(horse neighs)
(tambourines and drums)
More wine over here!
White and red wine. Take it over there.
Now, bring that dish here.
More wine!
I have often wondered about the beliefs of
these nations - the Egyptians, the Syrians.
King Herod... er...
to revert to the Jews. I wonder,...
..is it because they identify future with
past that they have so many prophets?
Oh, the prophets.
It's the sun which breeds them!
(laughter)
Many are harmless.
They preach religion, we let them go,...
..but some of them preach rebellion
because it is written.
Altogether, literacy has had
a disastrous effect on this country.
And those we eliminate,...
..Rome has taught us that, although
this may be indifferent theology,...
..it is very good government.
(laughter)
Majesty, I've heard the word Messiah.
What exactly is a Messiah?
Oh, even you
have heard that awful word, Proculus.
Is he a prophet,
or is he something even...
Well, Rome, even Rome,
cannot influence men's dreams.
And the Messiah is a bad dream...
..disguised as a solution to every problem.
It's a leveller of scores,
a rewarder of righteousness,...
..a scourge for the wrongdoer.
It is the bringer of everlasting peace!
Then, as I understand it,
from what you have said,...
..a Messiah is worse than a prophet,
from the Roman point of view.
Oh, from the Jewish viewpoint, too.
Only you try telling that to the Jews!
No, don't. It's wiser not to consult them
just when a Messiah appears.
Crush it underfoot like a scorpion!
No, you can tell Great Augustus
that he can rest in peace in Rome.
There will be no Messiahs, true or false,
in Palestine while I am alive.
(children shouting)
Mary! Mary!
Come down, Mary!
They're waiting for you!
Mary! Mary!
Mary, come quickly!
Child, your shawl.
(wind blowing)
(dogs barking)
- Thank you.
- Do not be afraid.
Yes, here she is.
Joseph.
May this betrothal, one to the other,...
..Joseph, Mary,...
..be blessed and sanctified according to
the Law of Moses and of Israel.
Amen.
(cheering)
(thud)
(creaking)
(howling)
(barking)
(clatter)
Who are you?
Who are you?
How can that be?
No man has ever touched me.
Behold the handmaiden of the Lord.
May it be done unto me
according to your word.
Mary,...
..who are you talking to?
There's news of Elizabeth.
My cousin Elizabeth? What news?
She's going to have a son
in three months' time.
She conceived the child six months ago...
..on the nineteenth day of Tishri.
But Elizabeth was always barren.
Now she's far too old.
What nonsense is this, child?
Oh, but it's true.
She's going to have a son.
And I must go and visit her.
Come, Mary. You'll be comfortable.
God bless you, child.
Here. Take this to my sister in Be'er Kuni
and tell her I'll be with her for Passover.
- All right. I will.
- Go safely on your journey.
Where do you want this grain?
Where should I put it?
Mary!
I've been longing to see you.
Mary.
So it is true.
How did you know? Who told you?
A messenger...
..from God.
And he told me another thing.
A thing even more wonderful?
You're blessed among women,...
..and blessed shall be the fruit
of your womb.
I too am highly favoured...
..that the mother of the chosen
should come to me.
From the moment
your greeting reached my ears...
..the child in my womb leapt for joy.
My soul doth magnify the Lord!
And my spirit hath rejoiced
in God, my saviour,...
..for he has looked kindly upon
the most humble of his handmaidens...
..and he has told me that all generations
shall call me blessed.
He who is mighty
has done unto me a mighty thing!
- Is it true about Mary's dream?
- Oh, yes.
News came that
Elizabeth is going to have a child.
- Even though she's past the age?
- Yes. She must be 50.
- The wife of Zacharias?
- Yes. She's Mary's cousin.
Well, Joseph,...
..are we going to get an invitation
to your wedding?
(chuckles) Plenty of time for that, Jotham.
The contract's just been signed.
Just betrothed
and his beloved's left him already.
Just like her. She's always been
a bit strange. Not like the others.
That's something you'll have to live with.
But seriously, Joseph,
Mary is remarkable.
We all think so.
A remarkable girl.
(crowd) Ahhh!
Elizabeth is here!
Give him to me, Elizabeth.
Blessed be thou,
our Lord, King of the Universe,...
..who has blessed us
with your commandments...
..and ordained us to initiate our sons
in the Covenant of our Father Abraham.
Amen.
As this child enters the Covenant, so may
he enter into the study of the Torah,...
..into marriage, and into good deeds.
Amen.
(baby cries)
This is the seal in flesh of the Covenant
between the Lord and his people.
What is the name of the child?
(Elizabeth) His name is...
His name shall be John.
When you get back to Nazareth,...
..tell Joseph what you have
seen and heard, what you know.
The Lord God gives life
where no life is possible.
And one life shall be the Son of God,...
..and the other shall be his prophet.
Go.
Tell all this to Joseph.
But will he believe me?
Will he believe me?
God will open his heart.
Come on, off you go. Go on.
Play somewhere else.
That's it.
It is written in the Law,...
..if, in the time of betrothal,
a woman sins with any other man,...
..let them both be taken
beyond the gates of the town...
..and stoned to death.
That the abomination
may be crushed out of the heart of Israel.
Should a man marry a woman
and she find no favour in his eyes,...
..because he has found in her
the stain of uncleanliness,...
..let him write a bill of repudiation
and deliver it into her hands.
This applies, even if
I haven't taken Mary into my house?
Yes.
All that is needed
is for a bill to be written...
..and delivered
in the presence of two witnesses.
No.
If I do that, I will expose her shame.
I can't.
I can't.
I'll send her away if I must,...
..but in secret.
God knows the secret of the heart.
Trust in him, and accept.
Accept it, Joseph.
The Lord will not abandon you.
Thank you.
(gasping)
(moaning)
(Joseph) Oh, no... no...
Oh...
No...
No! No!
No!
(man's voice) Joseph!
Joseph, son of David.
Do not be afraid
to take Mary as your wife.
lt is by the Holy Spirit
that she has conceived.
She will bear a son, and you shall
give him the name Jesus, the Saviour.
(d percussion)
(man) Hey, Joseph, Joseph!
The bride is arriving! Mary's here!
(music stops)
With this ring...
With this ring...
..be thou consecrated unto me.
..be thou consecrated unto me.
According to the Law of Moses
and of Israel.
According to the Law of Moses
and of Israel.
May the Lord bless and preserve you.
May the Lord
make his face shine upon you.
May the Lord Lift up his countenance
towards you...
..and give you peace.
(all) Amen.
(music starts)
Ah! Census!
It's a trick to increase the taxes.
And we all know
where the money ends up - in Rome.
But why should it?
- What does Rome give us?
- That's not the point.
The Romans want to count us -
how many we are, where we are.
They want us to know
that they are our rulers.
But we should have no earthly ruler.
No rule but the Lord. No king but God.
It's not for you to remind us of
the Scriptures. Be quiet and go home.
I apologise for my son.
He's too young to understand.
What are you doing
to the faith of our fathers?
All over Galilee are thousands of Jews
preparing for what you talk about in there:
..the coming of the king who'll liberate us.
But what are you doing about it? Nothing!
- We accept Rome's violence like sheep.
- Come!
- We are not worthy of the king to come!
- Stop!
- The king to come will not bring violence.
- Huh?
It is written.
He himself is pure from sin.
God shall cause him to be mighty
through the spirit of holiness,...
..and wise
through the counsel of understanding.
Now come home. Stay there till you learn
more respect for your elders.
Anna.
I must go to Bethlehem.
Uh?
It's my native town, and...
..and Mary must come with me.
- Why?
- For the census.
So even Augustus obeys God.
- The prophecy.
- Yes, the prophecy.
For thou, O Bethlehem,
art in no wise the least of cities,...
..for from thee shall come forth
a shepherd of my people.
Israel.
If only... I could come with you.
If only...
..I...
Joseph,...
..you'll need help...
..when he's born.
Don't be troubled, Anna.
He will be well cared for.
Everything will be done as God ordered.
(Mary groans)
(panting)
They seem to be kings, Lord Melchior,
from different lands.
I told you we could not have been
the only ones to see the sign.
(horse neighs)
I am sure that Herod keeps
a strict watch on his frontiers.
He must know that we have crossed them.
I would have to tell him,
as Balthazar has said,...
..that I follow that star wherever it leads.
(Balthazar) But what will we find?
All my calculations showed that there was
to be a new heavenly creature, a new star.
It was even precise as to place and time,...
..so I made up my mind to set forth
and seek what they would unfold.
