尼祿帝〔37-68AD〕〔統治期：54-68AD〕

NAZARETH人約書亞的故事，希臘人稱他為耶穌

羅馬建城第783年秋〔西元62年〕，羅馬內科醫師 AEsculapius Cultellus寫信給他在敘利亞軍隊服役的姪子，內容如下：

親愛的姪子，

數日前，我被請去為一個名叫保羅的病人開藥方。他似是一位猶太裔的羅馬公民〔筆者注：就如同今日的華裔美國公民一樣〕，受過良好教育，態度和善。據說，他在此地是為了一件法律訟案，一件來自東地中海的Caesarea〔筆者注：該撒利亞，今以色列濱海城市；新約聖經使徒行傳〔The Acts〕保羅第2次啟程出發的城市〕或像這樣地方的我們羅馬行省的一個法庭上訴案。有人向我描述他是一個“狂野暴戾的”傢伙，到處演講，反對羅馬人民與法律。我發現他很聰明而且誠實。

我的一個朋友，過去曾於駐紮在小亞細亞的軍隊中服務，告訴我說：他在以弗所〔筆者注：今土耳其西部濱海城市；新約聖經使徒行傳保羅第2,3次都去過的地方〕曾聽過有關保羅的事，他正在當地宣揚佈道有關一個奇特的新上帝。我問我的病人，這是否真實，且他是否曾要人民起來反叛違逆受吾人愛戴的皇帝的意志。保羅回答我說，他所談論的王國不是這個現世世界的王國，而且他又說了許多我不了解的奇怪話語，但這也許是因為他生病發燒的關係。

他的人格特質給了我深刻的印象，而且我很遺憾地得悉他於幾天前在Ostian路上被人殺死了。因此，我給你寫這封信。當你下次造訪耶路薩冷時，請你調查一下有關我的朋友保羅及那一位似乎曾是他老師的奇特猶太先知的事。我們的奴隸對於這位所謂的救世主彌賽亞日漸過於興奮，而且有若干公開談論這個新王國〔不管它代表何種意義〕的人已被釘死在十字架上。我想知道有關這些謠言的真實情況。

你忠實的叔叔 AESCULAPIUS CULTELLUS           敬上

THE STORY OF JOSHUA OF NAZARETH, WHOM

THE GREEKS CALLED JESUS

IN the autumn of the year of the city 783 (which would be
62 A.D., in our way of counting time) AEsculapius Cultellus, a
Roman physician, wrote to his nephew who was with the army
in Syria as follows:

My dear Nephew,
A few days ago I was called in to prescribe for a sick man
named Paul. He appeared to be a Roman citizen of Jewish
parentage, well educated and of agreeable manners. I had
been told that he was here in connection with a law-suit, an appeal
from one of our provincial courts, Caesarea or some such
place in the eastern Mediterranean. He had been described to
me as a ``wild and violent'' fellow who had been making
speeches against the People and against the Law. I found him
very intelligent and of great honesty.

A friend of mine who used to be with the army in Asia
Minor tells me that he heard something about him in Ephesus
where he was preaching sermons about a strange new God. I
asked my patient if this were true and whether he had told the
people to rebel against the will of our beloved Emperor. Paul
answered me that the Kingdom of which he had spoken was
not of this world and he added many strange utterances which
I did not understand, but which were probably due to his
fever.

His personality made a great impression upon me and I
was sorry to hear that he was killed on the Ostian Road a few
days ago. Therefore I am writing this letter to you. When
next you visit Jerusalem, I want you to find out something
about my friend Paul and the strange Jewish prophet, who
seems to have been his teacher. Our slaves are getting much
excited about this so-called Messiah, and a few of them, who
openly talked of the new kingdom (whatever that means) have
been crucified. I would like to know the truth about all these
rumours and I am
Your devoted Uncle,
AESCULAPIUS CULTELLUS.