The characters
Segan – a slave
Marcus – commander of the garrison in Bethlehem of Judea
Eliazar – high priest in the Temple of
Jerusalem Herod the Great – King of Judea
The Infant Jesus
The Virgin Mary
Joseph
A strange
creature Angels, soldiers, jailers.
The Magi: Balthazar, Melchior, Caspar.
Act I
Darkness. A mysterious musical backdrop. From the heavens, a point of light growing in intensity and size. The murmur of the crowd. Now a star is clearly visible, casting a gentle, sweet light across the stage. The carol is heard:
Three kings from the East
Travelled towards the star.
They journeyed, as we read
, All the way to Jerusalem.
(lost)
And when they arrived
there, The star hid itself amongst the clouds.
The Magi from the East, torches in hand, ascend from the auditorium onto the stage, gaze intently at the audience, then retreat and darkness falls once more. The murmur of the crowd reaches its peak. A menacing military march.
A voice: Clear the crowd away!
A second voice: Eliazar! Let Eliazar speak!
Dozens, hundreds of voices: Eliazar! Eliazar!
Fierce blows against the gates. The clatter of hooves. Huge gates slammed shut in frustration. The murmur of the crowd dies away.
As the curtain rises, a beam of light gradually reveals, one by one, from the darkness: a lofty throne; a marble staircase the colour of congealed blood; massive stone columns; statues depicting Roman and Greek deities; manuscripts yellowed by time, lying in disarray upon precious oriental carpets. An oppressive atmosphere. The colour red dominates. Wind. Desolation. Slammed doors. Nervous footsteps. An echo.
Marcus (bursts in; crosses the hall; listens intently; shouts): Is there nobody here?
Segan (appearing unexpectedly at the top of the stairs): Hush! Don’t shout like that! (descends silently; in a whisper): Marcus?!
Marcus: Yes. Announce me at once to the great king! I have come from Bethlehem of Judea at His Majesty’s command!
Segan: Wait! Herod is in secret council with the chief priests and the scribes of the people and cannot receive you now!
Marcus (raising his fist): What did you say?
Segan (frightened): You see, Herod has been expecting you… you should have arrived in Jerusalem sooner!
Pause
Segan (climbing the stairs): Herod is in great turmoil, and with him, the whole of Jerusalem! (Exits)
Marcus (sits down, agitated, on the edge of the bench on the right-hand side of the stage; takes off his helmet and cloak): I should have arrived in Jerusalem sooner!
Scene 1: Marcus and Eliazar
Eliazar (holding a torch, descends the stairs dejectedly, pauses briefly near the throne; picks up the yellowed manuscripts from the floor with deep reverence and places them on the small table at the front left of the stage) Isaiah! Hosea! Our ancient Scriptures!
Marcus (stunned): Eliazar?! Old man, is that you?!
Eliazar (coming to his senses): Marcus?! My Roman brother?! (They embrace. The darkness gradually lifts.)
Marcus: Around Bethlehem, there were rumours…
Eliazar: …that I had died, hadn’t it? And did you believe it? Actually, in this day and age, death is no cause for surprise (cheerfully). But, as you can clearly see, I haven’t died! (intimately): I’m glad to see you, Marcus! It’s been many a year since we last met and… I’ve missed you! Strange… I’ve been thinking of you a lot these days! I wonder how Marcus is getting on? What does he ponder during his long night-time patrols? (pause, in a different tone): Neither Herod nor Quirinius were pleased with our meetings! (pause) Later on, I realised why you’d moved so suddenly to the garrison at Bethlehem!…
Marcus (in a strange voice): I’ve been thinking of you too, and of your words!… (pause)
Eliazar (struck by a thought): Marcus, why did Herod order you to come to Jerusalem now, in the dead of this night?
Marcus (bewildered): A soldier awaits orders, Eliazar! All I know is that I raced like the wind on the swiftest horse and didn’t give it a second thought! (quietly) In fact, in Judea, Herod is the first to think of everyone!
Eliazar (despondent): Yes, you’re right! In Judea, Herod is the first to think for everyone! (pause)
(Darkness descends again, gradually)
Eliazar: It is the dead of night over Jerusalem, as if shrouded in a strange silence!… Have you noticed?! Not even the leaves of the poplars are rustling! The whole earth seems to lie in a deep, dark cellar! (pause) How did you manage not to lose your way, Marcus?
Marcus: The road to Bethlehem was as clear as day, and it was only when I drew near the Gate of Hebron that I realised Jerusalem lay under the power of darkness, and an inexplicable shiver came over me, makingme to wander for a long time through the winding alleys of Jerusalem! (pause, in a whisper): But do you not suspect why Herod commanded me to come here? You are merely the high priest in the Temple of Jerusalem! You live at its very heart, not cut off from the world like me!
