The superiors in Capernaum summoned others and sent them after Me; but these too had much storm to contend with, for the time of autumn—that is, properly early autumn, which is the dog days—was already near, and at such a time there were always storms in Galilee, and all the more on that land’s sea. Only on the fifth day did they arrive at the place where I was still staying and demand to speak with Me; but I did not admit them, for I knew what they wanted. Instead I had them informed that I would remain here longer and visit the neighboring places from here, and that they should keep quiet, otherwise things might go very badly for them!
But it was precisely the after-Sabbath, which is now Sunday, and moreover an exceedingly clear and beautiful day, and Kisjonah came to Me and proposed to Me and everyone present that we climb the nearest very high mountain.
This was a mountain that as yet had no name; for geography was then still very much in its infancy, and so most mountains, valleys, plains, lakes, brooks and smaller rivers had no generally established names of their own, but only those by which the people living nearby occasionally named them. But it was always most difficult with the names of mountains.
Mountains that did not stand alone like a Tabor, a Lebanon, an Ararat and a Sinai, but belonged to a great and extensive mountain chain, generally had no name of their own except in part a merely local and temporary one, not infrequently after a wealthy mountain owner who kept his herds there. When in time another owner came, such a mountain also received another name, and so this mountain too, because it was the toll collector’s property and properly already belonged to Greece, was named after its owner.
For that reason this place too, lying on the boundary between Galilee and Greece, was a chief toll station, since from it a quite well-laid pack trail led from Galilee across the mountains to Greece, along which many thousands of merchants of every kind traveled, transporting their varied goods on camels, packhorses and asses.
When the newly arrived Pharisees heard that we intended to climb the high mountain, they asked Kisjonah whether they might join the company. Kisjonah said: ‘If you wish or are able to be of good will, then the mountain, which from here towards Greece for about twenty hours’ journey in length and about five hours’ journey in width is entirely my property, has room enough to receive you too. But I, as a Greek and now a most ardent follower of the holy and, in my conviction, only true teaching of this most divine Master of all masters, could have no use for you as malicious spies of the priesthood of Capernaum and Jerusalem; I would have to protect myself from your company by every means at my disposal! Question your heart: if it is pure, you have free passage; if it is impure, you may at once return to where you came from!’
The Pharisees say: ‘We are pure and have no guile in our hearts. We are confessors of Moses and are Jews, just as Jesus too is a Jew and can never destroy the law of Moses. But from every side a mighty report of his deeds and teachings is spreading, and we must therefore be very concerned whether his teachings and deeds do not dissolve Moses! If they confirm Moses and the prophets, we too shall accept them; if they do the opposite, it surely goes without saying that we must oppose them!’
The toll collector says: ‘As you have now spoken here, all your ancestors also spoke to the prophets, and afterwards have stoned them as deniers of God, and I know very few who were not stoned! And yet on every occasion you cite the prophets and boast of them! But your ancestors were precisely what you are, and you are all not a hair better than your ancestors who stoned the prophets; therefore I do not trust you concerning this holy Prophet of all prophets either.
‘You do indeed call yourselves confessors of Moses, but in your doing you are farther from Moses than this earth is from heaven! Therefore examine yourselves as to whether you are worthy to climb this mountain of mine with us!’
I say to Kisjonah: ‘Let them come along; if it becomes too much for them, they will surely turn back! For none of them has ever climbed a mountain! Perhaps this high mountain’s purest air will cleanse their hearts somewhat?’
Kisjonah was satisfied with that, and we began the upward journey, provided with everything possible.
His five daughters were not absent and were around Me like chicks, asking Me about all kinds of things concerning primordial creation and the coming into being of such mountains, and I explained everything to them according to their capacity to grasp it. The many disciples too, and a crowd of people accompanying us, listened to My discussions wherever they could and delighted in them most highly.
But Nathanael, who was most deeply imbued with My divinity, spoke to the mountain from time to time and said: ‘O mountain! Do you feel who He is who now sets His feet upon you?’ And whenever Nathanael put such a great question to the mountain, it trembled so that everyone perceived it.
But the Pharisees became greatly afraid at this and began to persuade the people ‘not to venture farther up; it might be a mountain holy from ancient times, which no unworthy person was permitted to tread, otherwise the mountain would begin to quake and rage and destroy everyone because of that one unworthy person!’
But the people said: ‘Then you alone turn back, for the mountain, which we have often climbed, has never trembled on our account!’
Then the Pharisees began to grumble about the people, and the mountain trembled again during their grumbling. They thereupon quickly turned back and ran as fast as they could down from the mountain into the plain, and in this way we were at once rid of the troublesome companions.
We then continued our journey quite peacefully and towards evening reached Kisjonah’s extensive alpine farms, where we also spent the night. Only on the second day, because of the women’s weariness, did we undertake the ascent of the mountain’s highest peak, from which there was an uncommonly beautiful and wide view over all Judea, Samaria, Galilee and a large part of Greece.