You did not know?
Only that it would be
something wonderful.
The stars are not distant and aloof,
cut off from the lives of men.
The rising of a new star entails
an immense labour in the heavens...
..that always has its counterpart on earth.
The universe is about to bring forth
a prodigy beyond our understanding.
Your star, my brother Balthazar,...
..is indeed a sign of wonder.
The divine Zoroaster says
''The next prophet will show himself...
..in a foreign land,...
..and the truth he will reveal
will be at first only for his own people.''
- But there is only one truth.
- And only one God.
All the rest are vain,...
..or parts of him.
The people of Israel know this.
Many of their wise men
have been close to him.
And their writings
confirm my calculations.
A king is about to be born.
(Mary gasping)
(Mary screaming)
(baby cries)
Look... Mary...
I thought I heard a baby crying.
(baby cries)
Born in a stable!
Ohh... a beautiful child!
Come on, put him there in the manger,...
..and see if there's some fresh straw
that'll keep him warm.
I'll take care of her. Poor girl.
Now then,...
..have you some water?
Give it to me.
Come. That's it.
(door opens)
(woman) Who's that?
What do you want?
This is no place for you.
Get out! Get out, d'you hear me?
Off! Off with you.
Can't you see?
The poor girl just had a child.
That's why we've come. We were told to.
Told? By who?
We were out there in the fields.
This man came to us from nowhere.
An angel.
''Shepherds,'' he said,...
..''they say that Israel is a scattered flock
that lacks a shepherd.''
And then he said
''Tonight the shepherd is born.''
''It is for you that he comes'', he said.
''For the poor.''
That's why you came here?
Yes.
The man said...
He said...
The man said:
''Today, in the City of David,...
..a saviour has been born... for you. "
''Glory to God in the highest'', he said.
''And peace on earth
for those whom he loves.''
Come.
They cross my border,...
..yet not one of them sends a greeting.
- Are they armed?
- Not heavily, Your Majesty.
Our spies say
they're equipped to travel fast and far.
But they were not heading here.
If not here, where?
It was Bethlehem, Your Majesty.
They followed a star.
The new star.
Bethlehem?
O thou Bethlehem Ephratah,
thou art the smallest...
What was that phrase again?
Thou Bethlehem Ephratah...
..art a little one
amongst the thousands of Judah.
Out of thee he shall come forth unto me...
..who is to be the ruler in Israel.
And his going forth
is from the beginning,...
..from the days of eternity.
A ruler in Israel?
Have those travellers watched...
..all the time.
And bring me the names
of all newborn children in Bethlehem.
(sheep bleating)
Wait.
Don't be afraid.
Where is the child?
We have come a long way to greet him.
This is the King of Israel,...
..who will take away the sins of the world.
I did not know where we were to find you.
And coming here... a stable,...
..I thought my brothers were mistaken,...
..but now I see the justice of it.
There could be no other place.
Mm. Not in glory,...
..but in humility.
Accept these poor tokens of our homage.
Incense,...
..to perfume the halls of the mighty.
Gold,...
..for kingly rule.
Myrrh.
The most precious herb of the East,...
..and the most bitter.
And now... a word of warning.
Leave here as soon as you can.
Herod's soldiers have followed us,
hoping we'll lead them to you.
He knows of this birth.
He'll seek out the child and kill him.
Go into Egypt.
It may not be for long.
Herod's days are numbered.
Have those travellers
crossed my frontier again?
- Yes, Your Majesty.
- ''Yes, Your Majesty''!
But the child must still be here.
Kill every male child up to one year...
No. Two years old.
Better the innocent should die
than that the guilty should escape.
Guilty?
Your Majesty, a child?
Guilty in the womb!
Guilty in the stars!
I'll bring down their stars!
I'll snuff them out in blood!
This is my world!
I will not share it with an infant!
There's no room for two kings here!
Like a newborn scorpion... underfoot!
You know the mark of a real king?
Courage,
even in the face of Jewish prophecy,...
..bits of old parchment,...
..old blind men! Hah!
Now go to Bethlehem - and make history!
- Kill!
- But, Your Majesty...
Kill!
Kill them all!
Kill!
Kill them all!
(horses approaching)
(woman screams)
(women screaming)
Aaargh!
Aaargh!
Leave my child,
you bloodthirsty murderers!
Argh!
(screaming continues)
No! Don't kill him! Don't kill him!
No!
Don't! Leave me!
Argh!
(sobbing)
King Herod is dead.
Taken in the midst of his sins.
Struck down by the Lord, to whom the
power and pride of kings are as nothing.
You cannot defy God.
The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace.
Yet the yoke of tyranny
will not be lifted from us.
Rome will choose a king from among his
sons, and her grip will become stronger.
But you should lift up your hearts,
for the Eternal will not abandon us.
He will send us a deliverer.
And his dominion is the everlasting
dominion that shall not pass away.
And his kingdom,
that which shall not be destroyed.
Come.
There. Look.
Do you see? Nazareth.
That's where we live.
(Joseph) Hear, O Israel,...
..the Eternal our God, the Eternal is one.
Blessed be the name of the glory
of the kingdom for ever and ever.
And thou shalt love the Eternal thy God...
..with all thy heart and with all thy soul
and with all thy might.
And these words, which I command thee,
shall be in thine heart.
Amen.
Amen.
(boy) Bar'chu et adonai ha'm 'vorch.
(men) Baruch adonai
ha'mvorach l'olam vaed.
Bless God, who has given us the Torah.
The Lord God will go before you.
Be strong and of good courage.
Fear not, nor be afraid,
for the Lord thy God will go with you.
He will not fail you or forsake you.
(men) Amen.
Now you're truly a man.
Shh-shh-shh-shh.
Jesus bar Joseph, as
a new adult member of our community,...
..you have exercised your right
to read and comment upon the Scriptures.
That is your heritage. It is the heritage
of the children of Israel,...
..but remember that God's word
is spoken in times of light...
..and in times of darkness
and persecution.
May you always read from the Law
in a time of joy.
(men) Amen.
May God protect you.
May God bring blessings on the boy.
(singing)
The Romans are here.
The Romans?
Hey, hey! Brothers! Brothers!
Quiet!
Romans... The Roman soldiers are here.
(men) The Romans!
(screaming)
(woman sobbing)
Jewish bread. Better than nothing.
(distant screaming)
What's this?
Quartermaster. An army must eat,
and it's a long way to Jerusalem.
But Galilee isn't Roman territory.
Huh! The whole world is Roman territory.
Hey! Put your sword back. Ignore them.
We'll meet with plenty of those
in Jerusalem.
They're called Zealots.
They're mad religious fanatics.
(women screaming in distance)
You there.
Remember this.
The Roman army is not a pack of bandits.
And we'll deal with the likes of you
in our own good time. Come!
(shouting) May the curse of God
fall upon these murderers!
How long must we wait, O Lord,
for you to help us!
(women sobbing)
God has abandoned us.
How long!
(sobs)
(man wails) How long!
(man) How long, O Lord?
I grow old.
What of thy promise to the prophets, hm?
Where are they?
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,...
..and tell her
that her time of bondage has ended,...
..that her penalty is paid.
Salvation is at hand,...
..to be shouted from the mountain tops.
Comfort ye...
Comfort... God, comfort. (coughs)
The teaching is clear.
Behold, I send my messenger,
and he will clear the way before me.
(softly) A messenger... before me.
A messenger...
And the Lord
will suddenly come to his temple,...
..and the messenger of the Covenant,
behold, is here.
(noise from crowd)
(preacher) I am the Lord unchanging,
says the Eternal!
And you too
have not ceased to be sons of Jacob!
From the days of your forefathers
you have been wayward...
..and have not kept my Laws!
If you will return to me,
I will return to you, says the Lord!
Do not think you will be saved
by your rituals, by going to the Temple!
It is not sacrifices the Lord demands!
Bring no more vain offerings,
saith the Lord.
I delight not
in the blood of bullocks and of lambs!
The sacrifice God demands
is a repentant heart!
What do we do then to be saved?
Change your hearts!
Take the right way!
The Lord says
my ways are not your ways!
John, baptise me! I have sinned!
You are the prophet!
Sent to us by God!
I baptise you with water,...
..that you may be purified
and ready for the coming of the kingdom.
Open up your hearts to God.
Receive this cleansing life.
Save me, save me, John! I have sinned!
I am a sinner!
Let this water wash away your sins.
(d trumpets)
Stop! Stop! Stop the procession!
Message for the King!
Your Majesty, he's here.