Eliazar (disturbed, his voice changed): Much has changed in the years since the Roman legionary last met the high priest, a member of the Sanhedrin! (pause) The prophet’s words have cast me out of the priesthood! Many of my friends have been burnt alive or thrown to the starving beasts in the circus of Jericho because Herod ‘respects’ Roman civilisation. (Marcus, distraught, walks away) The seat of Moses is now occupied by the shadows of priests, and the people of Jerusalem are shrouded in impenetrable darkness!
Marcus: Eliazar!
Eliazar (staring into space): Even the walls of the Temple have succumbed to a crushing sense of resignation! Fear has taken root in everyone! Fear, that curse of mankind! (Around the throne) A river of blood! Such is Herod’s reign, a river of blood in which men have perished for a single word, for a single gesture!
Marcus (descending the stairs, distraught; in a whisper): Eliazar, you know full well that in Palestine even the walls have ears and a tongue!
Eliazar (startled): Herod’s gaze has fallen upon me too! But it is a wonder that he has not put me to death as well; instead, he has issued a stern command that I must not set foot outside Jerusalem! I am not to go to the Temple! I am not to receive anyone! Now I live in a hovel on the outskirts of Jerusalem, where I pray day and night that the soldier who watches over me hour by hour will not be ordered to kill me! My Scriptures have been taken from me!… (pause).
Marcus (secretly): Herod is in great turmoil! In the alleys of Jerusalem, people are gathered in crowds, their eyes fixed on the heavens! (Nervously) Something is happening in this country that I can’t wait to leave! (pause)
Marcus (in a hushed voice): On the plain of Bethlehem, three shepherds have spread great news which I dread to bring before Herod! (the darkness lifts)
Eliazar (startled): On the plain of Bethlehem? What news? Tell me!
Marcus: It terrifies me!
Eliazar (pleadingly): Marcus, above Jerusalem the star has vanished into the clouds! At least in this hour of great mystery, let us not be afraid! What news? (dramatically) Lord, fear has penetrated deep into our hearts!…
Marcus: The shepherds have spread the news of the Messiah’s birth, unsettling the people of Bethlehem and us Romans too! (in a low voice) The Messiah you were telling me about when I was here in Jerusalem! (ironically) Three shepherds living on the fringes of the world!…
Eliazar: Does that surprise you? Grace belongs to the humble! (He kneels) God, behold, is hidden in the deepest humility! (pause) Now I understand! The star that has been hanging over Jerusalem for several hours is the sign of the death of our old despair! This hour has come in the time of the murderer, when the loss of lives is the greatest desire! (Marcus grows restless and, pausing from time to time, listens intently whilst looking around)
Eliazar (gazing intently at the Scriptures): The hour of choice has come! He comes openly from the very beginning! Marcus, time has broken away from the path we know! The days begin from evening to morning! Herod feels this too!… (darkness returns)
Marcus (furiously): You are speaking to a Roman legionary; do not forget that! Herod speaks well! ‘Words are always precise’! Now I remember very well the words you spoke to me here in Jerusalem… words that troubled not only Herod! Remember! ‘The Kingdom of Peace, where peace shall know no bounds! The Kingdom of righteousness and holiness’! Take care, Eleazar!… I’ve suffered enough already listening to your reckless words! (He shouts) The kingdom of the divine Augustus is the true kingdom, and there can be no other on this earth!
Eliazar: Augustus is mortal, and his kingdom will soon be swept away like the foam of the sea, for he has built it upon oppression and bloodshed! Enough bloodshed, Marcus!
Marcus (pressing the tip of his sword against Eliazar’s chest): And will the kingdom of righteousness and holiness come?!
Eliazar (moved): It will come, Marcus! It has already come!
Marcus (punching him): It will never come, do you hear?! Never! (shouts) How glad I am that I am no longer here in Jerusalem to listen to your foolish words, otherwise who knows in what dungeon I would be rotting away!
Eliazar (standing up): Marcus, my friend!
Marcus: Shut up, don’t call me that anymore!
Eliazar (staring intently at the torch): Now I understand why Herod summoned you so urgently in the dead of this night, to Jerusalem! At that secret council from which I was cast out, I sensed a thought taking root in Herod’s dark mind—a thought that only he is capable of carrying out! Lord, I fear for the people of Israel (he takes the torch in his hand and turns towards Marcus; in a low voice) Marcus, your purpose on this earth is not to do Herod’s will!
