h become a tomb for a cup of red wine, then will
Jerusalem be more to thy liking," Claudia said, and turning to the
guest added, "My lord Pilate doth love Rome much when he is in
Jerusalem."

"Yet even Jerusalem doth seem to be getting Romanized, with her
hippodrome and her trophies of Augustan victories. Also, there is a
statue of Caligula, and the golden eagle hangs its wings over the
Temple gate itself, while Antonio commands all."

"Yea," assented Pilate, "there are a few images and theatres, but the
atmosphere is heavy with religion--barbarous superstition, as hath
Cicero said. And fools they are for they worship the unseen. Greeks,
Egyptians, Asiatics, Romans all have gods, but these dish-faced ones
with beards refuse to pay honor to Caesar and scorn the gods."

"True," the guest replied, "but if there were no Jew, the wit of the
theatre would suffer. Doth not the wag ever make merry concerning the
god of the Jew which refuseth to be a god unless an inch of skin be
taken where the eye misseth it not?"

Pilate joined his guests in hearty laughter. "And their ancestral
veneration of the swine, what meaneth it?"

"Perhaps they fear more than venerate the swine."

"Of that I know not, but much fasting doth make them lean enough to
thank the gods for the fat of a swine."

"They are loyal to their god--whatever it is," Claudia said.

"Yea, in dimly lighted synagogues they ever gather, muttering prayers.
Even do they close their shops one day that they may have more time for
more prayers."

"It hath come to my ears that they neither eat nor sleep with
strangers," one of the guests observed.

"In the valley of Gehenna where the stench of their funeral fires doth
ever ascend and the worm ceaseth not to wiggle in corruption, there
would the circumcized rather lie like a dog, than sup with one
uncircumcized. Aye, a dog is the Jew, and a thief."

"Yet have I heard that they contend to the death for their Law. Doth
it not deal with stealing?" Pilate was asked.

"Yea, it dealeth with stealing and for it they contend. Yet they are
thieves beginning with Annas the High Priest. Into the Temple offices
hath he put all his sons and nephews and kinsmen that through them his
itching fingers may possess all the wealth of the Temple. The Law of
the Jews is for others than those who make it, preach it, sell it or
trade in it. Yet for all their sins have these long-faced robbers a
scapegoat. Over his head do the