At this Hazael was much moved, and they talked of Jesus, Joseph saying that he had suffered cruelly for teaching that the Kingdom of God is in our own hearts; for to teach that religion is no more than a personal aspiration is to attack the law, which, though given to us by Moses, existed beforetimes in heaven, always observed by the angels, and to be observed by them for time everlasting.  Jesus, then, set himself against the Temple?  Hazael said slowly, looking into Joseph’s eyes.  In a measure, Joseph answered, but it was the priests who exasperated the people against him, and what I have come here for, beyond his companionship on the journey is to beg of you to put no questions to him.  A day may come when he will tell his story if he remain with thee.  Here he is safe, Hazael said, and I pray God that he may remain with us.  But where is Jesus?  Hazael asked, and they sought him in the terraces, where the monks were at work among the vines.  See our fig-trees already in leaf.  Without our figs we should hardly be able to live here, and it is thy transport that enables us to sell our grapes and our figs and the wine that we make, for we make wine, though there are some who think it would be better if we made none.

It was thou that urged Pilate to free these hills from robbers, and hadst thou not done so we shouldn’t have been able to live here.  But I’m thinking of so many things that I have lost thought of him whom we seek.  He cannot have passed this way, unless, indeed, he descended the terrace towards the bridge, and he could hardly have done that.  He has gone up the hills, and they will help to put the past out of his mind.  And, talking of Jesus’ early life in the cenoby, and of his knowledge of flocks and suchlike, Hazael led Joseph through the long house and up some steps on to a rubble path.  The mountain seems to be crumbling, Joseph said, and looked askance at the quiet room built on the very verge of the abyss.  Where thou’lt sleep when thou honourest us with a visit, Hazael said, which will be soon, we trust, he continued; for we owe a great deal to thee, as I have already explained, and now thou com’st with a last gift—­our shepherd.

On these words they passed under an overhanging rock which Joseph said would fall one day.  One day, replied the Essene, all the world will fall, and I wish we were as safe from men as we are from this rock.  Part of the bridge over the brook is of wood and it can be raised.  But the ledge on which we live can be reached only from the hills by this path, and it would be possible to raid us from this side.  Thou seest here a wall, a poor one, it is true; but next year we hope to build a much stronger wall, some twenty feet high and several feet in thickness, and then we shall be secure against the robbers if they would return to their caves.  We have little or nothing to steal, but wicked men take pleasure in despoiling even when there is nothing to gain:  our content would fill them with displeasure, he said, as he sought the key.