The Baptist.
He's here!
Well?
- Well? Well, what?
- But...
Well, er... leave him alone.
Oh, no.
On the march again! Continue!
(d trumpets)
Oh, what harm can he do?
He's been out there for years
in the desert,...
..living on locusts and prayers.
He doesn't incite the people to rebellion.
He asks nothing for himself.
All he wants is to remain poor and naked.
He'd very much
like everybody else to do the same!
Oh, now, when the wedding festivities are
over, I'll have him preach at the palace.
You can hear him with your own ears.
He's a very remarkable man.
I am glad there is somebody
remarkable in Judaea.
(John shouts) Herod!
Herod!
The tablets of the Law speak plainly!
You may marry the wife of your brother
when your brother is dead,...
..but not while he lives!
This woman, Herodias,
is the wife of your brother Philip!
And Philip lives - tetrarch in Ituraea.
It is written: I have seen thine adulteries
and thine abominations.
Woe unto them!
Wilt thou not be made clean?
Send back this woman to your brother.
Repent!
How can you allow this slander
to continue?
No, no, no.
We decided to be clement
on our wedding day.
I am not afraid of your power on earth,
Herod Antipas!
If I do not warn you, you will die in sin...
..and the Lord will ask me
to account for your life!
(crowd gasps)
Quickly! Into the palace!
(musicians start playing)
(shouting) John! John!
- Repent! Repent!
- The Lord blesses you!
For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
(crowd shouts) Save us!
The time has come!
The great and terrible day
of the Lord is at hand!
Repent...
..and change your lives.
Every valley shall be exalted,...
..every mountain and hill laid low.
The winding ways shall be straightened
and the rough ways made smooth.
God led you back from Babylon
to serve him, but you betrayed him.
Now you are warned. Flee! Flee!
Arrest the prophet.
I demand that you arrest him!
Demand?!
Demand?
That's a strong word, my heart.
You must remember.
John is right.
By the Laws of Moses,...
..we have sinned.
Come on. Come on.
(chuckles) We have sinned.
And we go on sinning,...
..and very pleasant it is too!
Even if I wanted to,
I could do nothing about his reproaches...
..until he once more sets foot in Galilee.
And then,...
..my own, my heart,
we'll throw him into prison!
(mockingly) Repent! Repent! Repent!
(both laugh)
A little repenting won't do him any harm.
After all,...
..he preaches it.
(John preaching)
You are born to a new life
through your repentance...
..and the Lord pours his blessings on you.
The Lord rejoices in repentant hearts.
Go in peace.
He will forgive you,
if you truly mean it in your heart.
Help me, O Lord.
Open up your heart.
Be ready for the coming of the kingdom.
Let your heart now be cleansed.
Forgive me. I have sinned.
Help me to be strong.
Be strong.
It is I who... who need baptism from you.
And yet you come to me.
Let it be so.
We must fulfil all righteousness.
(John) Lord, Eternal Father,...
..I hear your voice.
This is my beloved son,...
..in whom I am well pleased.
You are born to a new life
through your repentance...
..and the Lord pours his blessings on you.
The Lord rejoices in repentant hearts.
This water cleanses.
Andrew? Philip?
Behold...
..the Lamb of God,...
..who takes unto himself...
..the sins of the world.
It is him you must follow now. Not me.
He must increase,...
..as I must decrease.
What's happening?
They're the guards of King Herod,
come to arrest the prophet!
Go!
Go on!
John, save yourself!
Come with us, please!
Leave him! He's a prophet!
You cannot arrest him!
He's a man sent by God!
My time is over.
(hammering)
- Quick!
- What's going on? Why are you running?
He's back. Where's Mary? I must tell her.
Mary! Mary! Oh, hurry, hurry!
Mary! Mary!
Mary!
Mary, your son is back.
He's at the synagogue.
He went straight to the synagogue.
I saw him.
He's back! Oh!
And now our reading from the prophets.
The prophet Isaiah.
Who is our reader?
- Ah, yes.
- It's my turn today, Rabbi.
The spirit of the Lord is upon me...
..because he hath anointed me
to give good tidings to the poor.
He has sent me
to heal the broken-hearted,...
..to preach deliverance to the captives,...
..to give sight to the blind.
To set at liberty them that are bruised.
To proclaim the acceptable year
of the Lord.
(men) Amen.
Today...
..in your hearing...
..the Scriptures...
..are fulfilled.
(man repeats) The Scriptures are fulfilled.
Did he say fulfilled?
But... how can he dare
to say such a thing?
What do you mean?
The prophecy you have read can only be
fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah.
- (men) Yes!
- By the coming of the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God
comes not in a way foreseen by men.
Repent... and believe the good news.
The kingdom of heaven,...
..behold,...
..is suddenly upon you.
What?!
This man is mad.
(uproar)
(man) Blasphemer!
Blessed is he who is not ashamed of me!
Take this man out!
Don't let him touch the Scriptures!
Clear him out!
Today,...
..in our hearing,...
..the Scriptures... are fulfilled.
Go away! Go away!
Never come back to Nazareth!
Don't let him go! Blasphemer!
Stone him! Put him to death!
- Stone him to death!
- Blasphemer!
That's what he deserves!
The Law states clearly - stone him!
Don't let him go!
Master!
Master!
Master!
We were told
to make ourselves known to you.
I am Andrew of Capernaum.
A fisherman by trade.
But your follower now, if you'll take me.
This is Philip.
We were sent by John the Prophet.
The Baptist.
He has just been imprisoned
by King Herod Antipas.
Andrew.
Philip.
Come with me.
Come on!
- Tell me, when was John arrested?
- As soon as he returned to Galilee.
He had to return.
So many people were waiting for him...
(Andrew) There it is: the Sea of Galilee,
and Capernaum, where I was born.
It's a town of fishermen, but it also has
the greatest synagogue in Israel.
You can stay at my brother's house.
He's a good man.
Simon Peter.
(Jesus) The Commandments
God gave to Moses so long ago...
..must not remain dead stone
for the reverence of unthinking minds.
Dead stone?
The tablets of the Law? Dead stone?!
- What do you mean?
- Stone is what the Law is written on.
But the Law itself is alive.
And living things are constantly changing.
- But our Law is eternal.
- You cannot change the Law of Moses!
That's right, the Law is here.
A man is made of flesh and blood,
and he changes.
Doesn't he remain the same man?
God wants to write the Law
on your hearts.
Rabbi, you said you have come here
to give us the good news.
Is this it? The good news?
That the Law is living like a man?
The good news I bring you is this:
Your captivity is over.
(man) What does that mean,
our captivity is over? What captivity?
Captivity in sin.
God fulfils the promise he made
to our people Israel...
..and reconciles himself to man.
God is coming to you.
To all of you.
Even the most wretched.
Do not shut the door in his face.
Aaargh...!
The devil's in him!
(boy rants and raves)
(man) He's possessed by the devil!
Listen to me! Not to him!
Aaargh!
Hold him down! He's possessed!
Rabbi, the demon has tried to throw him
into fire and into water to destroy him!
If you can do anything, have mercy!
Help my poor faith.
(boy still ranting and raving)
Hold him!
Watch out!
Aaargh!
Watch out!
(Jesus) Satan!
Aaargh!
Satan!
(rants uncontrollably)
Leave... him!
(gasps)
(woman whispers) The spirit has gone.
Father...
Oh, my son! My son!
Oh!
Praised be the Lord.
(woman) It's all right! He's all right!
Yes, we're all fishermen in our family.
Andrew here knows us well.
But I was sent off to learn.
All you were fit for, perhaps!
And what have you learnt?
Oh, that two and two make four,
sometimes,...
..that most people seem to be here
to be pushed about,...
..that getting on is a fine thing,...
..that birth is the beginning of death.
But there must be something more
for man between birth and death.
Today, when I heard you preaching,
I began to understand.
It gave me hope.
Through your words,
the old Scriptures seem to become alive.
That's what we want.
We want the Law to be alive,...
..written in our hearts, not carved in stone.
What is your name?
John. Son of Zebedee.
John.
Stay with us.
(man shouts) Back!
Back!
Keep back, you idiot!
- Why don't you let us in!
- There's my brother now. Simon Peter.
And there's my brother - James.
He's shouting again. Angry as usual.
If anyone's drunk, it's you, you sponge!
He doesn't mean it. He's a good man.
What's the matter? Poor catch?
Poor catch? Nothing!
The only things we catch these days
are Roman taxes,...
..and while we're out sweating,
working our hands raw on the nets,...
