Volume 2

The Pharisees Lay a Snare for Jesus 199
front of Him. He lifted some of them up to His breast, or
encircled a couple of them with l-lis arms.
From Lazarus's country seat, Jesus went with the three
disciples again southward about four hours, back toward
Ataroth, one of the chief cities of the Sadducees, lying
among the mountains. The Sadducees of this place, like
the Pharisees of Gennabris, had in consequence of what
had taken place at the Pasch persecuted the disciples, inlprisoned
several of them and tormented them with
judicial interrogatories. Some of them also had lately
been in Sichar and had listened insidiously to Jesus' instructions
in which He had censured the harshness of the
Pharisees and Sadducees toward the Samaritans. They
had then resolved upon a plan to ensnare Jesus, and it
was in pursuance of the same that they had engaged Him
to celebrate the Sabbath of Ataroth. But He knew of
their doings, and so went by a different route to Ginnaea.
They had, however, concerted with the Pharisees of Ginnaea
and, on the morning of the Sabbath, they sent
messengers to say to Jesus: HThou hast taught beautiful
things concerning the love of one's neighbor. Thou sayest
that one should love his neighbor as himself. Come, then,
to Ataroth and heal one of our sick. If Thou showest us
this sign, we, as well as the Pharisees of Ginnaea, will all
believe in Thee and we shall spread Thy doctrines
throughout the country."
Jesus knew their wickedness and the plot they had laid
to entrap Him. The man whom, as they pretended, they
wanted Him to cure, had already for several days lain
stiff and dead, but they declared to all the people of the
city that he was only in a trance. His wife herself did not
know that he was dead. Had Jesus raised him up, they
would have said that he was not dead. They went to meet
Jesus and conducted Him to the house of the dead man,
who had been one of the leaders of the Pharisees and had
been most active in annoying the disciples. They were