Marcus (cries out): You’re asking this of me?!
Eliazar (intimately): Marcus, listen to me!
Marcus (roars): You want to destroy me!
Eliazar (warmly): Death is the gateway to life.
(Above, trumpets begin to sound. Strong gusts of wind)
Segan (shouting into the air from the steps): Make way! The great king of Judea, Herod, Amicus et Socius Romae, is passing by! The king is passing by!
Scene II: The Arrival of Herod
(Herod makes his entrance amongst the soldiers. Marcus, flustered, grabs his helmet and cloak. Eliazar steps back to the foreground on the left of the stage. Segan helps Herod to descend. Herod, an old man with an implausibly large crown on his head, moves with the cunning of a fox. He settles into the throne with reckless haste. He makes a brief gesture, whereupon Segan and the soldiers disappear)
Marcus (saluting): Long may the great King of Judea reign!
Herod (glazed-eyed): Secret counsel flows like a river this night!… The voice of the prophets had fallen silent, when lo, the star, the Magi from the East! (and his gaze rises once more. Pause)
Eliazar (prophetically): The hour of choice has come! We are in His hands! (Pause)
Herod (grinning): Eliazar, tonight you shall sleep like a king in Herod’s palace!
Eliazar (looking at Marcus): I knew my turn would come, but I am not afraid!
Herod (feeling his rings): You speak well; the hour of choice has come! (Leaping from his throne) At dawn you shall be paraded through all the squares of Jerusalem for your reckless words!
Marcus (boldly): As you say, Your Majesty, reckless words!
Herod (categorically): At dawn, the crowd awaits your word, Eliazar!
Eliazar: The word is not mine, but is written in the prophet!
(Marcus rushes forward. Herod remains calm, staring into space.)
Eliazar (looking Herod straight in the eye, transfixed): What you desire, I shall never do! I have seen Him with my own eyes in His glory!
(Pause)
Herod (gesturing): Leave us alone, Eliazar!
(Eliazar walks to the bottom of the stairs.)
Herod: Eliazar, I shall call for you soon so that we may journey together to Bethlehem of Judea, and then we shall return here to Jerusalem!…
Eliazar: A fool is he who seeks to kill the Lord!
Herod: Have you met the Magi?
Eliazar: Yes!
Herod: And?
Eliazar (glancing meaningfully at Marcus): The star has brought them together from far away!
Herod (nodding): Thank you!
(Eliazar withdraws. Darkness falls suddenly.)
Scene III: Marcus and Herod
Herod (sternly): Put out the torch, Marcus. I have summoned you from Bethlehem in Judea to tell me clearly what is happening there with the house of Israel! What are people saying?
Marcus: Bethlehem is in great turmoil, my lord!
Herod: I know that much myself, Marcus! I asked you what people are saying?! Feelings, as you have rightly observed, are convoluted, but words are always precise, Marcus! (shouts) What are people saying?
Marcus: That the Messiah has been born, Your Highness!
Herod (leaping from his throne): The Messiah?! The King of Judea? The Emperor who shall rule the world! (He roars) Here I am the master! The Greeks have erected a statue of me in their famous Athens, calling me Herod the Great! Augustus, your emperor, showers me with unrivalled gifts, loving me beyond measure, yet here, in Judea alone, the voice of the prophets troubles the minds of the people! Ooo…, I feel blood will flow! Much blood this night! (He doubles over) Ooo…, a fire is tearing at my insides!
Marcus: Calm yourself, Your Highness! We shall find a way to quell the people!
Herod (sinking into his throne): Here in Jerusalem, the Magi who await my word speak of the King of the Jews, Who was born this very night to rule the world! Do you hear that, Marcus? To rule the world!
Marcus: Will He who has been born deny Caesar’s right to rule the world?
Herod (in an unnatural voice): In Bethlehem of Judea they speak of Christ, Who will save the people of Israel! What do you say? What did you Romans tell the people there?
Marcus (solemnly): I appeared before the crowd myself, telling them to await the word from Jerusalem—a word that will not be long in coming! Then your command reached Bethlehem of Judea! Seeing that I had set out for Jerusalem, many returned to their homes to wait there for the word that would set things straight! Your word, Your Majesty! We Romans love order!
Herod (leaping onto the throne): A wise command, Marcus! I’ve known you to be a reliable soldier ever since the uprising in the villages around Bethlehem, when everything ended as swiftly as a flash of lightning!… (insinuatingly) You know, Quirinius has asked me for the death toll! But I (Marcus is shaken)… halved it (Marcus kneels before the throne) This news pleases me, and soon I shall summon you here again, by my side, in the heart of Jerusalem, where you belong, for I have need of men like you, now that the voice of the prophets must be silenced for ever!