..the stinking tax gatherers take half
and give it to the Romans!
Bloodsuckers!
Go, brother.
Go and tell that leech, that two-faced
tax collector of ours, Matthew,...
..that if he wants more money out of me,
to put some fish in the lake.
Simon, this is the man I told you about.
The man John spoke of. John the Baptist.
What? Another holy man?
Are you another of those
that tell us to be patient,...
..and promise us
better times will be ahead?
What about now?
What about our children?
Who will fill their bellies?
A lot of talk these days,
while we all starve.
Find a holy man who can put an end
to that, then maybe I'll listen.
Go out again.
- I shall come with you.
- We've just pulled in!
Get the nets off the boat.
Please, Simon, do as he says.
- Why do you listen to these people?
- He's different, Simon. Please!
Give me that!
Please!
What are you staring at?
Come.
You can preach to the fish.
- Cast off. We're going out again.
- I knew he'd do it.
Come on, John.
He sends us out again,
and we catch all these fish!
It's a miracle!
It's not a miracle.
Only God can work miracles.
They speak these profanities.
They believe him.
We must go and speak to him.
I've never seen anything like that.
- (crowd shouting)
- My house will not hold any more people!
Please!
My father is ill!
I want the Master to cure him!
Stop! That's enough!
Help me up! I can't get up!
I want to see him!
There are too many already!
Keep back! Keep back!
(girl) Touch me, Master! Touch me!
(man) I can see well from here.
Master!
(whispering)
It was amazing. I've been fishing for four
years and I've never seen a catch so big.
More.
So!
There were miracles, were there?
And a big catch, inspired by a prophet.
What's his name? Jesus? Get out.
He's staying with Simon Peter,
the fisherman.
Oh, I know him, yes.
He owes me back taxes, doesn't he?
Move!
Well, well, well.
Well, if there's been a big catch,
he can pay, can't he?
The kingdom of heaven
is like a treasure hidden in a field.
A man finds it, and in his joy
spends everything he has to buy that field.
It's like a merchant
in search of fine pearls.
He finds one pearl of great value,
and sells everything to have that pearl.
You, you're all fishermen.
Well, the kingdom of heaven is like a net,
a great net thrown into the sea.
Suddenly it is filled.
It's almost bursting.
You have to call
to the other boats to come and help.
Everybody's working together,
happy, excited.
It's a time for joy.
For rejoicing in what God
has freely given you.
(man) The tax collector.
- Peter, your friend Matthew is here.
- Get out! You're defiling this house!
Bloodsucking tax collector!
No place for you here!
(woman) We don't want you.
Out of my house!
- You scum! Filth!
- No, Simon, don't.
I will not have it defiled by you!
I hear you've had a big catch, Simon.
We'll taIk about it later, shall we?
But what about this friend of yours?
This new preacher or teacher
or whatever he is.
Am I not allowed to speak with him?
Not... in my house.
(chuckles)
You seem to be unwelcome here.
I don't know your name,
but I know what you do.
Levi... or Matthew.
I am known by both names.
- And by others.
- (laughter)
You and I must meet in a place
where both of us are welcome.
Is your house far?
Why do you ask?
I should like to have supper
with you tonight.
You would enter the house of a sinner?
I would enter any house
where I am welcome.
He doesn't seem to realise the scandal
it would cause. Peter, you tell him.
I've told him.
Tell him again. They're all talking about it.
- Meaning some Pharisees, I suppose.
- Well, they know the Law.
Tax collectors cannot enter a synagogue.
Whoever associates with them is defiled.
According to the Pharisees.
- That's their argument. Peter, tell him.
- I've told him!
What do you want from me?
I said Matthew's my bloodsucking enemy,
I hate him,...
..but all Jesus would say was:
''Why don't you join us as well?''
Andrew.
Andrew, I am not like you.
I am not a follower
of priests and prophets.
I am a fisherman.
I have my family to think of.
You followed the Baptist.
Now follow this one.
- Peter!
- Just leave me alone!
Why did you bring him here to me?
This is my life!
My nets...
(sobs)
My boats.
Go on!
Follow him!
But leave me!
Come on. You can't talk to him
when he's like this.
Come on, Philip.
This is where I belong.
Master!
It's a scandal for you
to eat with these people.
We've lived our lives honourably,
made sacrifices.
They are thieves, whores, usurers.
Violent and godless people.
Now you eat with such people, who spend
their lives in orgies and perversions.
I am not come to call the virtuous
to repentance, but the sinners.
They might enter heaven before you.
Listen, Master, if you eat with
these people, they will contaminate you.
The town will abandon you.
- James is right.
- James,...
..the heart of the Law is mercy.
(man) You can't go.
(music plays)
(shrieks of laughter)
Come, my lovely.
He's here.
Quiet!
- (music stops)
- Peace be with you.
(murmurs of surprise)
Thank you...
..for coming to my house.
Rabbi... you are welcome.
(cheering)
(man) Seat for the rabbi!
- Move!
- No, no, don't move. I'll sit there.
Wine.
This is my brother James.
He's in the same business as I am.
I drink to you in the name of all here.
(distant laughter)
(wind howling)
(distant laughter)
Rabbi, we want to hear your words.
Please, speak to us.
- Yes.
- No, no, no. Let's eat first.
No! Let him decide.
Oh, let him speak!
No. No.
- I'd Iike to tell you a story.
- Yes! Yes!
Sit down, sit down! Sh-sh!
Sit down, sit down.
A certain man had two sons,...
..and one day the younger
of these sons said to his father:
''Give me my share of your estate now.''
So his father divided his wealth
between his two sons.
And a few days later this younger son
set off for a distant land...
..and there he squandered all the money
he had on riotous living.
Now, not long after this
a great famine swept over the land...
..and the boy began to starve.
He persuaded a farmer
to hire him to feed his pigs,...
..but he was so hungry, even the husks he
fed the swine began to look good to him.
And still nobody gave him anything.
Finally, the boy came to his senses.
At home...
..even my father's servants
have enough food, and to spare.
And here I am starving to death.
I will go home...
..and ask my father
to hire me as one of his servants.
And so... he set off.
Now he was still some distance
from his home...
..when his father saw him coming,...
..and he was so filled with compassion...
..that he ran towards his son...
..and embraced him and kissed him.
The boy said ''Father,
I have sinned against heaven and you.''
''I am not worthy to be called your son.''
But his father called for the servants...
..and said ''Bring me the finest robe
in the house and put it on him.''
''Put rings on his hands
and shoes on his feet.''
''Kill the fatted calf.
We must celebrate with a feast.''
My son was dead...
..and is alive again.
Now,...
..the older brother at this time
was working in the fields,...
..and as he came back to the house...
..he heard the noise
of music and dancing.
He called for one of the servants
and asked what was happening.
And he was told.
At this,
the older brother became very angry...
..and he refused to go into the house.
The father came out and tried
to plead with him, but he wouldn't listen.
''I have worked for you
all this time, all these years,...
..and never once have I disobeyed you.''
''In all that time
you've never even given me a goat...
..so that I can have a feast
with my friends.''
''My younger brother comes back,
having spent all your money on harlots,...
..and for him you kill the fatted calf.''
''Please,'' said the father,...
..''please,...
..try to understand.''
''You are always with me.''
''Everything I have is yours,...
..but it is right to celebrate.''
''Your brother was dead,...
..and is alive again.''
''He was lost,...
..and is found.''
Forgive me, Master.
I am...
(sobs)
I am just a stupid man.
(shouting) Welcome to the man from
Nazareth! Welcome to our shores!
Bring blessings with you!
Come save us!
- He's coming!
- He's here!
Help me, I am ill!
Welcome to our land!
Bless me, Master! Bless me!
Take her away.
Back to Capernaum.
Do not think I have come
to bring peace on earth.
I have come not to bring peace...
..but a sword.
I have come to sow discord
between a man and his father,...
..between a daughter and her mother.
A man's enemies...
..will be members of his own family.
You may say we have left our belongings
to become your followers.
I tell you this:
Anyone who has left home,...
..or father, mother,...
..wife, children, land,...
..for the kingdom of God...
..shall be rewarded
a hundred times over...
..on earth,...
..and inherit the kingdom of God.
Whoever wants to save his life
will lose it,...
..but if a man will lose his life for my sake
and for the gospel I bring you,...
..he will save it.
For many that are first will be last.
And the last first.
So do not store up for yourselves
treasure on earth,...
..where it grows rusty and moth-eaten
and thieves break in to steal it.
Store up treasure in heaven,...
