st thou still persist in thy
headstrong obstinacy? Art thou not ashamed to do honor to the very
corpse of an executed malefactor?"

Joseph replied, "I indeed honor this noblest of men, the teacher sent
from God, whom being innocent you have murdered."

And Nicodemus added, "Envy and pride were the motives of his
condemnation. The judge himself was forced to bear witness to his
innocence, and swore he would have no part in his death."

Then said Caiaphas furiously, "The curse of our law will destroy you,
ye enemies of our fathers."

The rabbi said, "Do not excite thyself about them, O, high priest; they
are smitten with blindness."

But Caiaphas, refusing to be silenced, cried, "Cursed are ye by the
holy council. Deprived of all your honors, never more shall ye dare to
take your seats in our midst."

"Neither do we desire to do so," said Nicodemus.

Then said Annas, "As the body is now in the hands of his friends, we
must be on our guard, for this deceiver, while he was yet alive said
that in three days he would rise again."

The rabbi said, "They could easily practice a new deception on the
people and make fresh trouble for us. His disciples might take his
body away secretly and then give out that he had risen from the dead."

"In that case," said Caiaphas, "the last error would be worse than the
first. Let us therefore go at once to Pilate and ask him for a guard
of soldiers to keep watch over the grave until the third day."

"A prudent thought," cried Annas, and the rabbi added, "Thus their
schemes will be foiled." Then they departed to go to Pilate.

His enemies having left his friends alone around the cross, Nicodemus
and Joseph set about taking down the body of Jesus. Bringing the
ladders Joseph mounted on the shorter one that was placed in front,
while Nicodemus ascended the longer one behind. Joseph had with him a
roll of linen so long that after putting it around the body of Jesus,
the ends hanging over the cross reached to the ground, where they were
held by Simon of Bethany and Lazarus. Then, after taking off the crown
of thorns Nicodemus took the pincers and began to pull out the nails
from the hands of Jesus and bent the stiffening arms lovingly away from
the cross. While they were thus engaged the Magdalen and Mary talked
together. "At last," said Mary Magdalene, "the madmen have departed.
Be comforted, beloved mother, now we are alone with our friends; the
mockery and blasphemy are