We wish to sit in the temple and win respect.
I trust you will remember
my generosity in the days to come.
My likeness in the temple for all to see.
Defend his temple against this abomination.
We are lighting a fire that will burn Rome to cinders.
Go to Pilate.
Save the city from a Roman massacre.
Never!
The zealots have formed an alliance with Ethiopia.
They plan to launch a huge uprising
against Rome.
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
LEVI: We are betrayed! Quick!
Forget the Ethiopians' weapons. We still have our own.
Joanna, come with me.
She will be put to death, Claudia.
Cornelius, begin.
(GASPS)
PILATE: This ends here.
(SOBS)
John, what is it?
The statue... the statue of the Emperor,
it's here.
Well, now, here it is.
What do you want?
When I decree it, the statue will be escorted to the temple.
There it shall be placed in the Court of the Women
and there it shall remain until I tell you otherwise.
Governor.
The only uncertainty regards the number of deaths,
and that's where you become useful.
We cannot help you. (SCOFFS)
And I thought we were friends.
Your wife and I are friends. Aren't we?
(INHALES AND EXHALES SHARPLY)
Do you know that your wife...
He's lying.
Your wife came to me
and helped me expose a conspiracy
between Ethiopia and the zealots.
It's our little secret.
And I am in your debt.
But her outburst just now makes me wonder
were you not aware of this?
Maybe I owe you nothing, after all.
My wife delivered this information
with my knowledge and approval.
But, I, myself, am untainted by her actions,
so there is no debt, but you also have
no means by which to blackmail me
or the temple, which seems to me to be
the true purpose of our conversation today.
You have no allies here.
No one to bribe or bully.
And the statue will never, ever enter the temple.
So you say.
But when it comes to it
and my men march toward you,
how will you stop us?
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
We need to get out of Jerusalem.
Why would you abandon the temple?
Because Jesus warned us, "These are the beginnings of sorrows."
There won't be a single stone of the temple left standing, Simon.
Remember what he told us.
"There will be earthquakes and famine and troubles."
So we should pack up and go to the hills.
Yes, let's do that.
The Romans are about to make Jerusalem worship a false idol.
It's not our fight, not anymore.
Who was that? A messenger from the High Priest.
Saying what?
Just that he wants to see me.
On the same day that the statue arrives?
He wants us to fight for him.
And why wouldn't we?
Because they will cut us to pieces.
Why did we believe him when he offered us sanctuary?
He's always just waiting for a chance to use us.
We don't know that. Not yet.
(SEAGULLS CAWING)
(CHILDREN'S LAUGHTER)
In the name of Christ. I forgive you.
(BREATHES HEAVILY)
(THUNDER RUMBLES)
Cornelius,
God has looked kindly on your sorrow and repentance.
Send men to Joppa and find a man called Peter,
who's staying with Simon the Tanner, near the sea.
(EXHALES)
MALE VOICE: Peter, these are looked upon as unclean
but do not call anything impure that God has cleansed.
(WIND BLOWS)
MALE VOICE: There are three men downstairs.
They have come for you.
Go with them. Don't be afraid, because I have sent them.
(SIGHS)
Peter, there are men downstairs.
(LAUGHS)
Why are you smiling?
(HORSES WHINNYING)
(DOG BARKS)
CORNELIUS: You're Peter?
I am.
I had a...
I'm not sure what I should call it,
not a dream, I was awake, but...
I was visited
by I know not what.
An angel.
And I heard your name.
I have been a witness and party to many terrible deeds.
(BREATHES SHAKILY)
And I saw your Jesus die.
And these hands have...
My mind,
(VOICE BREAKS) my heart screams, "Enough."
My friend Joanna.
How is she?
(CRYING)
You killed her.
Didn't you?
(SNIFFLING)
Stand up.
Don't kneel before me.
I'm just a man, like you.
(BREATHES SHAKILY)
Thank you for coming so swiftly.
Well, when the High Priest calls...
I've seen some of your brethren at the temple.
Their delight has been heartwarming.
You know about the statue?
Yes, of course.