..for where your treasure is
there will your heart be also.
My name is Jairus. I am one of the elders
of the synagogue here.
My little daughter is dying.
I beg you.
Come and lay your hands on her
so that she may be cured and live.
Take me to her.
He's arriving.
He's coming.
He's bringing the man from Nazareth.
Master,...
..your daughter is dead.
(woman sobs)
Poor child!
Do not weep!
The child is not dead.
Only sleeping.
Who are you
to come here with your jokes?
We've seen she's dead. You haven't.
Peace, Thomas. Peace.
Talitha kumi.
Rise, littIe girl.
Give her something to eat.
(woman) Oh!
She's alive! She's alive!
(cheering)
Women!
Huh!
I ask you!
Why won't they listen?
I told my wife I won't be away for long.
In any case, the fishing's hopeless.
Why not go away?
I told her. I said...
..''I'll come back in the spring.''
Don't lie to her...
..and to yourself.
Lie?
Yes.
You know very well.
You'll never go back.
I will.
No, you won't.
Never.
You'll never fish again,...
..you'll never get drunk again,...
..and you'll never live
in Capernaum again.
None of us will.
We'll never be the same.
And neither will the lives
of everyone in the whole world.
We know why, Simon.
We're the first...
..to know.
(children whispering)
(giggling)
(explosion)
(laughter)
You stupid idiots! Go on, go away!
And mind your mothers' business,
you crazy...! And your sisters'!
You want to burn down my house
to burn me alive?!
Get out!
Can I come in for a minute?
Can I come in for a minute, too?
Mm. Come.
Come. We'll talk about it, hm?
(boy yells)
You pigs!
Don't you come near me any more!
I'll kill you!
What is it? What's going on?
Ask those pigs over there.
Those big brave sons of yours.
In, boy.
There's no peace in this neighbourhood
since you came here. Noise and filth...
The curse of God is on you.
(laughs) Don't worry, Mary.
They are only boys' games.
Ah! Boys, they would only
burn my house down.
The fathers...
They're all against me.
Not all, Mary.
There's a friend of yours in town today.
- I have no friends.
- Oh, yes, you have.
Jesus the Prophet.
Friend of outcasts, forgiver of sins. Hm?
Hey, according to him,...
..the sins of the flesh are nothing
compared to the sins of the soul.
Hey!
A man will always forgive a man,
but a woman's sin...
That's another story.
For most people, but not for him.
I've never seen anybody like him.
Have you seen him often?
If you go round on business like me,
you can't help seeing him.
Turn a corner, cross a square,
go into a camp, there he is.
Come on.
It's been like that for about a year.
- You sure you haven't come across him?
- I sleep in the day, don't I?!
(chuckles) Sorry, I forgot.
Well, there are big crowds
following him everywhere,...
..sometimes so big
he has to sleep in a field.
He thinks nothing of eating and drinking
with thieves and whores.
Any scum of the earth
is good enough for him.
One of his disciples, as they
call themselves, was a tax collector,...
..the thieving swine.
But this Jesus...
Well, he says it's not the righteous
that need him, it's the sinners.
So you see? You have got a friend.
- How about next week?
- Go.
Make way! Let us through!
Over there!
I can see him!
I can see!
I can see! I can see!
- What happened?
- Jesus of Nazareth cured a blind man!
- Who?
- Jesus of Nazareth!
Ezra! Ezra!
Master?
We should send these people away.
We've got nothing to give them to eat.
They should go to the villages
where they can find food.
There's no need to send them away.
You give them something to eat.
How? There are thousands of them.
We cannot feed them.
Is there any food left?
This is all we have.
Five barley loaves and two fish.
Put the loaves and the fish
in the baskets...
..and give them to the people.
Well, go on!
Why are you waiting? Do as he says.
I'm sorry, there's only one.
That's all we have.
- But we're starving!
- Only one? There's plenty!
(woman) We've really got some food!
How wonderful!
(man) A miracle! A miracle!
Jesus of Nazareth
has performed a miracle!
Master... may I speak with you?
What is your name, my son?
My name is Judas Iscariot.
Call me a scholar the state finds useful.
I read and write Hebrew, Greek, Latin.
I... I translate documents.
This has become a country
of many tongues.
Now I have never beaten copper,...
..nor carved wood, nor...
..caught fish as your men have, but...
..I know your men.
My father is a prosperous builder.
He said my son must never have calluses
on his hands, nor brick dust in his hair.
My money must make my son
into a scholar.
BehoId a scholar,...
..who wishes to serve you.
But do you need... a man like me?
The tree is known by its fruit.
Come.
Stay with us.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,...
..for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,...
..for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,...
..for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those
who hunger and thirst for what is right,...
..for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,...
..for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,...
..for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,...
..for they shall be called Sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted
in the cause of right,...
..for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you...
..when people abuse you
and persecute you...
..and speak all kinds of calumny
against you for my sake.
Rejoice!
And be glad!
For your reward will be great in heaven,...
..as it was for the prophets
persecuted before you.
In your prayers,...
..remember your Father knows
what your needs are before you ask him.
This is how you should pray.
Our Father,...
..who art in heaven,...
..hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,...
..as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,...
..but deliver us...
..from evil.
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers,
cast out devils.
Take nothing with you except a staff.
No pack, no food, no money.
Whenever you come to a town or village,
find who is worthy in it and stay with him.
And if at any place
they will not receive you or listen to you,...
..shake the dust off your feet as you leave.
Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of
Judgment will fare better than that place.
I am sending you out
as sheep amongst wolves.
Be as wise as serpents.
And as harmless as doves.
Don't be anxious
about what you are to say,...
..how you are to speak.
It is not you who speak,...
..but the spirit of your Father
speaking through you.
Freely you have received.
Now freely give.
Go.
God be with you, Simon Peter.
John the Baptist came
neither eating bread nor drinking wine,...
..and you said
he was possessed by devils.
Here I am,
drinking and eating freely with you.
No doubt you'll say
I am a glutton and a drinker.
Friend of tax collectors and sinners.
(laughs) Oh, Rabbi,...
..you do us an injustice.
We respect your achievements,
and we understand their importance.
But to what extent
are you prepared to accept our Laws?
We hear that you heal the sick
on the Sabbath.
Do you want our people
not to rest on the Sabbath?
If your sheep fell into a pit
on the Sabbath day,...
..wouldn't you get it out? God made the
Sabbath for man, not man for the Sabbath.
We understand that!
We understand what you're trying to say!
But is it not confusing to other people?
We live by the Law.
If we accept the Law
to be ruled by exceptions,...
..then we are lost.
Today, if it hadn't been for the severity
that we learned from Moses,...
..we would not have our Laws.
We would not even be a people
any longer.
But it is the... the excessive tolerance,
the lack of rigidity in your teaching,...
..that has made us feel
that this is a real danger.
The Law gives me security.
It's a guide to my whole way of life.
A measure for judging
this man is right, this man is wrong.
You should not judge.
But you, as a son of Israel,...
..know that we were chosen by God
from all mankind...
..to be the Holy Nation.
And, for this,
he gave us our Law, the Torah,...
..which is the Law of life.
And we have to separate ourselves
from the sinners and be pure and just.
But who is just in the eyes of the Lord?
What is the heart of the Law?
Hear, O Israel,
thou shalt love the Lord thy God...
..with all thy heart,
with all thy soul, with all thy strength.
This is the greatest commandment.
You said well.
You are not far from the kingdom of God,
Joseph of Arimathea.
But there is another commandment
no less great.
You must love your neighbour as yourself.
- But who is my neighbour?
- (screaming)
No! Stop her! You can't come in!
This is no place for the likes of you!
What's the matter?
(whispering)
Isn't she that woman? That whore?
Yes, it's her.
(sobbing)
She's defiling him.
This is no place for you, woman.
Come. Leave quickly.
Simon, sit down.
But, Rabbi,
you know what kind of a woman this is.
Simon, please.
(crying)
Simon.
When I came into your house,
you didn't pour water over my feet,...
..or kiss me in greeting,
or anoint my head with oil.
She has washed my feet with her tears.
And dried them with her hair.
And anointed them.
Daughter,...
..your sins,...
..and I know they are many,...
..are forgiven you
because of the greatness of your love.
(muttering)
Only God can forgive sins - no man.
(crying)
Your faith has saved you.
Go...
..and sin no more.
Daughter.
Take this ointment.
And keep it for my burial.
Go in peace.
..begged me to touch him
and he could walk!
A leper said my shadow had crossed her
and she was cured!
