Good evening! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Caiaphas. I was the high priest in the land of Palestine when the man you call Jesus was arrested an put on trial. But I'm getting ahead of myself; how about if I go back to the beginning of my story?

My beloved Palestine was living through times which were filled with turmoil. Rome had been ruling over us as a captive people for over 50 years, and opinions were varied as to what should be done to resolve this impossible situation. One group believed in guerilla warfare, and wholesale armed rebellion would have suited them fine. Another group, known as the Essenes, had struggled for years. They used the devout life and careful allegiance to the Scriptures to somehow cope with the menace of Rome. But they had finally given up and retired…