The Witness of a Roman Soldier

By Doyle Hammon

When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple. He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. The Pilate commanded the body to be dilevered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting against the sepulcher. Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, "After three days I will rise again." Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse that the first." Pilate said unto them "Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can." So they went and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone and setting a watch. (Matthew 27:57-66) In the end of the Sabbath, as it begun to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women "Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (Matthew 28:1-6) Is it not possible and reasonable as well that the "watch," also referred to as the "keepers," were young Roman soldiers Carsus and Felix and that they were witness to the great event described in the above scripture?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781635258714

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The Witness

of a

Roman Soldier

Doyle Hammon

ISBN 978-1-63525-870-7 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63525-871-4 (Digital)

Copyright © 2017 by Doyle Hammon

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

296 Chestnut Street

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

This story is a figment of the author’s imagination.

The location, the events that took place, and the people involved are all true.

The source material was the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Printed in the United States of America

To my children, all eleven of them.

And my grandchildren, all forty-six of them

(at the time of this writing).

Chapter 1

It was cold and damp in the cell. Felix sat in the corner and shuddered as a large rat wandered along the opposite wall. Get out of here! he said hoarsely.

What? Did you say something, Felix? Carsus said from the adjoining cell.

Felix slowly got to his feet and walked four paces to the front of the cell. The rat scurried quickly under the door. It’s these rats, Carsus. They make me sick! he answered.

It was the first week in April in the year later to be known as AD 33. AD is the abbreviation for Anno Domini, which means in Latin in the year of the Lord. The jail the two young Roman soldiers were incarcerated in was an old abandoned warehouse in the heart of downtown Jerusalem. The Roman Army had taken it over and threw up some make-shift partitions to create three-by-ten cells. The outside walls were thick cold, damp, yet solid and impenetrable stone. The inhabitants were murderers, deserters, those who refused to take orders from their superiors, or in other words, traitors. The fate of all prisoners of this unhappy place was certain death.

Therefore, security was maximum, guards were numerous, and escape, totally impossible.

What will become of us, Felix? Carsus said, choking back a sob.

I fear the worst, my friend, Felix answered slowly.

But we have done nothing that we should deserve to die! Carsus sank in despair to the damp floor, littered with the filth of predecessors, as there were no toilet facilities provided.

You are right, my friend. But if we can’t find a way to escape this place, we surely will die. Felix paced back and forth against the door wherein there was one small window, barely a foot square, which let in a small amount of late afternoon sunlight that had somehow found its way into this man-made hell.

Footsteps echoed in the corridor as a guard approached. His hardware jangled on his belt, and he stopped directly in front of Felix’s cell. A face appeared in the small window. Felix stared into the face for some time before he was able to recognize Narious, a fellow soldier he knew well. ’Twas a stupid thing you and Carsus did, Felix, the face said. How could you let someone steal the body of the Jew called Jesus right out from under your noses? The face grinned at Felix. And then to not only desert your posts, but to make up that cock-and-bull story you told and lie about the whole thing. ’Twas a stupid thing to do indeed."

Narious, it was not a cock-and-bull story! It was the truth. I swear it! It happened just like we said! It was not an ordinary man who rolled the stone away from the tomb. We could not have stopped him from doing what he did had we tried! Oh! Such a being he was! Felix swallowed hard. As for our deserting our posts, had we been really and truly deserters, would we have run back to the barracks and shouted to all the amazing things we had seen?

I’ve heard the story you told. Nobody’s going to believe that! I think you were both full of fresh wine, went to sleep, and had a nightmare! Narious laughed quietly. But it does pain me deeply to see you boys in a mess like this. Death most certainly awaits you both.

Unless you help us get out of here, Felix whispered.

Help you get . . . You’re crazy, Felix!

Narious, we don’t deserve to die! Even if we did make it all up. Even if what we saw in the garden at the tomb was a nightmare! We don’t deserve to die, Narious, and you can give us a chance to get out of here. Only you!

Carsus was on his cot, now listening intently to the conversation in the next cell.

How could I help you escape? If I were caught talking to you like I am right now, I would be stripped of my weapons and thrown in here with you. No, Felix, my friend, there is nothing I can do for you.

Narious backed away from the window and turned to walk away.

Wait, Narious! Felix pleaded. Think for a minute. You could come back past on a routine check of the prisoners just before you go off duty, could you not? It will be dark then. Your candle would be dim enough, no one would recognize you. As you check our cells to see if they are secure, you could unlatch them and go on your way. Then be gone with you back to the barracks. We will wait several hours until the dead of night when everyone sleeps. Then we leave our cells. It will be up to us to get past the guards and out of here.

Narious listened to the pleading of Felix with his back to the cell door. He had heard enough. He slowly walked away without a word. Felix heard his muffled footsteps grow dimmer. Narious, he whispered hoarsely, his face pressed into the small window. I ask you nothing I would not gladly do for you . . . The footsteps were gone.

Felix whispered again. Carsus? Did you hear that?

I heard. But what of it’? He will do nothing.

I’m not so sure, my friend. Let’s wait and see.

And if he does, and we get caught, we will be run through by the sword that very instant.

So? We will die anyhow. I’m willing to chance it. If you won’t, then stay here. But if you stay, then rat on Narious, or me, may a hundred devils plague your soul through all eternity.

Felix, do you not realize, if we did make it, we would have to hide the rest of our lives?

Carsus, is that not better than death?

The hours dragged by. I am sure Narious is off duty by now, Felix thought to himself as he lay in the corner of his cell, shivering. Carsus is right. He is not going to help us.

Suddenly, there were muffled footsteps in the hall. Felix gasped and held his breath. They stopped at the cell next to his and he heard a muffled click. Felix’s heart stopped beating. The footsteps proceeded to his cell door where there was another muffled click, then proceeded on down the corridor. Not a word was spoken. Not a sound could be heard after the footsteps disappeared. Felix caught his breath and swallowed hard. Narious had not failed them! Both his and Carsus’s cell doors were unlatched! Now to fulfill their end of the bargain. They must wait patiently for a sufficient amount of time to allow their friend to return to the barracks and be fast asleep in his bunk before they made their break. Felix knew from the past two nights that during the dead of night, no guards penetrated the dark halls of the dungeon, even though they no doubt were supposed to check the cell doors before the end of each shift. So they would be comparatively safe until toward morning, and that would be the best time to make a break for it. He forced himself to settle down for the long wait. How he wanted to talk to Carsus, to make plans, to share his excitement! But no, he must do absolutely nothing, act as if he were asleep, make no noise at all, and hope that Carsus would have the presence of mind to do the