- They called out to me, ''Rabbi! Rabbi!''
- (laughter)
I didn't know how to preach, either,
then suddenly I found myself speaking.
The same power Peter was given.
Master, there is great excitement
everywhere about you.
Who do the people in Galilee
say that I am?
Some say John the Baptist.
They will not believe he is dead.
They know he is dead, many indeed,...
..but they say
you're John the Baptist alive again.
And who do you say that I am?
I say you are...
..the Messiah.
The Son... of the living God.
In saying that, Simon bar Jonah,...
..you show yourself
to be blessed among men.
Flesh and blood
have not revealed this truth to you.
It has come from my Father in heaven.
So now I will call you Peter,...
..the rock.
And upon this rock
I will build what I must call my church.
The gates of hell will not prevail against it.
To you I give the keys...
..of the kingdom of heaven.
And to you all I say this.
Peter has spoken the truth.
And now you know it.
But you must not reveal it to any man.
The time has not yet come.
But another time is coming.
The time for me to go to Jerusalem.
Oh, yes, Master.
You must go to Jerusalem.
The whole city awaits you.
The elders of Israel
must know and recognise you.
No, Judas. In Jerusalem the Son of Man
will be rejected by the elders...
..and the chief priests of the Temple.
He will be condemned.
He will be handed over
to the unbelievers,...
..who will scourge him,...
..mock him,...
..put him to death.
Then,...
..after three days,...
..he will rise again.
Judas?
I've not been abIe to find you. You weren't
seen with the Master for the last few days.
Where have you been?
I've been trying to think.
Trying to decide what to do.
You seemed to be very sure of what to do.
Oh, I was.
But not now.
I'm confused.
I aIways believed action - poIitical action -
..would solve everything.
I thought it was enough
to think clearly and act clearly, but...
But I fear my...
..Master does not agree with me.
He doesn't need my ideas.
He says the heart is more important.
Perhaps he's right.
Have I hardened my heart?
Am I fit to be one of his disciples?
I...
I should go home.
Judas, don't lie to yourself.
The truth is that, in your heart,...
..you no longer believe
that Jesus of Nazareth...
..is the Messiah.
There's only one way to know the truth.
You knew that the very first time
that you came to see me.
Let Jesus prove himself...
..before the Sanhedrin.
It's too late.
He won't accept it.
(Zerah) Why?
There are many influential members
of the council who admire Jesus.
He would be fairly judged.
If he is the Messiah,
God will not abandon him.
If he is not,...
..then you will have helped to save Israel
from yet another false prophet.
(singing, drumming and clapping)
? Alleluia!
We are happy to eat
this Passover with you.
I have longed with all my heart
to share it with you.
It was for this Passover
that I came into the world.
(Jesus)
I shall not be with you much longer.
(all) What?!
You will look for me, but...
..where I am going you cannot come.
Master, I will follow you wherever you go.
I will Iay down my life for you.
Peter,...
..this very night
before the cock crows twice...
..you will have denied three times
that you even know me.
Oh, my Lord! Never!
Never!
I will never deny you.
You will all lose faith.
The shepherd shall be struck
and the sheep will be scattered.
- I will not lose faith!
- Peter... Peter...
I have prayed for you,...
..and, once you have recovered,...
..you in your turn
must give strength to your brothers.
Truly I tell you...
..one of you is about to betray me.
(murmurs of disbelief)
Master,...
..I'm sick at heart.
Who will betray you?
Is it I?
He who dips his bread in the dish
when I dip mine,...
..he shall be the one.
What you are going to do,...
..do it quickly.
Where's he going?
I don't know.
Blessed be thou, O Lord our God,...
..who has blessed us with thy Laws,...
..and made bread issue from the earth.
From now on...
..this will not be the bread of the passage
of our fathers from bondage to freedom.
This Passover...
..is for you today...
..the passage from the bondage of death...
..to the freedom of life.
This is the bread of life.
Whoever eats of this bread...
..shall have eternal life.
Eat it,...
..for this...
..is my body.
Do this in remembrance of me.
From now on...
..this cup will not only be
a memorial and sacrament...
..of the covenant God made
with our fathers on Mount Sinai.
This is my blood,...
..the blood of the new covenant,
which is to be poured out for many.
I shall not drink again
of the fruit of the vine...
..until the day I drink it with you...
..in my Father's kingdom.
And now I give you
a new commandment,...
..that you love one another
as I have loved you.
Greater love hath no man than this,...
..that a man lay down his life for a friend.
And if you love one another...
..all men shall know that
you are my disciples.
Father,...
..the hour has come.
Glorify thy Son
that thy Son may glorify thee.
Keep in thy name
those thou hast given me.
I do not pray for these only...
..but also for those...
..who believe in me through their word.
I am the way,...
..the truth,...
..and the life.
(distant howling)
(whispers) Peter!
Father,...
..if it is possible,...
..let this cup pass from me.
Let it be...
..as you,...
..not I, would have it.
(distant howling)
(barking)
This is your hour, Judas.
The hour of shadows.
Oh, Master.
You betray your master...
..with a kiss.
That is the man. Arrest him.
(Zerah) Quiet. Don't make any noise.
(whispers) You go that way.
Try not to wake them.
Judas!
(disciple) What's happening?
You traitor!
You betrayed him!
Peter, the only way the Master can save
himself is by speaking to the Sanhedrin!
Leave him alone! Let him go!
They'll kill him!
Jesus!
Andrew!
John!
Jesus!
No, Peter!
Get away, scum!
- Arrest them all!
- Zerah!
It was me you sought.
You have found me. Let them go.
Take him away!
(soldier) Take him to the Sanhedrin!
(disciple) We must do something!
No!
We must do something for him!
Brothers, better save ourselves!
Where did they take him?
Where have they taken him?!
- He's the one who got the soldiers.
- Zerah...
Zerah...
Zerah.
I must speak to Zerah.
I must speak to Zerah!
Is he in here? Did they bring him here?
Who?
Jesus!
Master Zerah, please,...
..I don't understand this man.
- Zerah... Zerah...
- Yes?
Where is this meeting with Caiaphas?
I must be there with Jesus!
Meeting?
There's no meeting.
What?
There's a trial.
Your Jesus is accused of blasphemy.
You've been an invaluable
help to us, Judas.
Come and see me when all this is over.
Oh!
(acolyte) Well, you got what you wanted.
So get out of here.
Come on, get out of here, move yourself!
(man) I've never understood how that liar
could have fooIed so many people.
You believed in him, didn't you?
(woman) Well, I admit I believed in him,
but we all believed in him.
- Now you know the truth!
- He said many things that I liked.
And he did some good things.
Good things?
They were tricks of the devil!
(woman) All right! We know that he was a
liar and a blasphemer and he betrayed us.
And now he will pay.
I'm sorry to wake you up,
but they've arrested the Nazarene.
- They did?
- Yes. In the garden of Gethsemane.
Master Nicodemus...
(shouting)
Brethren! Brethren!
Brethren!
Caiaphas, that he is bound like
a common thief! It's most unseemly, sir.
Jesus, it is not our intention...
..to treat you as a criminal.
But...
..we want you to explain
to this assembly...
..the nature of your teachings.
What is this doctrine...
..you and your disciples
are spreading through Judaea?
I have spoken openly...
..for all the world to hear.
I have taught in the synagogues
and in the Temple.
I have said nothing in secret.
So...
..why do you ask me?
Ask those who heard me.
They are my witnesses.
Caiaphas,...
..I have heard him preach.
I find nothing in his doctrine which
denies the basic principles of our faith.
Rabbi, we fail to understand
the meaning of many of your sayings.
For instance,
there are witnesses who say that...
..you claim that
you could destroy the Temple...
..and rebuild it in three days!
No-one could rebuild the Temple
in three days.
What he's said must have
some symbolic meaning. Come...
I heard him say
he could rebuild it in two days!
- (laughter)
- Three days, four days, do you hear?
- Witnesses can't even agree.
- How can we remember every detail?
There was a riot,
which Jesus himself provoked,...
..but for which the Romans
will hold us responsible!
The riot was provoked by Barabbas!
(Joseph) The Romans need no excuse!
We know what they have done to us!
All of us here can remember...
..the occasion, not so many years back,...
..when over a thousand of our people
were nailed to the walls of Jerusalem...
..because there weren't enough scaffolds
to satisfy the Romans' lust for blood!
None of us, I'm sure,
wants to give any more victims...
..to Pontius Pilate... than we can prevent.
Of course not, Joseph.
We're all agreed upon that.