Marcus: I shall serve you faithfully, my lord! (Herod claps his hands and Segan appears, pouring wine into cups before withdrawing)
Herod (insincerely): I’ve heard that you’re deeply in love with a girl from Bethlehem in Judea, is that so?
Marcus (emotionally): That is true, Your Highness!
Herod (grinning): Your love will bear fruit!
Marcus: It has, Your Highness!
(Herod drinks)
Herod: A woman demands many things from her man!…
(they both drink)
Herod (emphatically): Now listen carefully to what I am about to say!
Marcus: I am listening, Your Highness!
Herod: The words of the Magi are deceptive! They are skilled with words! But, but… Herod sees through the hidden meaning! Who would cross the Desert of the Nomads at the ends of the earth to come to Bethlehem in Judea to worship a child? Tell me! Who?
Marcus (mechanically): Who, Your Highness?!
Herod: They say they are kings! Or rather, stargazers!…
Marcus: Kings?
Herod: But where are their armies?
Marcus: They have a hidden motive, Your Highness! Where are their armies?!
Herod: You see, Augustus is an emperor who loves order, but here in Judea there is great unrest, and soon, if we do not nip it in the bud, it will engulf Rome! He who was born this very night, as you so rightly said, will deny Caesar’s right to rule the world! He must not be allowed to live under any circumstances, do you hear? For if he lives, he will overturn the ancient order of the world’s foundation! Do you understand, Marcus?…
(A strange figure appears from behind, dressed in black, and takes his place in the centre of the stage, gazing at the audience).
Marcus (suddenly): Rome will be grateful to you, master! It is not for nothing that you are in Caesar’s favour! (He springs to his feet) Give the order!
(Impenetrable darkness. Only the voices can be heard.)
Herod: Make haste to Bethlehem, and when you arrive there, set sentries at all its borders! Then find out where He who has been born is, and wait in secret for the Magi to arrive there! You will recognise them by their rich robes, and bear this in mind! When the Magi are near, slay the infant, let the Magi enter, then surround the place with a heavy guard and await my arrival there!
Marcus (in a hushed voice) My Lord!…
Herod: The Magi must not utter a single word to the people! Do you understand?
Marcus: I understand, Your Highness! The Magi will fill the dungeons of Rome!
Herod (satisfied) Only for a time! Their kings will ransom them, for they have great need of them, and at the same time many will realise that these borders are well guarded! Their gold will fall into the hands of Rome and Jerusalem… into our hands, Marcus!
Marcus (bowing deeply): Long may the great King of Judea, friend of Rome and of Caesar, reign (exits)
Herod (beaming): Go, Marcus! There is no time to lose! A long reign is sustained by thoughts as swift as the turbulent mountain streams! King of the Jews, no one shall snatch you from my grasp! In Rome, Caesar is lord! Here, I am lord!
(echo)
(The dark figure exits the stage laughing. The Magi from the East enter. Oriental gestures. The darkness dissipates)
Scene IV: The arrival of the Magi at Herod’s court
Balthazar: Blessed be this night, and blessed be the respite you have granted us, Your Highness!
Melchior, Gaspar: Blessed be this night!
(The Magi take their seats on the benches set out at a distance around the throne)
Herod: Blessed?! I see joy blossoming on your faces! What has happened? A few hours ago, when you were brought before me, sorrow reigned fiercely in your hearts, and now?!…
Melchior (ceremoniously): It is true, Your Highness! Our hearts were desolate when your soldiers brought us to the palace! They found us overcome by bitterness, shrouded in the depths of darkness, right on the steps of Your Highness’s palace!
Herod (maliciously): On the palace steps? (ironically) Did the cold, unwelcoming stone take the place of the soft, fragrant silk of your beds?!…
Balthazar: Nothing is more unworthy than the human heart, for it is there alone that pride—like a thorn—can spring up to prick the pure mind, Your Highness! Yet in the respite we were granted, we discerned a sign of True Life!
Herod (confused): A sign of True Life? (The Magi nod.) Speak clearly!
Gaspar: Listen to us carefully, Your Highness! A man’s strength is measured by his weakness. (Herod settles into his throne, looking at each of them in turn) Guided by the star, the dreadful wilderness we were about to cross did not frighten us for a moment! All night long we walked across the sandy fields, speaking fervently of the One who was born and whom the nations have long awaited! In the morning, as the sky grew light and the other stars had faded, the great and brilliant star lingered high in the heavens, rolling its gentle, living rays around the oases teeming with water and dates! Shining ceaselessly upon our paths, the new star has always protected us from the great waves of sand, the scorching sun and the fiery storms of the desert!
