Episode 61
When the Pope first ambitiously pushed for this council, few truly believed it would actually take place.
Not only the cardinals, but even Richard and Philip Augustus speculated that the Pope’s true aim wasn’t the council itself.
The Eastern Orthodox Church might be on board, but Islam was sure to oppose it, leading many to suspect it was all part of a larger scheme.
Everyone thought so, and perhaps even the Pope himself harbored similar thoughts.
To be honest, even I didn’t expect Islam to agree so readily.
Of course, there were a few conditions attached, but nothing too unreasonable—except for one thing.
“Holding the meeting in Jerusalem is acceptable. It’s a holy city for both Islam and Christianity, so it carries enough symbolic weight.”
“Jerusalem was also the site of the first Christian council, where Apostle James, the brother of Christ, organized the doctrine. It’s a historic place where the divided Catholic and Orthodox Churches can reunite, with Islam joining in. There’s no better place.”
Even Robert, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and the Patriarch of Constantinople, a symbol of the Orthodox Church, easily agreed.
I had no objections to holding the meeting in Jerusalem either.
Though it’s under Islamic control, it’s a venue prepared by none other than Saladin.
He surely has some ulterior motives, but at least we can rule out any underhanded attacks.
They even agreed not to object to a certain level of escort troops, understanding our concerns.
The Orthodox Church, which doesn’t have a bad relationship with Saladin, had no reason to refuse either.
Even within the Catholic Church, some believed that while Islam might be difficult, Saladin was someone they could talk to, so there wasn’t as much opposition as expected.
The real issue wasn’t the location.
“But letting those Jews join in is just absurd, isn’t it?”
Robert muttered as if chewing on the words, and the bishops from the Vatican nodded in agreement.
“Their audacity is just exasperating. They don’t know where they belong.”
“Exactly. The thought of them participating in such a historic event is nauseating.”
Despite the Vatican’s criticism, the Orthodox figures didn’t object.
Patriarch Georgios II held his tongue for the sake of appearances, but other bishops openly agreed with the Catholic stance.
“Jews have always been like that, haven’t they? They probably still think Jerusalem belongs to them.”
“Well, that’s why they faced bloody purges, yet they never seem to learn…”
“But why did Saladin agree to the Jews’ demands? Did they shower Islam with money or something?”
I shared what I knew.
“Surprisingly, Jews get along relatively well in Islamic regions. Of course, it’s all relative.”
Unlike in Western Europe or the Byzantine Empire, where they were consistently treated poorly, Jews in Islamic regions experienced varying degrees of treatment over time.
In fact, even in Europe, before the Crusades, Jews could live relatively peacefully.
But in a Europe dominated by Christianity, the stigma of being the people who killed Jesus never faded.
When the Crusades began, Jews living in and around Jerusalem were brutally massacred by the Crusaders.
Of course, Western Europeans saw this as ‘cleansing’ and took it for granted, and the Byzantine Empire also joined in persecuting Jews.
Jews, who had accumulated considerable wealth, were seen as a reliable source of gold when plundered.
Knowing this background, Patriarch Georgios II asked curiously.
“Prophet, I heard that Islam doesn’t like Jews either. Was I mistaken?”
“You’re not wrong. The Prophet Muhammad officially branded Jews as wicked. As I mentioned, it’s all relative. Saladin is quite a lenient person. Didn’t he even return a Jewish synagogue in Jerusalem?”
“I see. So they must have petitioned Saladin to let them join. Saladin probably expected us to be reluctant and accepted.”
“That might not be the only reason… but in this council, Islam and Judaism do share a common goal.”
Naturally, neither Islam nor Judaism recognizes me.
The Jews, who have maintained a strong sense of nationalism since ancient times, can’t fathom that someone who isn’t Jewish could be a prophet sent by Yahweh.
They’ve been so vocal about it that once, in a fit of anger, Richard had all the Jewish merchants in England executed.
Saladin’s decision to allow Jewish participation might be a strategy to use them to counterbalance me.
After all, making an enemy of your enemy is a basic strategy in warfare.
“Anyway, I understand that everyone here dislikes Jews, but we don’t have a valid reason to reject them. Jerusalem is also a holy city for Judaism, and we can’t deny that the Old Testament is their scripture.”
