The Inquest by Stephen Dando-Collins

Author:Stephen Dando-Collins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ereads.com
Published: 2005-09-19T04:00:00+00:00

XVII

THE SCENE OF THE CRIME

Jerusalem, Roman Province of Judea. May,

A.D. 71

Viewed from the Mount of Olives, the scene was one of serenity. There was little to advertise the fact that a famous city thousands of years old had once spread from the foot of the mountain. The giant Temple Mount was still to be seen, a rectangular, flat-topped man-made monolith flanked by walls of massive white Judean stone. Of the so-called Second Temple itself, a vast complex of buildings erected on the Temple Mount by Herod the Great where once an older structure built by King Solomon had stood, nothing remained. On a rise to the west stood a fortress built by the 10th Legion in the ruins of the Palace of Herod, around three ancient towers left standing by Titus. This legion fortress provided the only sign of life. Auxiliary light infantry were visible at sentry posts and moving along the walls. Their cloth standards fluttered in the breeze from the fortress’ tallest tower. Between fortress and Temple Mount lay a valley of broken stone, dirt, and dust. Among the rubble, hints of once mighty buildings protruded. Titus and his legions had devastated Jerusalem during their five month siege. In their wake, Varro’s cousin, Rufus, had leveled the ruins they left behind, earning himself the Turnus epithet.

“A million Jews died down there last year, questor,” said Decurion Alienus, as they took in the view from the mountain slope, “and thousands of Roman soldiers.”

Unlike Alienus, whose mind was filled with the faces of Roman friends and colleagues who had perished here at Jerusalem, Varro’s mind was on his investigation. “So,” he said, “you were quartered here on the Mount of Olives during the siege?”

“Yes, questor. The men of the 10th Legion had their camp up here, and my Libyan troopers and myself camped with them. Down in the valley, over to the northwest…” He pointed to the spot. “Titus had his main camp there, with the 5th, 12th and 15th Legions.”

“And we are standing on the likely site of the olive press, the one called Gethsemane?”

Alienus cast his gaze to left and right. Clustered behind them stood Varro’s officers and officials, talking among themselves.. “I cannot be entirely sure, my lord. When we first arrived here last spring this mountainside was covered with olive trees. We cut down every single one. There were several olive presses on the mountain when we arrived. The one here would have looked directly down on the Temple, and was within an easy walk of the city. If I had to hazard a guess, my lord, this was Gethsemane.”

Varro nodded. “Then, in all likelihood, this is where the Nazarene was arrested in the early hours of the Friday morning prior to the Passover, forty-one years ago. Lead on, Decurion. We shall trace Jesus of Nazareth’s last hours from here, step by step.”

Under a frying May sun, the guide led the questor and his party down from the red stone and dry earth of the denuded mountain, across the Kedron Valley, and up into the Lower City.

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