See, I am trying to unite the city against this abomination
and I believe that if we all put
our differences aside and stand as one,
then we can repel this barbarity.
Well, that is certainly a noble intention,
but, um, we cannot help.
(EXHALES)
I'm sorry... (EXHALES)
I let you back in, I... I offered you safety.
With hidden conditions, it seems.
Oh, so suddenly you owe me nothing?
What about the temple?
The building, which until this Jesus appeared,
was the center of your universe?
Do you feel nothing for it?
Of course I do.
But I worship Jesus now.
I will split you from your loved ones,
and I will drive your followers,
and their children, into the wilderness.
I will beat and flog and stone you all.
No one will escape.
How quickly you slip into threats.
They were right about you, after all.
No.
(SCREAMS) No.
I am trying to save our city.
But you have no interest
in anything but yourselves.
(NORMAL VOICE) Get out.
(SCREAMS) Get out!
(SIGHS)
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
(SIGHS)
Do you think Pilate noticed?
I did what I had to.
I think he saw through me.
He realized that I have no control over my wife,
that she lies to my face.
Someone had to make the decision.
Goes behind my back.
It had to be done.
What would happen if Pilate told the zealots what you did?
They would kill me. (SCOFFS)
The temple would be endangered.
(SHOUTS) The temple, Leah.
(NORMAL VOICE) Who cares about you,
about an individual, a family?
You're no better than the Nazarenes.
I did it for us.
And you broke my heart in the process.
Go home.
From now on you will stay there.
You are a wife to me in name only.
You're just a name, a shadow.
Without me, you would never be High Priest.
Without my family... Stop talking.
No one's listening.
CORNELIUS: I have to know God's plan for me.
What has He told you?
What has God told me? (CHUCKLES)
I'm not sure. I'm just a fisherman.
(LAUGHTER)
But I've been commanded to preach
His message to the ends of the Earth,
and now I see that you may also find
the salvation that Jesus offers.
So, if I am to do this, then I must welcome you,
and baptize you.
(LAUGHS)
(SPEAKING IN ARAMAIC)
(SPEAKING IN PARTHIAN)
(ALL SPEAKING IN OTHER LANGUAGES)
This is why we came!
This is our mission!
(EXHALES)
(LAUGHS)
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
There was me thinking my daughter had forgotten us.
I apologize.
I'm worried about my husband.
I think the burden of his office has overwhelmed him.
He's become irrational, sometimes violent.
He no longer behaves in a way befitting the role of High Priest.
And what would you have me do about it?
Well, the temple is no longer safe.
It needs your stable influence.
You want us to remove Caiaphas from office?
I think it would be in our family's interest.
Does your poor husband have any idea of what you're plotting?
Would you not want to become High Priest?
He is uniting the nation, Leah.
Every sect in Jerusalem, and beyond, has flocked to his side.
Any attempt to remove him now would only weaken us all.
You're afraid. Stop it.
Stop it now.
Caiaphas is untouchable.
Only death can rob him of his position.
Go back to your husband. No one can help you with this.
She is dangerous, beyond control,
and she will drag us down if we're not careful.
So what shall we do with her?
PILATE: Leave us.
I am the Governor of Judea.
I have responsibilities.
If I refuse to do this, I will be killed
and a new man will gleefully do it instead, and you'll be lost, too.
So I have no choice.
(EXHALES)
What is the matter with you?
You enjoy it.
Is this about that woman?
That stupid Jesus follower?
She was nothing, a symbol, a moment of anger.
A reminder that you must remain loyal to me, that's all.
Is that all she was?
Of course.
I will not dine with you and watch you gloat.
But you are my wife.
You are my wife.
Now, I am fighting them all, on my own, and I am winning.
But I cannot fight against you, too.
Maybe you cannot win every battle.
Oh, yes, I can.
(GRUNTS)
(BREATHES HEAVILY)
(GRUNTS)
You will prepare our evening in exquisite detail,
and you will look beautiful, as you always do.
And together we will win.
This is our life,
yours and mine,
together.
