The two friends sought a patch of shade in which to calm their nerves and collect themselves. Then, aware that their time was dwindling, they rushed out to explore the famed Jerusalem. They listened to musicians. Drank lemon water with honey. Haggled with vendors for new sashes, keffiyehs, and sandals. They watched the builders lift marble blocks and felt the thud inside their chests when the stones dropped into place. They tasted roast pigeon, citrus fruits, unfamiliar spices, and bread soaked in scented olive oil. They listened to new languages and imitated the strange guttural sounds of exotic-looking families. They circled the city, examining each of the gigantic gates, and counting the soldiers who guarded them. Every direction held a treasure for the senses. There was danger, too—thieves waiting down narrow passageways. Corrupt vendors. Charlatans who vilified God. Plumes of oily smoke. The acrid smell of death. Whores. And drunkards. But Peter, having come across such unsavory types before, made sure to avoid them.

At the end of an alley, the boys found themselves in front of a large man with a moon-sized face. He held a short length of knotted cord before their eyes. The boys passed questioning looks between them. When their eyes were averted, the magician twisted the cord into his fist. He shook his hand five times and then released the cord with a grand gesture. To their amazement, the knots were gone!

A thin man with a long beard and a crazed look in his eyes approached from behind. “Follow me! The end is coming!” he shouted into the boys’ faces. “We will all be judged! Save yourselves!” He ran off, his white linen robe billowing behind him.

Peter and Jesus stepped aside only to run headlong into another man wearing the same white linen robe. “We have sinned against the Lord! The end is near!” The boys turned again and again only to find themselves surrounded by more long-bearded men dressed in white, imploring them with wild, crazed eyes. “Save yourselves! The prophet has spoken! We have angered the Lord!”

Jesus was amazed by their tenacity. “Who are these men?” he asked.

“They are the crazy ones who live in the mountains,” Peter told him. “They do not eat, or drink, and they perform secret rituals that drive them insane.”

Jesus wanted to know more about the doomsayers, but was distracted by a man dressed in stripes who ran past playing a flute and tossing dates into the air. “Let us follow him!” he shouted.