Herod (furious): Enough, Gaspar! A king without an army. What has happened?
(The Magi exchange glances)
Balthazar: When we drew near to Jerusalem, we grew proud, thinking that God had chosen us above all others to be the first to see the One whom the world has long awaited! We grew arrogant, and then the star vanished into the clouds! (Pause)
Melchior: Here, in Your Majesty’s palace, we met a man!
Herod (leaping to his feet): A man?! Who did you meet?
Gaspar: Eliazar, Your Highness!
Herod (shocked): Eliazar?!
Melchior: A man of profound wisdom who knows the prophet’s word well!
Gaspar: And who lifted our hearts, which had sunk into the mire of pride! Whilst he was opening the eyes of our minds and hearts, the rays of the star were creeping through the palace windows, as small as the palm of a hand!…
Herod (disturbed): The rays of the star?! What sign is this?
(A ray of light pierces the centre of the stage)
Balthazar (prophetically): It is a sign that He Who was born is indeed the Messiah, and that through Him we shall find mercy! (Two more rays spill onto the stage and then into the auditorium)
Melchior (lost in thought), Gaspar: The sky is once more clear and deep, casting the warm light of the star, just as when we took up the staff of exile! (The entire auditorium is bathed in light)
Herod (disturbed, aside): The dream!… Ooo, … the dream!…
Balthazar, Melchior, Gaspar: We have come under His mercy!
Herod (crouching): Under mercy?!
Melchior (convinced): Only thus can we enter the Kingdom of Peace!
Herod (aside): The Kingdom of Peace! Eliazar, your time has come! (grabs a manuscript) What else did Eliazar tell you?
Melchior: Total self-sacrifice for others, here in Jerusalem, will give birth to the New Jerusalem!
Herod (pale): The New Jerusalem? (regaining his composure, he sits on his throne)
(The light gradually dims)
Herod (unfolding the manuscript): Our high priests and scribes say that Christ is to be born in Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet! (Nervously) Go and make a thorough search for the Child, and if you find Him, let me know, so that I too may come and worship Him!
(The Magi withdraw ceremoniously. Darkness falls suddenly. Herod, in the centre of the stage, throws down the manuscript.)
Herod (dramatically): Let me know, so that I too may go and worship Him! (A dark figure emerges as if from the ground and stands before Herod. Spasmodic laughter.)
Herod: I too shall worship Him! Ha! Ha! (echo)
Curtain
Act II
(A sky full of stars. The carol grows louder and louder)
O, what marvellous news,
revealed
to us in Bethlehem: that a Child has been born,
the Child of the Holy Lord,
by the Virgin Mary!
For in Bethlehem,
Mary, having completed her journey,
in a humble dwelling near that town
,
has given birth to the Messiah!
(The cave in Bethlehem. In the foreground on the right-hand side of the stage, tall, delicate lilies emerge from the darkness. A fire glows on the left. In the distance, angels of immaculate white can be seen, carrying clean lambskins which they gently lay down upon the stones. The rays of the great star form a crown around the Holy Family. Background music.)
St Joseph (in ecstasy): O Lord, God of goodness and endless mercy, the fountain of Life!
The Virgin Mary: You were born of light to reign over Love! (The Holy Family retreats to the far end of the stage. Only the beam of the great star remains. The background music changes. Marcus enters.)
Marcus (aside): I am completely in control!
Joseph (rising): My friend, have you also come to worship the Child God?
The Virgin Mary (holding the Child in her arms): Come closer! Behold the creation of the greatest of miracles!
Marcus (agitated): I’ve turned the whole of Bethlehem upside down trying to track you down!
The Virgin Mary: Why did you have to turn Bethlehem upside down? Look, the light of the star is streaming into the cave with its gentle rays!
Marcus (sarcastically): A cave?! Is this where the Messiah, who will rule the world, was born? In a cave?!
St Joseph (gently): We could find no room in people’s homes! These days there are many people in the City of David!
(Pause)
(Marcus stares uneasily at the fire, hearing Herod’s voice obsessively)
Herod’s voice (recording): Just one blow, Marcus, and run so you don’t run into the Magi! Do you hear me? Just one blow! That’s all! Then wait for me to arrive there!
Marcus: Have not three wise men from the East appeared here yet to worship the King of Peace?
The Virgin Mary: Three kings?! Are they coming to worship the King of Peace?