(BREATHES HEAVILY)
CORNELIUS: Please, stay with us for a few more days.
We're all eager to hear more of Jesus' words.
(CHUCKLES)
I don't think this little one will let me go.
(CORNELIUS CHUCKLES)
I can't let you go, either. (CHUCKLES)
I feel so alive, my skin prickles with it.
I wish I had the words.
I feel full, full up, ready to burst.
Centurion.
CORNELIUS: What is it?
No, you can speak.
You're needed back in Jerusalem. Urgently.
Because?
The statue of our Emperor has arrived.
The Governor has ordered you to ensure its safe passage to the temple.
Thank you.
Um...
I, uh, I must go back.
We must, too.
You can't do it.
No, I can't, but I'm a Roman,
and a soldier with orders.
You have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Yes, but I'm still a soldier.
So what will you do?
I will...
I will pray that the Holy Spirit will guide me.
(GRUNTS)
ROMAN SOLDIER: Prepare yourself.
Again!
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
(HORSES WHINNYING)
Don't go.
You have a new life now.
I'll come and find you afterwards.
I'm sorry for what has happened here.
I must speak the truth.
I'm to blame for this.
I knew it. (METAL SWORD RATTLES)
I didn't know what I was doing.
(BREATHING SHAKILY)
I thought I was protecting the temple,
but my husband, he doesn't care about you.
Please forgive him.
It breaks my heart,
but it was my husband who betrayed you.
(EXHALES)
He's looking for you.
How is your family?
They're well, thank you.
Are you ready to carry out your duties?
I was led to the disciples of the Nazarene yesterday.
Led? By whom?
An angel.
(SCOFFS) It's true. I swear.
It was like a dream, except that I was always awake.
And I understand their faith now.
I believe.
You believe? Yes.
So quickly. It's a beautiful thing.
And it could be our escape.
I think my husband is losing his mind.
So leave him.
Come and follow this new faith.
Come and follow Jesus.
You ask a lot.
I need to think.
I'm here, whatever you need.
I thought he was genuine.
I really thought we had a chance to end the...
Let's get out of the city. Great.
Go to the hills and wait for Jesus to return.
Exactly.
No one's moving.
What if this isn't the moment that Jesus comes back?
What if, when it's all over, there are no troubles, no famine?
Just a temple that we abandoned when it needed us most.
The High Priest would come after us.
MARY MAGDALENE: We can't act out of fear.
No. We must follow our conscience.
But thousands will die.
Do you want us to get caught up in that?
Our job is to go out and preach, not fight.
Peter?
BARNABAS: Peter, the Romans, you know what they're like.
You know what they'll do.
Thomas is right.
This is not our fight.
But if we walk away and abandon the building
that Jesus called his father's house,
if we do not try to stop thousands from dying,
if we do nothing, are we not just like
the priest that Jesus told us about,
the one that walked on the other side of the road,
and ignored the man who'd been attacked by robbers.
So we have to act.
We have to help.
In any way we can.
Then let's go.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATION)
I've heard from the schools of Shammai and Hillel.
They will all stand with you.
It's nearly time.
Before you go,
I need to talk to you about your wife.
PILATE: Are you ready?
Yes, Governor.
You have enough men? They understand their duties?
They do.
I would not trust this to any other man.
(EXHALES)
What's the matter?
Nothing.
They're good men.
This city must be taught a lesson today.
If the crowd tries to impede your progress,
kill them all.
(POUNDING ON DOOR)
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
It's coming.
ROMAN SOLDIER 1: Stand back.
Stand aside. Stand aside.
You cannot win this.
Do not be the first to die.
ROMAN SOLDIER 2: Stand back.
Stand back.
Stand aside.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
All pull!
Hold your lines.
Hold.
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
Stand aside, High Priest.
I have my orders. Now, please stand aside.
(INHALES)
(EXHALES)
Do what you have to, Centurion.
You can kill me with a single blow,
but I will instantly be replaced,
and so will the next man and the next.
Even you cannot murder everyone in Jerusalem.