“Well, that’s true…”
“And many Jews participated in the first council. If this council is an extension of the original Jerusalem council, wouldn’t it be fitting to include them?”
“That’s true, but…”
In reality, neither Robert nor Georgios II intended to use this as a reason to reject Islam’s proposal.
They were just annoyed by the presence of Jews.
Robert sighed deeply and clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, we have no choice. But if we look at it from a different perspective, it might not be so bad. We could use this opportunity to completely humble those arrogant Jews.”
“Oh, that’s an interesting way to look at it. If they acknowledge the Prophet, they’ll have to take responsibility and apologize for all their past misdeeds.”
“But do you think they’ll listen? These are the people who crucified Christ despite witnessing his miracles.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the hopeless perception of Jews.
As I silently listened to their complaints, Georgios II spoke to me again.
“Prophet, what do you think? Will the Jews ever acknowledge you?”
“Of course not. If they did, they’d have to acknowledge Christianity, and if they acknowledge Christianity, they’d have to admit they crucified the Messiah. Could you accept that, Your Holiness?”
”…I couldn’t.”
“Exactly. It’s not that they won’t; they can’t.”
Judaism teaches its followers to endure their current hardships while waiting for the Messiah to come and save them.
But if it turns out the Messiah has already come and they killed him, what then?
“Then isn’t inviting them to the council a waste of time?”
“Not at all. Even if they can’t openly acknowledge it, we can make them accept it in their hearts.”
I didn’t say it out loud, but it’s always better to have two allies than one.
If the Catholics and Orthodox were to attack Islam unilaterally, the council wouldn’t proceed smoothly.
Making an enemy of your enemy is a strategy not exclusive to Islam.
If they unite to deny me, it means more opportunities to win over the Orthodox Church.
Though it’s called a council, everyone knows it’s more than just a meeting.
This is a war fought with minds and words, not swords and spears.
It’s another holy war to determine which doctrine is right or wrong.
That day, Georgios II officially announced, with the Emperor’s approval, that they would accept all of Islam’s proposals.
I, too, declared on behalf of the Pope that we would accept all of Islam’s demands.
The Islamic envoy, seemingly expecting this outcome, immediately provided the schedule.
There was no reason for us to delay, so we set the date as soon as possible.
The decisive moment was set for exactly three months and fifteen days later.
For the second time in history, a council in Jerusalem was confirmed.
Preparations to head to Jerusalem proceeded swiftly.
Isaac II, as the head of the Orthodox Church, declared he would spare no support, and true to his word, the best theologians of the Byzantine Empire joined us.
Of course, we had already brought the best Catholic theologians with us when we came to the Byzantine Empire.
These scholars were deeply moved by the opportunity to participate in what might be the first and last religious showdown of its kind, and they were busy strategizing.
“First, we need to anticipate all the arguments Islam and Judaism might present. Then, we can systematically dismantle them. That’s the surefire way to win.”
“That traditional approach is good, but it feels too conventional. Islam might try to catch us off guard.”
“True, but if we can’t predict it, we can’t prepare for it. We should at least be ready for what we can anticipate.”
“That’s true.”
Indeed, no matter how much they dislike each other, when faced with an external threat, humans tend to band together.
The Catholic and Orthodox scholars, who had been at each other’s throats, were now working together without raising their voices.
The conversation flowed warmly.
“What do you think, Prophet? Ultimately, you hold the key to this council.”
“Isn’t it enough if I can provide evidence that I’ve received a message from God?”
“That’s just the beginning. The council is fundamentally about establishing theology and doctrine. We need to see how the message you’ve received aligns with biblical teachings. Our very mission depends on it.”
“I see. I understand.”
This was a place driven by rigorous theory, so even a miracle wouldn’t suffice on its own.
The challenge was to demonstrate how a miracle connected to doctrine, and that was a thought-provoking issue.
“In that case, I should share my thoughts with you all and build the logic from the ground up.”
“Yes, indeed. If you could give us even a hint of your plan, we would be grateful.”
I nodded and shared with them what was to come.
Seeing the shock in the theologians’ eyes brought a natural smile to my lips.
Soon, their faces showed a determination not to be outdone.
I wondered what move Saladin would make in this seemingly unwinnable battle.
What intrigued me most was how he would respond.