Marcus (sarcastically): The King of Peace!…
The Virgin Mary: That is why He was born and why He came into the world—to reign over love!
Marcus (shouts): For love to reign?! And when will this kingdom of yours, which you Israelites are always talking about, begin?
St Joseph: It has already begun, Roman legionary! (pointing to the light of the star) The light reveals the thoughts in many hearts!
(Marcus sits down behind the lilies)
Marcus (thoughtfully): The thoughts in people’s hearts?!… I have been ordered to wait here for the kings of the East, and if need be, I shall wait for them until dawn! (Wrapping himself in his cloak): You should get some rest! I shall keep watch!… I am used to long night patrols!
(St Joseph stokes the fire, then comes and sits beside the Virgin Mary and the Child; the angels descend the staircase and surround the Holy Family.)
Scene 1: Marcus and Joseph
(Marcus, tormented by thoughts and voices)
Marcus (gazing at the lilies): How strange! At the mouth of the cave, these tall, delicate lilies have sunk their roots deep into the rock!… (Pause) The star’s rays form a wreath around the Child! Such stillness! Such a sweet fragrance! (An angel appears high up at the top of the staircase.)
Herod’s voice: One blow! One blow, then run! (Marcus, with his hand on his dagger, stands up. St Joseph greets him with a smile full of kindness and, with a fatherly gesture, drapes a blanket over his shoulders.)
St Joseph: Are you tired?
Marcus: Yes!
St Joseph: Have you come a long way?
Marcus: From Jerusalem!
St Joseph: From Jerusalem? Jerusalem!… The Holy City, once ruled by Solomon the Wise, is now, under Herod’s rule, the city of blood!
Marcus (furious): What on earth are you rambling on about, old man?
St Joseph (sincere): Unless he repents now, at this hour of decision, Herod will face a harsh punishment!
Marcus: That’s just your opinion!… Foolish words!…
St Joseph (resolute): He who takes up the sword shall perish by the sword!
Marcus (abruptly, standing up): Get out of here! I told you to go to bed! I shall keep watch this night, for I have been ordered to welcome the Magi from the East and then present them before Herod!
St Joseph (walking away): Do not be troubled, Roman legionary!
Marcus (sharply): Be quiet, old man. Leave me to my thoughts!
(Marcus sits down and wraps himself in the blanket)
Pause
Eliazar’s voice: Marcus, your purpose on this earth is not to do Herod’s will! The hour of choice has come, Marcus! The hour of choice! Do not forget this! Augustus is mortal, and his kingdom will soon be swept away like the foam of the sea, for he has built it upon violence and bloodshed! Enough bloodshed, Marcus! Enough!
(The Virgin Mary comes forward and places the Child in the centre of the stage, then retreats to the background beside Joseph. The lighting brightens as the background music swells. The angel descends the ladder and comes to stand beside Marcus)
Eliazar’s voice: Marcus, look at the cave! See! Look closely! This is our world! But here, in this world, the Light has descended! (Marcus stands up and, overcome with emotion, walks round the cave) The Light, Marcus and the cave are filled with the Light! The Child is the Light of the World! The Light of the World! (Marcus kneels and gazes, transfixed, at the Child).
Marcus (surrounded by light): How strange! He is looking at me! His eyes are brighter than the stars in the sky! He senses that I am no friend of His, yet He smiles at me. (Astonished) The light of His face shines upon me! (Marcus, surrounded by light, exchanges glances with the angel)
VOICE: You are weary and burdened. Come to Me, and I will give you rest. Whoever comes to Me, I will never turn away.
(Marcus lays his sword at the feet of the Child under the angel’s radiant gaze. Against a soaring musical backdrop, the Virgin Mary and St Joseph, flanked by two angels reverently bearing a chalice and a broken loaf of bread, come before Marcus and the Child)
Marcus (deeply moved): Lord! God of mercy!
St Joseph: You must be hungry!
Marcus (overwhelmed): Yes, I am hungry and thirsty!
(Marcus receives the chalice and the bread. A host of angels descends onto the stage with great joy)
Marcus (contemplating): ‘Being one with Him, I pass beyond the heavens! And I know that I shall not die, for I am within Life! And that I have the whole of life springing up within me!’
The Virgin Mary (holding the Child in her arms): God has given a sign of brotherhood!
St Joseph: You have come, carried by the thought of this night filled with gentle light!
Scene II: Marcus meets the Magi
Marcus (centre stage): The night of the search for the Way! (He descends into the auditorium. The background music reaches its climax. Warm, gentle light floods the stage. The angels ascend the steps, as if carried by an extraordinary joy. To the same glorious background music, the Magi from the East enter, bearing their gifts. Before the Child, they all kneel. The star pours forth its rich and gentle light. The Magi are in ecstasy.)