(BREATHES RAPIDLY)
Now, now, now!
(INDISTINCT SCREAMING)
(ARROWS WHISTLING AND THUDDING)
(SWORDS CLATTERING)
(INDISTINCT GRUNTS)
Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name.
APOSTLES: Your kingdom come...
I dwell amongst lions...
Forced to live amidst ravenous beasts.
Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us today our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
Men whose teeth are spears and arrows...
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Be exalted, oh Lord, above the heavens.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
(GRUNTS)
ALL: Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
CAIAPHAS: I dwell amongst lions,
forced to live amidst ravenous beasts,
men whose teeth are spears and arrows...
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
Into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
ALL: I dwell amongst lions, forced to live amidst ravenous beasts.
Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
(INDISTINCT SCREAMING)
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
(MAN MOANS)
What now, Sir?
I'm sorry. There was a sudden rush.
We killed them all, of course,
but we couldn't save the statue.
We did try, Centurion.
I'm sure.
If we must fall on our swords for our failures...
There will be no more death today.
Get the men and the statue back to the palace.
Yes, sir. Right away.
Are you hurt?
Me? No, why?
I thought I saw you fall.
(WOMAN SOBBING)
You have your orders.
Yes, sir.
Soldiers. Regroup.
(SIGHS)
Come.
(EXHALES)
(CRYING)
(CART WHEELS CLATTER)
(WOMAN CRYING)
You were right.
The prophecy would not be fulfilled today.
And the temple is saved.
But what about Jesus?
I thought this was it.
I thought I would see Him again.
THOMAS: Today, now.
Did you see the Centurion?
He didn't fight.
Did none of you see him?
He knelt.
He knelt before you, Peter.
A Centurion?
Why would he do such a thing?
Because I baptized him.
You did what?
PILATE: He'll send another.
And then another. (EXHALES)
I can't believe it's not over.
What do you think?
What do you care?
I'll bring in more men next time.
I'll crucify forty women in the morning to keep them in their houses,
kill anyone who's seen on the streets. That'll do the trick.
I need to speak with Cornelius.
We can win this.
I just need to be tougher with them.
Your plans disgust me.
They come with the job.
I loathe you.
I need to see the High Priest and his wife.
Face them down.
You will organize food and drink
to mask any unpleasantness, yes?
Are you not listening?
I cannot bear to be one more moment in your presence.
Where would you go?
Somewhere you could never find me.
You've seen how I deal with my enemies.
You don't think I would fight as hard for you?
You almost make it sound romantic.
(BREATHES SHAKILY)
You know who I am and what I am,
and we are bound together.
Then I cut our ties.
I slash them apart.
You will never see me again.
Come back. No.
(WHISPERS) Come back.
Is he ready for me? What?
The Governor, he summoned me.
I...
I suppose.
I shouldn't keep him waiting.
How many did you kill?
I killed no one. (BREATHES RAPIDLY)
I abandoned my post. I don't know how I'm still alive.
You didn't fight?
Did anyone see? Possibly.
Then if my husband learns the truth...
I'll be executed as a traitor.
(WHISPERS) We can run.
I have money, money enough to buy us protection.
Where would we go?
(CHUCKLES) To the ends of the Earth.
You really want me to leave him?
Of course. You're so unhappy.
You want me to leave him for you.
For Jesus.
My wife and children are packed and ready to leave.
We'll find Peter and the other apostles and have you baptized.
You'll find such happiness.
It doesn't matter where we live,
once we have Him in our hearts.
Claudia?
I'm a fool.
I'm such a fool.
It is a big decision, one fraught with danger, but...
I am the wife of the Governor of Judea.
How can I?
No one will be turned away.
For all my sins, they took me in.
You don't understand.
You can be free.
I cannot.
PILATE: (SCREAMS) Claudia!
(SIGHS)
He calls.
I must go.
(GASPS SOFTLY)
God came to me. I was hesitant, not sure of His meaning.
But a Roman. I was doubtful, too.
And I know how strange it may seem, but...
You! (GRUNTS)
(GASPS) You!
You will come with me, now.