplomacy.
Antonia stopped short, formal, her maidservant to her left and one step behind. Juliana was being schooled well by her mistress.
Claudia, Petunia and Euphrosyne stood formally, silent. In this situation, they could not speak first.
Antonia looked at each, gaze to eyes, gaze to eyes, gaze to eyes, a brief glance across the long collonaded pallisade before that piercing, horizontal sweep from left to right, always on the eyeline, right to left, a pause, then each one individually.
Juliana took a further measured step back. This signalled to all that this was now counsel. Servants formally placed themselves out of hearing, but were instructed to listen anyway.
Antonia: I wish to hear no more about this episode. We are Courtiers. It is unwise to express our views. My husband Egnatius has made it clear. He will not tolerate gossip in this Court nor in this Palace nor in this City.
… Antonia paused. There was a nervous shifting, a hint of impatience by Petunia.
Antonia: Petunia, you are a lady. You should know better. Your comments cause me to consider whether you should in fact be returned to Rome…
Claudia, remained statuesque, yet outwardly calm. To return to Rome is one thing, But to “be returned” caused her stomach to churn. Antonia was going straight for the jugular.
Antonia: … you know that this would not auger well because it is your loose tongue that banished you from Rome to Jerusalem. The Prefect shall decide.
Juliana remained passive. In her head she could not dismiss the cries of pain from the man as he had been lashed mercilessly with long leather strands containing sharpened arrow heads.
Claudia, fifteen years older than Antonia, remained firm, her head slightly to one side, known for her firmness but also her wisdom, and liked by all, free and slave.
Antonia: Claudia, Euphrosyne…
(Euphrosyne was taken aback)
Antonia: I agree with you both. Nevertheless, my husband, your prefect is correct. We must cease all conversation about this. His Excellency, the Governor, as you know only too well, can be ruthless. We all tread a very delicate path. The Governor has simply done that which the priests demanded.
Antonia: Euphrosyne, I could not help overhearing your conversation. I am disappointed. As to the misbehaviour of the legionnaire, Gaius, that is no concern of yours. It is, however, the concern of my husband. The Prefect will consider what action should be taken. As regards the condition you now find yourself, that is outside my control, and of the Prefect too.
It is, however, a matter that must be addressed by Her Excellency and with whom I shall speak, as I have been instructed so to do, before the start of the Night Watch. I would end, though, with this Euphrosyne…
Her Excellency is a wise counsellor and will consider what is best not only for you and the child but also for Legionnaire Gaius.
Antonia swept the counsel with her eyes again, the meeting was ended and there was most certainly no right of reply. She turned to Juliana.
Juliana gracefully moved two paces, and one, to be on the correct side of her Mistress …
Antonia: Claudia, walk with me please. I wish to speak with you further. Let us catch the glorious colours of this sky. I wish you to brief me on the damage caused by yesterday’s ground movements.
Juliana immediately took two further steps to the right and then fell into step, catching the eye of the servants, a gentle wink to make sure that refreshments were quickly brought to the seating area overlooking the Mount of Olives.
END
31 March 2024
All Rights Reserved
LIVERPOOL
© 2024 Kenneth Thomas Webb
Digital Art by © 2023 KTW © 2023 IBM unless otherwise credited
Original Written on 20 April 2014
This edition published on 9 April 2023
Source references :
King James Bible and the Berean Study Bible and the Jewish New Testament
Ken Webb is a writer and proofreader. His website, kennwebb.com, showcases his work as a writer, blogger and podcaster, resting on his successive careers as a police officer, progressing to a junior lawyer in succession and trusts as a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives, a retired officer with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, and latterly, for three years, the owner and editor of two lifestyle magazines in Liverpool.
He also just handed over a successful two year chairmanship in Gloucestershire with Cheltenham Regency Probus.
Pandemic aside, he spends his time equally between his city, Liverpool, and the county of his birth, Gloucestershire.
In this fast-paced present age, proof-reading is essential. And this skill also occasionally leads to copy-editing writers’ manuscripts for submission to publishers and also student and post graduate dissertations.
