It was to gain my favour that he promised to summon a council (the Sanhedrin), and on the day appointed, ordering my chains to be unlocked, introduced me to the Jews as a free man, saying he would remain to hear the discussion.  Brothers, I have lived till to-day in good conscience before God.  On that the High Priest ordered those that stood by him to strike me on the face.  God shall strike thee, thou whited wall, I answered him, for thou sittest to judge me according to the law, and breaking the law thou orderest me to be struck.  Those that were present said:  so that is how thou revilest the High Priest.  I did not know he was the High Priest, I answered:  if I had I should not have spoken as I spoke, for is it not written, thou must not insult the chief of thy people?

As I spoke these words, I saw that the assembly was divided into two parts, that each part was inspired by different ideas, and that one part, the Sadducees, were determined upon my death.  Therefore my words were, brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee, do you know of what they accuse me?  Of saying that the dead will be raised out of their graves for judgment, a thing which you all believe.  So did I divide my enemies, persuading the Pharisees thereby to defend me, and they, believing the story I told of my vision on the road to Damascus, said:  let us hear nothing against him, a spirit or angel may have spoken to him.  But the Sadducees were the stronger party, and dividing the Pharisees with their arms many rushed to kill me, and they would have done this if the Captain of the Guard had not sent soldiers to my assistance, who with difficulty rescued me from the Jews and brought me back to the castle.

I was sorry for the Captain of the Guard, who came to me and said:  I know not how this will end or what to do with thee, and I answered him:  there are knots in every business, and the clever man unties them, and thou’lt find a way of untying this knot in thy sleep to-night....  And I likewise, which was true, for a vision came to me that night, Jesus himself, and he said:  thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem and thou shalt testify of me in Rome, and Jesus having said this much, I knew that I should go to Rome, how I should go I knew not, but I knew that I should go and had no fear when my sister’s son, my nephew, came to me next day and said:  forty of the Jews have banded together to kill thee, Uncle, and this is how they will do it.  They will present a petition to the Chief Captain to have thee down among the council again so that they may question thee regarding some points of the law which they affirm thou hast transgressed.  Thou must not go down to them, Uncle, for they have knives concealed under their cloaks, and are upon oath neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed thee.