Chapter 17
Two days had passed since the whole Easter stuff had come and gone. Everywhere was serene again, people were going back to their respective places the traffic around Calvary had reduced and we began putting the intents to strike in motion.
Easter Monday rolled away and the Tuesday after it, we let Wednesday stroll past too, so we could be double sure that we had the numbers on our side and this time we wanted the numbers reduced drastically.
First, we needed an archaeologist, who we could use in our mission, one who was in the Israeli system and had their way around things over her, do while everyone was up and running celebrating and carrying out Easter traditions, we were sorting for a possible and suitable candidate.
After we asked around and got information from various sources and people we scrutinized we were down to two potential candidates for the job, An American and An Israeli, the American seemed like the first choice but after deeper consideration, we settled for the Israeli.
She was a blond lady, in her early thirties, tall with chiselled cheeks and firm breasts, and she walked with elegance and grace, one would completely pass her as a model and on more discovery, we discovered she was actually into modelling before dropping it all to chase her passion which was digging and excavation, not sites to study and learn human history, and based off popular stereotype steal historical artefacts and sell them to make a profit.
In her Resume, it stated that she could speak six languages fluently and English was among them so the language barrier was off the chart, so what was left was how we would make her work for us.
Asmodeus can control people into doing his biddings and also wipe their memories of the act later.
So we booked an appointment with an archaeologist on Easter Monday and told her we wanted a tour from a professional about the artefacts of Christ, especially the ones used during the Easter period. And on Wednesday we met her to start our adventure.
"Hello, I am Astrix" Asmodeus lied about his name, she was a religious archaeologist majoring in the things involving Christ we didn't want a demon's name which she might recognize to be altered and besides we were in Israel.
He continued "and this is my nephew Damien" I took her hands and shook them.
She smiled and said "I am Mara, nice to meet you" she was in a typical Archeologist outfit, a white shirt, folded to the elbow, and pair of light blue jeans, brown boots, and a scarf around her neck and like both of us dark shades too.
"So I will be your tour guide on this adventure," she said as she gestured to us to follow her.
"I say we start at the place where his pains and agony began". She said as we went into her truck and she drove us off
Jesus was accompanied by three Apostles: Peter, John and James, whom he asked to stay awake and pray. He moved "a stone's throw away" from them, where he felt overwhelming sadness and anguish, and said "My Father if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be like You, not I, would have it." Then, a little while later, he said, "If this cup cannot pass by, but I must drink it, You will be done!". He said this prayer thrice, checking on the three apostles between each prayer and finding them asleep. He commented: "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak". An angel came from heaven to strengthen him. During his agony as he prayed, "His sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood falling upon the ground".
After the narrative, Jesus accepts that the hour has come for him to be betrayed".
We went into her truck and drove off
"Up next we are at the place Christ was tried by Pilate and washed his hands off the issue after sentencing the Christ to fulfil the wishes and please the Jews who condemned Christ," she said as we arrived at the spot and she began
"As prefect of Roman Judea, Pilate was subordinate to the Roman legate in Syria. Pilate resided on the coast at Caesarea Maritima. On those occasions when he had to be in Jerusalem, he used the palace compound built by Herod the Great as his praetorium or headquarters. The palace was located in the western part of the upper city and served as both a comfortable residence and fortress.
Early pilgrims to Jerusalem generally identified the praetorium with the Antonia Fortress, where the traditional Way of the Cross begins. However, the archaeological evidence, which dates the fortress remnants to the 2nd century AD, as well as the tense situation requiring Pilate to be near the Second Temple as the centre of Passover, support the Herod's Palace location.
The Gospel of Mark uses the word aulē ("hall", "palace") to identify the praetorium. Fearing defilement, the Sanhedrin elders did not enter the court, and Pilate's discussion with them occurred outside the praetorium. Outside the praetorium proper, there was an area called the Pavement.[Jn. 19:13] Pilate's judgement seat which in Greek translated ( bēma ). in which he conversed with the elders, was located there".
Then we moved over to the next spot, where Jesus was arrayed before King Herod and before got there we saw a woman selling fruits and Lemonade, we got three cups of Lemonade for hydration and continued to our destination.
As we arrived at the place and got off the truck she began
"Herod Antipas the same man who had previously ordered the death of John the Baptist and, according to some Pharisees, had plotted to have Jesus killed as well had wanted to see Jesus for a long time, hoping to observe one of the miracles of Jesus. However, Jesus says nothing in response to Herod's questions, or the vehement accusations of the chief priests and the scribes.
Herod and his soldiers mock Jesus, put a gorgeous robe on him, as the King of the Jews, and send him back to Pilate. That day, Herod and Pilate, who had previously been enemies, become friends".
I for a fact did seem interested in knowing cause I followed her keenly, asking questions and dropping remarks, Asmodeus had a look of nostalgia written on his face, and then it hit me. He saw it all happen.
He was here thousands of years ago when Jesus died, he and his brothers led by Lucifer did everything in their power to kill Jesus, putting greed in Judas Iscariot, possessing Peter, and putting on him the spirit of lies, making the apostles weak to pray at the Garden of Gethsemane, taking away right judgement from Pilate, poisoning the hearts of The Elders and the people into the point of granting amnesty to a hardened criminal who was guilty of Murder charges, rape, stealing among others, just to kill Christ. He was there, through it all, he saw he watched.
But the hosts of Heaven had other plans, plans he and his brothers weren't aware of, they thought the death of Christ would end his mission but didn't know it was part of the plan and their involvement only accelerated the process.
He remembered when Jesus said on the cross "it is finished", the earth quaked and the Temple's curtain split in half, he remembered how it dawned on them that they had made the biggest mistake ever, they had helped in offering the ultimate sacrifice for the same mankind the wanted to end.
He remembered how they went to hell that day in shame, and how hours later Christ appeared at the gates of hell, dropped in and the gates of hell were destroyed.
He remembered how Christ walked up to Lucifer who stood there like. Monument fixed to the ground and ripped the key which he hung around his neck off his chest, the key of death and freed a lot of lost souls.
He remembered how Christ left Lucifer in the most shocked and scared state anyone had seen him, he was so stunned it took him weeks to recover.
He remembered how spirits roamed the streets of Jerusalem that night.
He remembered all this and it sent shivers down his spine.