More Elene IV

“You doomed him to death who himself wakened from death
the world in bands of men in the olden life of your own kin.
So you began, heart-blind, to mix up lies for truth,
light with darkness, envy with honor, with guileful thoughts
wove yourselves a wrong. For that damnation harms you guiltfully.
You judged that radiant power and lived that error in dark thoughts,
until this day. Now go forth quickly, consider your counselors,
skillful and wise-fast men, crafty in their words, those that have
your law first in their noble hearts, they know how to say to me truly,
to reveal an answer on your behalf for every token that I will seek of them.” (302b-19)

Then they went away sorrow-minded, earls skilled in the law,
tormented with terror, with anxiety of sorrow, eager to seek out
those wisest in wordy mysteries, so that they could answer the queen
whether good or evil, just as she sought from them.
Then they found one thousand men in a band, wise-souled,
those among the Jews that knew most completely
the olden memories. Then they gathered in a group where
the Caesar’s kinswoman awaited in majesty upon her throne,
the magnificent war-queen adorned in gold. (320-31)