As Caiaphas has said, this is not a trial.
We... We left our homes,
we came here tonight,...
..hoping that Jesus of Nazareth would
explain to us the purpose of his mission,...
..and help to heal the divisions
in our community.
Brother, we have often heard that you
have come to bring love and brotherhood.
I beg you,
bring peace to our gathering tonight.
Tell me,...
..it has been said
that you proclaimed yourself...
..the Son of God.
I ask you now,...
..in the name of the Eternal,...
..are you...
..the Messiah,...
..the Son of God?
I am.
(gasps)
(man) He must be mad!
And you shall see the Son of Man...
..sitting at the right hand
of the power of God.
Hear, O Israel,...
..the Lord our God,...
..the Lord is one!
We have heard enough.
Let him be taken before
the procurator, Pontius Pilate,...
..in whose hands lies the final authority...
..for trial and judgment.
(shouting and jeering)
(man) They got him at last!
Let me get closer!
They should crucify him!
Son of God?!
Kill him!
Stone him!
Blasphemer!
Well, what happened to him?
They're sending him to Pontius Pilate.
We know how that will end up, don't we?
Wait a minute! I know you.
You were with that Jesus!
- You're one of his followers.
- No, I don't know him.
But he is. Look!
And I know him.
He is one of his followers.
- Yes! I've seen him! I've seen him!
- No!
He's a liar! Arrest him!
I tell you, I don't know him!
Help me!
What's going on?
He's a friend of Jesus, a disciple.
Don't let him go!
Please...
They're mistaken.
I don't know this Jesus they speak of...
..nor have I ever heard of him.
Go! Just keep quiet here!
Don't you know you're on sacred ground?
(cock crows)
(cock crows)
(cock crows)
(footsteps)
Free Barabbas!
Set Barabbas free!
- Let Barabbas go!
- He's one of us!
Free Barabbas!
You had no right to arrest him!
Free Barabbas!
- Welcome, Proc...
- Welcome?!
I leave for one week and I come back to
a mob in the street, and you dare to say...
..''welcome''!
Who's this Barabbas?
He's a Zealot we arrested.
His followers have disturbed the crowds.
I don't think their noise
will disturb my judgment.
Look,...
..take a hundred men and clear the street.
I'm tired.
With respect,...
- ..Procurator...
- Please, I'm so tired!
Jerusalem is full of people.
There are many hotheads.
Yes, and they'll cool when they see
the example we make of their Barabbas.
Pontius Pilate,
I'm afraid there's another case.
- Another one?
- Yes, submitted by the Sanhedrin itself.
- It concerns a Galilean preacher.
- I am not interested in their preachers...
..or their prophets. You know that.
Yes, of course, I know that.
The Sanhedrin, whose co-operation
has been very useful to us,...
..consider it extremely important.
Even urgent.
Urgent?! Urgent to whom?!
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Maybe next week.
But first...
..we'll deal with Barabbas.
Pilate, there's a delegation
from the Sanhedrin waiting outside.
It is led by Zerah himself.
They have this preacher,
this Jesus of Nazareth, with them.
They want you to judge him.
Judge him?
Zerah himself? It must be important.
No. No, no, no.
I don't want to get involved
in their religious quarrels.
This is the monthly report of the province.
It's wise not to offend them unnecessarily.
I think you should see them.
Well, have them brought in.
Don't stand there. Bring them in.
Pilate, I regret... I'm afraid
we must go out to them.
We must go to them?
Yes, according to their...
..beliefs...
Well, they cannot
come into a house of a Roman,...
..not on Passover.
They would be defiled.
Defiled.
I forgot about that.
All right.
We'll go to them.
Bring them to the Great Hall.
How does one govern such people?
Procurator,...
..we have found that this man,
Jesus of Nazareth,...
..distorts our people's views on the
relationship between God and the state.
Furthermore,
he perverts the very heart of our religion.
I'm not concerned with
your religious laws.
My function as governor here is to keep
the peace and administer Roman justice.
We know that, Procurator, but this man
also threatens the established order.
If he were not a criminal,
we would not have brought him to you.
He calls himself the Christ,
which means the Anointed One.
Thank you.
I too know some Greek.
What else has he done?
Has he spoken against the Emperor
or against Rome?
Well, Procurator, not directly, no, but...
Not directly? Then you'll have to
judge him according to your Law.
Procurator, for us
this man Jesus is a blasphemer.
If we were a self-governing nation,
we'd have the right to exact punishment...
..under the Law of Moses.
He entered Jerusalem
calling himself the King of the Jews!
A claim we totally reject!
King of the Jews?
Well, whatever else he may have done,
such a claim is treason.
True, too. All right, all right.
I'll talk to him.
Your Jesus!
Not ours.
Then whose? Whose?!
Bring him in!
Is this the man you think so dangerous?
This?
The man that aspires to be a king?
Come.
Come, come, come!
Now,...
..the leaders of the Sanhedrin accuse you
of preaching perverted doctrines.
Come.
They also say you call yourself
the King of the Jews.
Well, are you King of the Jews?
If my kingdom were of this world,...
..my followers would have fought
to prevent me from being captured.
Oh, you speak of a kingdom.
Therefore you must be a king.
Are you a king?
I am.
I was born for one purpose.
To bear witness to the truth.
All who can accept the truth
hear my voice.
And what is...
..the truth?
Hm!
No, this man's no criminal.
He's a dreamer.
Take him away!
Have him flogged as a token of
Roman justice. That should wake him up.
Procurator,...
..we, the leaders of the Sanhedrin,...
..have always had the same aim as you:
The peaceful administration of our
country for the good of our people, and...
Oh, please, please, please!
Don't talk to me about the people.
As long as they obey,...
..you care as much about
your children of Israel...
..as we do the mob in Rome.
Now, Zerah,...
..let us speak... directly.
Why does the Sanhedrin...
..consider this man so dangerous...
..that they send you yourself here
to make sure that he is condemned?
Perhaps for the same reasons as you.
If you knew him as well as we do,...
..you would also find him dangerous.
That's enough!
Put his clothes back on.
I saw him enter Jerusalem as a king!
Look at him now!
He's a king?!
The King of the Jews!
We should dress him like a king.
- Give me your cloak.
- Don't use mine. Use one of those.
Here it is!
Come on! Here we are. Turn around.
Look at him!
Hey, wait! If he's a king,...
..he needs a crown.
Hail, Your Majesty!
High and mighty Majesty!
(laughter)
I have it!
A king's crown!
Look what he's got! He's got his crown!
- He needs a sceptre.
- Majesty!
A perfect fit, Your Majesty.
Now he's the king!
Tiberius will be getting worried!
(scraping)
Ecce homo.
Behold the man.
Well? What have you got
to say for yourself now?
Speak!
Who are you?
What are you?
Well, say something!
Don't you want to defend yourself?
Do you want to die?!
Don't you realise I have the power
to release you or have you crucified?!
You would have no power over me...
..if it had not been given you from above.
Quintilius...
Isn't there an ancient custom...
..honouring Passover...
..where the Procurator
can release a prisoner...
..sentenced to death...
..as an act of mercy?
Yes.
That custom still exists.
And we have two prisoners?
- Barabbas?
- And Jesus.
So let the people decide.
I've made my decision.
The people will decide.
- Zerah...
- (soldier) Take him away!
(Quintilius) Get down to the prison
and bring Barabbas.
Barabbas, remember? Barabbas! Good.
Here, here! Listen to me!
You two! When I give you the cue,
you shout for Barabbas.
Barabbas is depending on you. He has
fought for you. Shout for Barabbas.
No, we must save Jesus!
- When did they arrest him?
- Last night in the garden of Gethsemane.
- That's near where I live!
- Be prepared.
Barabbas must be freed at all costs.
Now look, we can put our men all over.
Do you understand?
Do you understand?
We meet at the Temple.
(fanfare)
As a sign...
..of his magnanimity...
..and his benevolence,...
..our divine Emperor has decided...
..that the custom of releasing...
..one prisoner,...
..sentenced to death,...
..in honour of your Passover,...
..shall continue.
We have...
..two prisoners.
One,...
..Jesus of Nazareth,...
..accused of treason,...
..by proclaiming himself...
..King of the Jews.
Can you work a miracle now, Jesus?!
Ha-ha-ha!
Anyone shouting for him
had better watch out.
- Look at him, the King of the Jews!
- What's happened to him?
Call yourself a king?!
Or...
..Barabbas,...
..accused of sedition
and murdering a Roman auxiliary.