Gaspar: Lord, humility has triumphed over pride!
Melchior: The hope of the nations! All that has been has mysteriously and symbolically foreshadowed Your coming into the world!
Balthazar: You have come into the world for our fulfilment! Your origin is from the beginning, from the days of eternity!
Melchior: Through You all things shall be made new! Our questions about heaven and earth shall now be answered!
Gaspar: For in You shall be the words of eternal life! Lord, You have come down to earth so that man might ascend, and so that time might signify an ascent towards deification!
Balthazar: The Incarnation is amongst our fellow human beings so that people may believe! To You we bring gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense! To You we bring everything and for everything! Myrrh, for perfect closeness to the world will not be enough! The sacrifice for the world will follow!
(He places the myrrh at the Child’s feet.)
Melchior: Frankincense for the ministry of peace and of the Redeemer!
Gaspar: Gold, as befits a king, for You are the endless wealth of heavenly Love.
(Loud background music. The Magi of the East exit the stage. Suddenly, darkness falls. An angel appears at the top of the staircase. Background music changes)
Scene III: The Appearance of Herod
Voice: ‘Joseph, get up, take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him!’
(The Virgin Mary, holding the Child in her arms, and Saint Joseph exit the stage, led by angels. Darkness. The clatter of horses’ hooves is heard. Footsteps. Recording. The murderers burst onto the stage. Herod appears, flanked by Roman soldiers.)
Herod: Where is the Child, Marcus? Where are the Magi? I had you brought out of the dungeons of Jerusalem by my command, and what have you done?
Segan: Your Highness, we were but a spear’s throw from them when the sandstorm blinded us and the desert clasped us in its long, harsh arms! We have lost many horses and men, Your Highness!
Voices: Have mercy, Your Highness.
Herod: Listen to me carefully! There is no forgiveness with Herod! As long as a single child remains within the borders of Bethlehem—a single child, mark my words—I shall put you to death in the most terrible torment! Search house by house and cut to pieces all infants under the age of two, and cast them out into the street before my very eyes! Let not their number be a stumbling block! One infant is a beginning, and a beginning means another end! The world must have no other end, nor any other king in Judea! And as for Marcus, search for him even in a snake’s hole and bring him to me at once! (Everyone rushes off the stage.)
(The Massacre. Loud background music. The clatter of horses’ hooves. Wailing.)
Voice: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great lamentation! Rachel wept for her children and would not be comforted, for they are no more!’
(Strong gusts of wind. An earthquake. Herod enters and scans every corner of the cave with a glassy stare. A beam of light falls upon the centre of the stage, where lie the white lambskin, Marcus’s sword, the chalice and the bread)
Scene IV: ‘Herod’s Wrath’ and the confrontation with Eliazar. The Death of Herod
Herod (staring intently at Marcus’s sword): Not a trace of blood… Marcus, I shall find you even in a snake’s hole. Are you discarding your weapons?!
Voice: The Kingdom of Peace, where the humble shall rejoice; the oppressor shall be no more; those who plotted evil shall be destroyed.
Herod (roars): The King of Peace?! Of all the peoples on earth, shall they, and they alone, worship Him?! I am the ruler here, and no one shall wrest my kingdom from me! The bodies of the children lying in the streets of Bethlehem are living proof that I am king here, and no one shall dare to raise their voice! No one shall dare to raise their voice! (echo)…
Eliazar (at the top of the stairs): Your fate, prepared for you, will be a bitter one!
Herod: Eliazar?!
Eliazar: A fool is he who seeks to kill the Lord! He came into the world to bring about a new beginning, to bring light in these times of wickedness, eradicating evil from the minds of men! He came to lift us out of the mire of sin!
Herod: …From the mire of sin?! There is not a single person on the face of the earth who does not wish to dominate his fellow man! (ironically) He came to eradicate evil from people’s minds?! Ha! Ha! Eliazar! Eliazar! When that desire disappears, there will be no more history!
Eliazar: What history? The one you defend with all your might by sacrificing innocent souls? Can there be triumph in tragedy?
Herod (aside): People will always bow down to the powerful; they will glorify the blood that flows in torrents! The insatiable thirst for power is the driving force of history.
Eliazar: To set this confused history aright and to open the New Way through Truth towards true Life!
Herod: And how will He lead humanity towards true Life?
Eliazar: By proclaiming the kingdom of peace, where peace will know no bounds, for the oppressor will be no more!
Herod: And is that enough?
