The Young Messiah

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

SALOME:
For a camel, you

make a triangle like this.

That's the hump.

It's so easy. See?

Then some lines for legs here.

Teacher taught me

how to do this.

He showed me

elephants and cats, too.

But I told him you like camels.

That's the neck.

You're not watching.

Then on top, I put another

triangle for a head.

They have big round eyes

and a skinny tail here.

Little baby, playing with girls?

(SIGHS)

Get off! Get off him!

Stop!

Don't touch her!

He's dead.

Eleazer's dead!

THE DEMON:
(WHISPERING)

Over there. He did it.

You! You killed him!

That man told you to say that.

What man?

The apple! Eleazer

tripped on the apple.

You killed him.

We all saw it.

He did it. He killed him.

He killed him.

ELEAZER'S MOTHER: Eleazer!

(ELEAZER'S MOTHER CRYING)

Eleazer...

BOY:
You killed Eleazer.

We all saw it.

Mama.

Come.

There was a man. He told

them that I... Shh.

(SOBBING)

Go.

Go home. Go.

James, close the door.

Sit.

Show me your face.

What's happened?

Jesus killed Eleazer!

Don't say that!

He's your cousin.

He couldn't.

There's no evil in him.

But he did! He cursed him,

and Eleazer fell dead.

(PEOPLE CLAMORING

IN DISTANCE)

Don't you threaten me.

Never! Not my nephew!

Joseph, they're all out there.

Jonathan bar Zakkai

and his brothers.

They're saying

he killed that boy.

(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)

How could that be? Eleazer's twice

as big and a bully to boot.

It's envy, that's what it is.

We've got the jobs they wanted.

Enough!

Is the boy dead?

Our son is not a murderer.

JOSEPH:
ls he dead or does he live?

Can anyone tell me?

Is the boy dead?

He was not moving.

You saved me.

I didn't hurt him.

Just do what you did before.

(WHISPERING)

Like the dead bird.

(CHIRPING)

(LAUGHING)

SALOME:
Go on.

I won't tell.

(ELEAZER'S MOTHER MOANING)

(SOFTLY) Wake up.

Wake up now.

PHYSICIAN:
You!

(JESUS GASPS)

How dare you come here!

Get out! Get out,

you vile little...

Vile...

(GASPS)

Son of David! Son of David!

Come! Come! Quickly, help!

Go!

Where did you learn medicine?

From cavemen in Britain?

The boy was dead,

I'm telling you.

How could that boy be dead?

Look at him!

ELEAZER'S FATHER:

He was dead.

Because of him.

Well, he's not dead now.

He's possessed.

He killed my boy and then

brought him back again.

Only Satan can do that.

So you're complaining

he's alive?

ELEAZER'S FATHER: Why don't

you go back to Galilee?

Take your tools and your women

and your bewitched children,

and just leave.

Seven years is too long.

We're done with you.

We don't want you here.

Eleazer is alive.

For which we thank God.

As it happens, we're going

back to Galilee anyway.

CLEOPAS:
What, because of a

little hubbub in the street?

No.

Because Herod is dead.

We can return now.

JESUS:
ls that true?

Is it all my fault?

Yes!

He's just a little boy!

Wait for me here.

Nobody else can do what you did.

You know that?

How can I? Tell me.

Please?

They won't let me.

(DOOR CLOSES)

They're saying

that with a touch,

a simple touch, he raised

him from the dead.

It's confirmed, isn't it?

Did you ever doubt it?

No. No. It's just...

It's just so soon.

How do you know

that Herod's dead?

I had a dream today.

Before all of this.

That he's dead?

Or that we have to go back?

Both.

It was a dream that I had that

brought us here, remember?

And it turned out to be true.

Had we not left Bethlehem that

night, our son would be dead.

This was the same kind of dream.

So we're destined to wander.

Like all Jews.

Not wandering, going home.

Nazareth, not Bethlehem.

Never Bethlehem.

What do we tell

our frightened little boy?

How do we explain

what happened today?

How do we explain God

to his own son?

I can't. Can you?

You're a child that

needs a meal and a nap.

(GASPS)

JOSEPH:
What is it?

JESUS:
Him!

Him! Don't you see him?

Who?

JESUS:
Him!

Who?

Him!

MARY:
Come, child,

you need to rest.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

(CLEOPAS COUGHING)

This sea air's enough

to kill an elephant.

You're the one who said you

didn't want to die in the desert.

Who's dying?

MAN:
All of us.

But it'll probably be in Jericho

or Bethlehem

or some other snake pit.

I was born in Bethlehem.

MAN:
Were you, boy?

How old are you?

Too young to talk to strangers.

JOSEPH:
We live up north.

Nazareth.

No boys his age

in Bethlehem anyway.

Why not?

Herod took care of that.

CLEOPAS:
(COUGHS)

Come over here, little one.

(LAUGHS)

You going through Jerusalem?

Greatest city in the world!

Avoid it.

Pilgrims seeking answers in the temples

find only riots and violence there.

Bandits, rebels, soldiers

taking what and who they want.

Herod's soldiers are protected...

What is it?

It's the best camel

I've ever seen!

MAN:
Here.

It's a gift for

the boy from Bethlehem.

For your travels.

Thank you.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

MIRIAM:
It won't be long before

we have a kitchen again.

You'd like that.

(COUGHING)

Stop!

Come, daughter.

(MUMBLES INDISTINCTLY)

Husband, who are you talking to?

God.

He's talking to God.

Ah...

Tell Joseph.

(WHEEZING)

Cleopas.

JESUS:
Uncle Cleopas

is coughing again.

We'll rest for a few minutes.

I'm not tired.

Can I go ahead?

All right, but not far.

Just up to the pass,

and then wait for us.

James, go with him.

He'll be fine.

(HORSES CLOPPING)

Whoa.

(NEIGHS)

Psst.

(WHISPERING)

Go! Get on! Get out!

(NEIGHING)

(GRUNTING)

(YELLING)

(GRUNTS)

(NEIGHING)

(GROANS)

(WHEEZES)

(NEIGHS)

Stay!

(MAN GROANING)

Boy!

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

Son, come here!

We had nothing to do

with this, Centurion.

We are not rebels.

We're travelers.

Next time

there will be no mercy.

Go!

(GRUNTS)

Come with me.

HEROD:
Fill it.

(EXCLAIMS)

Go.

(SOBBING)

(DOOR CLOSES)

HEROD:
There's a boy

who can perform miracles.

And in Alexandria,

he raised a boy from the dead.

That's the rumor.

Rumor?

You call them the mob, Severus.

We call them the Rejected.

Listen to them, to the street,

and you'll know what's going on.

(CHUCKLES) Sounds like

the Jewish madness.

There's a messiah behind every

tree, under every rock.

I'm Jewish.

Do I have the madness?

You served my father.

How long have you been in Judea?

Eight years.

Were you in Bethlehem?

Yes, I was.

Then you understand.

You've done it before.

Oh...

(HISSING)

HEROD:
Damn serpents!

I can't send my troops.

Jews won't do it again.

Not a child. Not the...

Not the Messiah.

Get out!

I've had enough of you, witches

and lizard-eaters. Go! Go!

I know what they said

about my father.

They won't say it about me.

You have your assignment,

Centurion.

(GASPS) I saw him! That man who died.

(CLEOPAS COUGHING)

You were sleeping.

It was just a dream.

It was so real.

(LAUGHING)

You have to watch out

for those dreams, nephew.

It runs in the family.

Well, they do.

In fact, we have dreams

to thank for being here.

Come to think of it,

every big decision

this family has made

in the last eight years

is because of dreams.

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