"But may not his lineage be ascertained without a doubt from the records of the tribes, and of their families, kept by command of the law of the Temple?" I asked of my uncle.
"Without question. These books of the generations of our people are to be relied on," he answered.
"In fact," said Gamaliel, "they are kept with the greatest accuracy, and it is so ordained by God, for the very reason that when Messias cometh we may know whether he who claims to be such be of the house of David or no. I will examine the book of the generations, and see if his mother and father come of the stock and seed of David."
"And if you find that they do," asked John, with emotion, "can you doubt any longer whether Jesus be the Christ? Will not the fact of his being born in Bethlehem, and of the lineage of David, not to speak of the witness of God's own audible voice, heard by our ears this day, will not these facts lead you to believe that he is the Christ?"
"They will prevent me from actually rejecting him," answered the cold philosopher. "But every child born in Bethlehem, and of the house of David, and there are many of them in Judah, fulfills, so far, the conditions of these two prophecies; these are not, therefore, Messiahs."
"What more can you ask for?" asked Mary, with feeling, for she strongly believed that Jesus was the Christ.
"Miracles," answered the disciple of Gamaliel, glancing at the face of his master inquiringly.
"Yes, miracles," also answered the sage. "The Messiah is to heal the sick by a word, restore sight to the blind, cast out devils, and even raise the dead."
"If he restore the blind and raise the dead, I will doubt no longer," answered Saul.
There was at this moment an interruption caused by noisy altercations in the court among some of John the Baptist's disciples. Rabbi Amos, as host, went out to put an end to these disputings, when Gamaliel retired to his chamber, and the conversation was not renewed.