[from Oscar Wilde's Salome]
FIRST NAZARENE
The daughter of Jairus was dead. This Man raised her from the dead.
HEROD
How! He raises people from the dead?
FIRST NAZARENE
Yea, sire; He raiseth the dead.
HEROD
I do not wish Him to do that. I forbid Him to do that. I suffer no man to raise the dead. This Man must be found and told that I forbid Him to raise the dead. Where is this Man at present?
SECOND NAZARENE
He is in every place, my lord, but it is hard to find Him.
FIRST NAZARENE
It is said that He is now in Samaria.
A JEW
It is easy to see that this is not Messias, if He is in Samaria. It is not to the Samaritans that Messias shall come. The Samaritans are accursed. They bring no offerings to the Temple.
SECOND NAZARENE
He left Samaria a few days since. I think that at the present moment He is in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem.
FIRST NAZARENE
No; He is not there. I have just come from Jerusalem. For two months they have had no tidings of Him.
HEROD
No matter! But let them find Him, and tell Him, thus saith Herod the King, "I will not suffer Thee to raise the dead." To change water into wine, to heal the lepers and the blind . . . . He may do these things if He will. I say nothing against these things. In truth I hold it a kindly deed to heal a leper. But no man shall raise the dead . . . . It would be terrible if the dead came back.
Full textVan Gogh painting info
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