Jesus of Nazareth Page #2

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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.

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