Motion Picture Story Magazine (Feb-Jul 1911)

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HEROD AND THE NEW BO EX KING 81 Ten days after the birth of the babe in Bethlehem, Herod, King of the Jews, sat in a chamber of his palace in Jerusalem. Clad in robes of sumptuous purple, bordered with crimson, a heavy gold chain supporting a dagger at his waist ; bony hands, drawn and knotted with pair, a face stamped with vice and disease; fierce, restless eyes, deep sunken under heavy brows, — this was Herod, hated and feared by every subject in his empire. Long had he reigned in Jerusalem. Now, nearly at the end of life, seventy years of evil deeds behind him, he guarded his throne with ever-increasing jealousy, never relaxing his suspicious vigilance, his boundless greed and cunning. Long he sat pondering, gloom, doubt, rage, even terror, playing upon his countenance. At last, as the shadows gathered, he turned to an attendant. "Bring lights, and send Miriam to me/' he commanded. Miriam came. A dark, voluptuous beauty, at the sight of whom Herod's face lost a trace of its gloom. "Tell me, Miriam/' he began abruptly, with no form of greeting, "what is known of the three travelers from the East who came to our gates this morning?" "They are strange men/' replied Miriam, "mounted upon great white camels with rich trappings. Their apparel is sumptuous and their speech shows them to be men of learning and culture. This I learned from the Captain of the Guards." "And their question?" demanded Herod fiercely, "what is this question which they ask?" "They ask," said Miriam, looking fixedly into Herod's angry eyes, "where is he that is born King of the Jews, for we have seen his star in the East and have coiug to worship him." "The star in the East!" repeated Herod contemptuously, "an idle delusion, a foolish' trick of the imagination. But tell me, Miriam, hast ever heard of the old prophecy ?" "Yes, often," assented Miriam. "This afternoon," the king continued, "1 assembled the wisest men of Jerusalem to search the records and tell me concerning this prophecy. They say that the child should be born in Bethlehem of Judea. Thus reads the parchment : 'And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come a governor who shall rule my people Israel." " The face of the old king was livid with rage and despair. "Has this thing come to pass?"' he cried. "Is the prophecy fulfilled? Shall my kingdom go from me in my old age ?" "Listen," said Miriam, her gleaming, tigerish eyes holding the old man's fevered ones. "Listen ! if this be true, no rumor has yet gone abroad from Bethlehem, but six miles distant. There appears no knowledge of it save by these three men of the East, to whom it has been revealed." "What would you have me do ?" said the king, fascinated by the intensity of her gaze. "Send for them. Tell them the child should be born in Bethlehem. Bid them go there with rich gifts to find the babe, but secretly to return to you with tidings. Charge them to tell no man in Jerusalem, so that you may go and worship the new-born king and announce him to the people with due and fitting ceremony. Then, when they return to you, if they have indeed found such a babe," — -she bent forward, her dark face afire with the light of a wild beast which sees its prev — • "Yes." breathed Herod, "if they have indeed found such a babe, — " "If the three wise men should not live to leave the castle, if the ha be should die in infancy, how then can thy throne be shaken, oh, king?" "Wonderful art thou, oh, woman!" exclaimed Herod ; "let the travelers be brought in at once." Two hours later, high on a tower of the palace, Miriam stood with Herod looking out toward the plain of E phi-aim, beyond the gates of Joppa. Three tall figures, outlined against the gray sky. were rocking silently forward over the plain.