Eliazar (convinced): It is enough! If everyone desires it. And they will desire it!
Herod (approaches the chalice and bread, kneels on one knee, gazes at them in a trance): Will they want it?!… No! (a beam of light falls more intensely upon the chalice and bread) Oh, the dream that ceaselessly troubles my mind! The sky, rolling (he looks up the beam), a body of light embraces the earth fervently (he looks at the cave), the earth that rises, rises ceaselessly, never lacking the depth of pure space (he looks at the chalice), translucent with soft and gentle light! Love!… (Herod throws down Marcus’s sword and stretches out his trembling hands towards the chalice and bread).
Eliazar: The Truth! The Way! Life! The new Law!
(The black figure enters the stage, glaring unpleasantly at Herod.)
Herod (staring into space): The new law?! (He abruptly withdraws his hands)
Eliazar (insistently): There is still time for repentance. We have come under mercy!
Herod (grabbing the sword again, looking first at Eliazar then at the black figure, which is grinning) No!
Eliazar: The hour of choice—do not forget! There is still time for repentance! (He climbs the stairs, enunciating every word clearly. Herod stares at the chalice and the bread. Satan steps in, spreading his arms wide)
Voice: The hour of choice! There is still time for repentance! The absurdity of our lives will be overcome by love, just as you have been given to understand!
Herod (lying on the ground): Oh, a fire is consuming my very insides!
(Satan comes and straddles Herod, placing his sword in his hands, which he then clutches in his huge, black claws.)
Herod: Who are you?
Satan (laughing sarcastically): I am the one whom the world stubbornly believes does not exist. Ha! Ha! (Herod is struck in the chest with the sword)
Herod (thrashing about under Satan’s weight): A state contrary to nature?! You were inside me!!… All this time!?! (Herod thrashes about, then lies motionless. An earthquake. Lightning. A fine, heavy rain. Satan pulls out his long, black soul, rejoicing spasmodically. Herod’s body is illuminated at intervals by flashes of lightning.)
Voice: He ascended the throne like a fox, reigned like a tiger and died like a dog.
(Thunder. Light, dense rain. The scene is illuminated.)
Voice: ‘Joseph, arise, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought to take the Child’s life are dead.’
Curtain
Act III
Eliazar and Marcus
(A sunny day with a clear sky. The vitality of spring is in the air. In the distance, a mountain can be seen, at the foot of which lies a lake of clear water. A path winds through the centre of the set, flanked on either side by lush greenery. The cheerful chirping of birds can be heard. Eliazar enters, dressed as a high priest and carrying a staff, followed by Marcus. They look at each other warmly.)
Eliazar: You know, Marcus, our ancestors wandered through the wilderness in search of the Promised Land for almost as many years as Herod’s reign lasted! (He sits down.) I’ve always thought about this! What a strange coincidence!
Marcus: Many of us wander, Eliazar! I, too, wandered until I met the Child! What served the interests of greedy Rome took precedence above all else! (Pause) I took many lives in the villages near Bethlehem of Judea with reckless serenity!… With reckless composure!…
Eliazar (holding out his hand): You have acknowledged your wrongdoing and repented, Marcus! The hour of choice—do you remember?… I knew you would eventually find the right path! I knew it, Marcus!
Marcus (moved): In his eyes, brighter than the stars in the heavens, I understood that my sins are forgiven, that I have found mercy! Then I truly understood your words, Eliazar!
Eliazar (rising): The words of Holy Scripture!… The words of our prophets long ago foretold the King of Peace who would seek mercy rather than sacrifice! And behold, He has come in the fullness of time! (He takes him by the hand and they both descend into the hall) Mercy means more than strict justice, Marcus! Mercy is of another world; it is the divine breath within us—do not forget this! People become divine only when they clothe themselves in the garment of mercy! Mercy is far above justice, being akin to the uncreated light! Never forget this!
Marcus (intimately): Eliazar, everything you’re telling me, I felt it back then in the divine light that penetrated not only the cave but also my soul, and I made my choice! Do you remember, Eliazar? (emphatically) The hour of choice! And I understood that He came in the form of a man so that we, as human beings, might choose the Way! (The infant enters, dressed in a long white tunic, flanked by the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, followed by angels holding lilies, against a backdrop of uplifting, divine music. The Child comes to the centre of the stage, gazes gently yet penetratingly, raises His hands and bestows a blessing upon the audience. The stage is brightly lit.)
Voice (recording): Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men!
(At either end of the stage, Marcus and Eliazar kneel with their hands clasped in prayer, gazing in ecstasy at the Child. A statuesque group.)
CURTAIN
