I Appeal To Caesar!

There are no roads on Sinai’s slopes, but Paul is surprised to see, from time to time, various seekers of truth, men who look like human skeletons, their skin burned black by the sun, their leathery faces frozen in glum expression. These withered, half-dead seekers are Essenes, disciples of John the Baptist, or some other group. All are on a quest to find and experience the Kingdom of God. Their days are spent in endless efforts of prayer and meditation, their nights in mountain caves from which they view the stars, attempting to somehow find their destiny there. At times their wailing, howling cries are loud and disconcerting; at other times there is an absolute silence that can be felt. * * * * * Saul discovers there are no roads that lead to the summit of Sinai; possibly a few rough animal trails that would be difficult even for experienced hikers. Keeping to himself, Saul has no desire for the human companionship of the few gaunt, misguided visionaries with their self-induced hysteria and strange visions induced by physical deprivations of the body. Saul spends several weeks on the intermediate slopes of the mountain in times of personal, prolonged prayer; he searches and waits to see if God will speak to him. Saul longs for personal time with Jesus the Man of God. The human bones on the desert speak to those who will listen.

This present time is, of course, in marked contrast to the time when he actually saw Jesus, the Messiah of Light!