That's the man they call the Son of God?!
Barabbas!
Barabbas!
Free Barabbas! He's one of us!
- Freedom for Barabbas!
- Why don't you free yourself, Jesus!
Which...
..of the two...
..shall be released to you?
Jesus of Nazareth,...
- This must not happen!
- ..guilty of proclaiming himself...
- ..King of the Jews,...
- Look, he's wearing a crown!
..or...
..Barabbas?
(cheering)
- Release Jesus! He is the true prophet!
- (crowd shouting)
- He's our saviour! Release him!
- Jesus is a man sent from God!
Free Barabbas!
False prophet!
He betrayed us! Kill the Nazarene!
Jesus!
Jesus!
We want Barabbas!
Free Barabbas! Barabbas!
Jesus!
Jesus!
- Barabbas!
- Jesus!
Shut up, you slut!
Jesus!
Free him!
Take the Nazarene!
He's a false prophet!
Free Barabbas!
We can't let him go.
- We can't let Barabbas get away.
- Yes.
- The soldiers won't like that!
- Wait...
Pilate,...
..you're not going to free Barabbas,...
..an assassin and enemy of Rome?
I wonder...
..who is the real enemy?
Jesus of Nazareth must be saved!
Let it be written...
..that Jesus of Nazareth...
..is guilty of treason...
..by proclaiming himself...
..King of the Jews.
And his sentence,...
..to be crucified.
(cheering)
Release Barabbas now!
Do not kill him! He is innocent!
Mark, where's the last prisoner?
Come on!
Here's your man.
Come on.
Ah, the King of the Jews.
- Hurry up, this crowd worries me.
- Here, take him.
(shouting)
Come on! Make room! Make room!
Get out of the way! Get out of the way!
- He is a false prophet!
- Is that justice?!
Get back! Get back! Make way!
Have you no heart!
Save yourself, Jesus!
Keep this mob back!
Use your spears!
You betrayed us! You betrayed us!
We believed you, and you betrayed us!
Get back, you scum! Come on! Come on!
He's a traitor!
He's a prophet!
Traitor!
Crucify him!
Oh, Lord!
Argh!
Argh!
Arrest him! Arrest him!
Take down that sign! It is an insult!
He is not the King of the Jews!
- Those are the orders we received!
- Take down that sign!
Out of the way!
You cannot kill him!
You have no right to do it!
Now, all of you, stay back!
Father,...
..forgive them.
They know not what they do.
Hey!
- Who are you?
- She is his mother.
Can you prove it?
Hey!
She is his mother.
Go to him.
- And who are you?
- Please.
I'm one of the family.
Is that right?
Yes.
She is one of the family.
Go, then.
(man)
The Romans won't let you get close.
(women sobbing)
John,...
..behold your mother.
Woman,...
..behold your son.
(thunder)
He saved others.
Why can't he save himself now?
He was despised...
..and rejected of men.
Man of sorrows,...
..and acquainted with grief.
He was oppressed...
..and afflicted, yet...
..he opened not his mouth.
He was brought as a lamb to slaughter,...
..and as a sheep...
..before its shearer is dumb...
Surely...
..he hath borne our griefs,...
..and carried our sorrows.
Yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded
for our transgressions,...
..he was abused for our iniquities,...
..and... through his wounds,...
..we are healed...
..and...
..born again.
(thunder)
Eli,...
..Eli,...
..lama sabachthani?
(Jesus gasps)
(sobbing)
Father,...
..into thy hands...
..I commit my spirit.
It...
..is...
..accomplished.
(rainfall)
(thunder)
(weeping and wailing)
Hey, you, the family!
Come on, you can take the body.
(weeping and wailing continues)
(wails)
(thunder)
Hey! Stop!
Who are you? Where are you going?
We are the family of Jesus of Nazareth,
who lies here.
What do you want?
To enter the tomb.
Why?
To anoint the body.
To bring fresh linen,...
..herbs and spices.
It is our custom.
Why didn't you do that
when you brought him here?
(Martha) The Sabbath began.
We could not buy them.
What do you think?
(soldier)
They're only three women. Let them go.
I suppose it'll be all right.
You'll need an army to move that stone.
All right, then. Let's go together,
but we'll need some help.
Hey, Lentulus, wake up!
Come with us!
Marcus, you watch the bridge!
All those priests, too.
Are they still around?
Can't wait to get away from this place,
back to Rome.
Where are you going?
Why do you seek the living
among the dead?
Jesus is not there.
He's gone!
Come!
Jesus is not here.
- Are you sure?
- I swear by Jupiter, Hercules and Mars!
You've been awake all night
and haven't moved.
That's right! We were given strict orders.
Nobody's been near that tomb.
Those Jewish priests
were with us all the time.
Well, then, who moved the stone?
(knocking)
(footsteps)
- Who is it?
- Me. Philip.
- Did anyone follow you?
- No.
- Are you sure?
- Of course I'm sure.
Are they still looking for us?
On every corner one sees
Temple guards and Roman soldiers.
This place isn't safe.
We must go somewhere else.
- But where can we go?
- I wish we could go to Galilee.
Peter...
Peter!
Tell us,...
..what should we do?
We must do what the Master
would have wanted.
The Master's dead, Peter.
(banging)
- I thought you said you weren't followed!
- I wasn't!
- Mary...
- Peter!
All of you,...
..I have seen him.
(Matthew) Seen who?
The Master.
You've seen him?
Yes.
He is risen.
I saw him.
I saw him!
This morning we went to the tomb,
and near the tomb was a man...
..and a young boy.
And the man said to me, ''Why do you
look for the living among the dead?''
''Jesus is not here.''
So we went to the tomb
and we saw the stone was upturned.
The grave... the tomb was open.
We looked for him.
He was not there.
- You mean his body wasn't there?
- Has it been stolen?
No, no, no. Let me finish.
When we were leaving the cemetery,...
..I saw another man.
He saw how distraught we were.
He said, ''Woman,...
..why do you weep?''
And then he said my name.
''Mary...''
''Mary.''
And it was then that I saw...
..it was Jesus.
I fell to my knees...
..and I reached for him.
''Touch me not,...
..for I have not yet
ascended to my Father'', he said.
''But go to my brothers,...
..and tell them.''
You don't believe me.
You don't believe me!
I tell you, I saw him!
- It was our Lord!
- Mary...
Mary!
John...
Oh, John...
You don't believe me.
You!
Mary...
You're tired.
Please!
Please go.
I saw him, John.
I saw him.
Women's fantasies.
Fantasies?
Was his death a fantasy?!
I saw him die!
I was there and I wept at his feet!
Why should he not then appear to me?!
He is risen.
He told me to tell you,...
..and I have done so.
You wouldn't believe her! When he raised
Jairus's daughter, you didn't believe it!
What do you mean?
You believe her story?!
Well, do any of you believe it?
Do you, Andrew?
Do you, James?
And you, Matthew?!
Do you,...
..Peter?
Yes.
How can you?
Because he said so.
Because he wanted it to be so.
He wanted everything to happen...
..just as it did.
And I have aIways believed him.
But... Peter,...
..you denied him.
You denied him three times!
Yes!
I denied him because I was a coward!
We are all cowards!
We accused Judas of being a traitor,
but we all betrayed him!
We all...
..abandoned him.
At Ieast our brothers in the Sanhedrin
who condemned him didn't know him!
The Romans...
..did not know him.
But we...
We ate with him.
We lived with him.
We knew he was the Christ!
And still we betrayed him!
Brothers, don't you... can't you see?
Thomas...
You asked me if I believe he is risen.
Yes, I do.
For I know in my heart he will not...
..abandon us.
I know in my heart he has forgiven me...
Us.
Forgiven all of us.
This is preciseIy what I feared.
His disciples must have removed
the stone and taken away the body.
Impossible!
I had guards here as you requested.
And your priests were here, too.
Now it begins.
It all begins.
lt was written...
..the Son of Man will suffer,...
..and on the third day...
..will rise again from the dead
to enter his glory.
You are my witnesses to this.
Now my Father in heaven
is reconciled to the world.
And as he sent me...
..so I am sending you.
Receive the Holy Spirit.
Go like lambs among wolves.
Make disciples of all nations.
Baptise them in the name of the Father,...
..and of the Son,...
..and of the Holy Ghost.
Teach them the gospel
and the commandments I gave you.
Now...
..I am leaving the world again,...
..and going to the Father.
Oh, Lord, stay with us.
The night is falling.
The day is almost over.
Don't be afraid.
I am with you every day...
..till the end of time.