THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS - THE GOSPEL OF JAMES

THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS
THE GOSPEL OF JAMES

Biographical Gospel of the Lord

- Chapter 78 -

The Strange Effects Of The Earthquake

FTER THIS the digging continued, and Cyrenius gave the order that all corpses which were not too greatly mutilated should be laid face downward at a designated place which was covered with mats.

2
Only the greatly mutilated corpses were to be either cremated at once or buried eight feet deep in the common burial place.

3
With the less mutilated corpses similar attempts to restore them to life should be made as was done with the seven,

4
and those restored to life were promptly to be brought into the inn to the seven others.

5
When he had given this order, Cyrenius, accompanied by Joseph, left with his aides to inspect other parts of the city.

6
And he found to his great surprise that nowhere was there a citizen's house damaged in the least,

7
while on the other hand not a temple of the gods was to be found anywhere which did not lay in ruins, with the exception of a single little temple which was locked and bore the inscription, "To the unknown God".

8
When the group along with a great following of the people had thus wandered through the whole, not unimportant little city of eighty thousand inhabitants, Cyrenius asked Joseph to come over and said to him,

9
'Listen, my highly esteemed friend and brother, I simply have to laugh to myself because of the peculiar effect of the earthquake as well as that of the storm.

10
Now just look over here! Along this lane in front of us stand houses of the most wretched type of construction; dry stones are laid one above the other without mortar - and rather unsymmetrically at that - to make a wall.

11
One would suppose that they are hardly solid enough to withstand the shock caused by the hoof of a horse that has any more than average weight.

12
But look, these veritable ant structures stand unharmed! Not one is damaged even in the least,

13
while right among these truly from-today-until-tomorrow-houses the temples, solidly built to last for thousands of years, are all rubble!

14
What do you think of this truly strange phenomenon? Is it not obvious here that the earthquake as well as the storm must have gone about their work very intelligently?

15
Truly, to my great joy I must confess to you and say,

16
If your little Son with His almighty fingers did not play a little among the temples in company with the storm, my name is not Cyrenius!'

17
Here Joseph said, 'Keep what you believe wholly to yourself and be sure to speak to no one about it - for it would certainly seem to be so!

18
Now let us now go to the harbor and see if there is anything to do for me there.' - and Cyrenius promptly followed Joseph's advice and went down to the sea-shore.

	FTER THIS the digging continued, and Cyrenius gave the order that all corpses which were not too greatly mutilated should be laid face downward at a designated place which was covered with mats.
2	Only the greatly mutilated corpses were to be either cremated at once or buried eight feet deep in the common burial place.
3	With the less mutilated corpses similar attempts to restore them to life should be made as was done with the seven,
4	and those restored to life were promptly to be brought into the inn to the seven others.
5	When he had given this order, Cyrenius, accompanied by Joseph, left with his aides to inspect other parts of the city.
6	And he found to his great surprise that nowhere was there a citizen's house damaged in the least,
7	while on the other hand not a temple of the gods was to be found anywhere which did not lay in ruins, with the exception of a single little temple which was locked and bore the inscription, "To the unknown God".
8	When the group along with a great following of the people had thus wandered through the whole, not unimportant little city of eighty thousand inhabitants, Cyrenius asked Joseph to come over and said to him,
9	'Listen, my highly esteemed friend and brother, I simply have to laugh to myself because of the peculiar effect of the earthquake as well as that of the storm.
10	Now just look over here! Along this lane in front of us stand houses of the most wretched type of construction; dry stones are laid one above the other without mortar - and rather unsymmetrically at that - to make a wall.
11	One would suppose that they are hardly solid enough to withstand the shock caused by the hoof of a horse that has any more than average weight.
12	But look, these veritable ant structures stand unharmed! Not one is damaged even in the least,
13	while right among these truly from-today-until-tomorrow-houses the temples, solidly built to last for thousands of years, are all rubble!
14	What do you think of this truly strange phenomenon? Is it not obvious here that the earthquake as well as the storm must have gone about their work very intelligently?
15	Truly, to my great joy I must confess to you and say,
16	If your little Son with His almighty fingers did not play a little among the temples in company with the storm, my name is not Cyrenius!'
17	Here Joseph said, 'Keep what you believe wholly to yourself and be sure to speak to no one about it - for it would certainly seem to be so!
18	Now let us now go to the harbor and see if there is anything to do for me there.' - and Cyrenius promptly followed Joseph's advice and went down to the sea-shore.