His MasterPeace/Opening Scenes

INT ATELIER OF AGING ARTIST-DAY
A Germanic sculptor is sketching his recollections of contemporary
details of Christ's human features, especially of his face; the
documents containing them were destroyed during the War along with the
library of archaeology maintained by the French; soothing classical
music plays softly; there is a knock at the door of his studio on a
small American college campus......
DR. ANTONIN CLAVIUS
Come....come.....
(he remains focused upon his writing, eyes closed in
concentration)
ANONYMOUS VISITOR
Please to pardon me, sir; they said you were looking for models and
assistants.
On looking up, he is struck by the beauty of the young man's
face.
DR. ANTONIN CLAVIUS
Yes, yes....come in, sit down; where are you from?
(he is charmed by the accent)
ANONYMOUS VISITOR
Jordan, I am an exchange student in Biblical Studies. I understand that
you will pay well and my stipend is most inadequate.
DR. ANTONIN CLAVIUS
Well, for the right person; have you modeled before?
ANONYMOUS VISITOR
No, never, but I am very good with tools and general carpentry work,
for you molds.
(he is most eager)
DR. ANTONIN CLAVIUS
Yes, I see; what is your name?
ANONYMOUS VISITOR
(extending his hand awkwardly)
I am Almustafa Wahid, my friends, especially here, call me Al.
DR. ANTONIN CLAVIUS
Are you familiar with my project?
AL WAHID
Oh, yes, sir; when I learned of it I thought, 'this is quite a
coincidence'; you see, my graduate work has to do with
iconography.
DR. ANTONIN CLAVIUS
Young man, I am concerned with but one 'icon', the ultimate!
AL WAHID
Are you aware of the writings of Josephus?
DR. ANTONIN CLAVIUS
(he has become avuncular)
My dear Al, when you came in I was busy reconstructing relevant
references in them to HIS face!
AL WAHID
Of course, the lost descriptions.....there is a story of an actual
bust, I'm sure you have knowledge of......
(he is cut off)
DR. ANTONIN CLAVIUS
Please, no jesting about this.
AL WAHID
(wounded)
Sir, I would never! The work is said to have been done by a Greek of
great skill, a friend of James himself. In my country, it is said that
this faithful image still exists, in a forgotten island in Greece or
somewhere else in the Levant.
DR. ANTONIN CLAVIUS
Can you confirm this legend from some other source?
AL WAHID
I can try; give me the weekend and I will attempt it....that is, if I
am engaged as your assistant, your paid assistant.
(smiling broadly)
DR. ANTONIN CLAVIUS
Of course, I decided that already; in the meantime, I will continue my
recollections as best I can; we shall compare 'notes' next week.
They part, the Dr. pondering vacantly at his desk the implications of
this strange encounter.

FADE TO BLACK.

CUT TO:

INT.-SUNDAY EVENING-AL WAHID'S GRADUATE LIBRARY CUBICLE

Al Wahid is on the internet, having emailed his contacts in the Middle
East &; is reviewing one in particular from his uncle in
Amman?..

V.O.

'My Dear Effi:
I am glad to hear of your new status as model &; research assistant
to this great artist; (don't worry, your mother will not know of any
nudism!).
I have reread Philo of Alexandria, the Jewish philosopher &; can
guide you through other overlooked sources; you must begin, however,
with St. James, the world's most interesting brother?.it seems that it
may be he who holds a key to the closeted masterwork done by his friend
the Greek Eusemius?.he was popular with the Ptolmeic dynasty; go to
this site: www.rareantiquities.org.uk and click on 'apocyrpha'. I think
you may be pleased.

Saalem Alaikem,
Prof. Aristotle Wahid

A/W is on the site &; in a moment has displayed on his monitor a
'tour' with audio + exotic music taking him through the
photogallery?

V.O.

'This relic, dating from the First Century, is a splendid exemplar of
late Greek sculpture; it is the bust of a late teenage man----notice
the realistic eye sockets, not at all stylized or idealized &;, yet,
it bears a numinous glowing quality found nowhere else in Hellenic
sculpture. The features are Semitic, even melanistic; it is identified
as an unknown disciple of Jesus himself, perhaps his brother James.
While wild speculation once held that it was the Christ, the adolescent
aspect have long since persuaded scholars to rule this out.'

A/W prints out the photo and stares at it intently?

Al Wahid

It is you, isn't it!!?!! A young Jesus, of whom we know virtually
nothing?..until NOW!!

CUT TO:

Dream sequence; A/W is there, in Alexandria; a Hellenic synagogue,
ornate &; stately with elaborate Judaica in the liberal diaspora is
the setting; Philo is instructing a group of young Jewish students in
the apocryphal texts, speaking in Greek?.

PHILO

?..and it is given to us by our patriarch, Enoch of old?..
(he hesitates, seeking to learn who is knowledgeable or just paying
attention)
??.of what do I speak, who among you can tell me..
(surveying their faces)
You, of the House of Joseph?.
(he calls upon Yeshua)

Yeshua ben Joseph

(rising majestically as he responds)

I am of the House of David, rebbe.

The camera zooms in on his face, capturing the exact angle and pose and
visage of the sculpture; A/W awakens, sweating, smiling.

Cut to:

INT.- A.M.-Studio Office of Dr. Clavius

A/W is briefing his new mentor; his is almost done, Clavius has
listened, without interruption?.

AL WAHID

?..and the bust is presently in the hands of an elderly collector in
Germany; he has resisted all offers for it, some well into the
millions. He won't even loan it to the world's great museums.

Dr. Antonin Clavius

And you think we have a chance, in light of this, to examine it?

AL WAHID

If we can persuade him, or 'them', of the purity of our
intentions.

Dr. Antonin Clavius

'Them'? 'Purity'? Is he some religious zealot?!

AL WAHID

Well, yes and no?I mean, it's not that simple; you see, from what
little I have managed to learn he is, somehow, 'descended' from the
Essenes----the people of the Dea Sea scrolls!

Dr. Antonin Clavius

(sarcastically to his na?ve assistant)

Oh, is that all, I thought we had a problem for a moment!

This is preposterous?they were slaughtered by the Romans, when the
Second Temple was destroyed.

AL WAHID

Yes, yes, I know?.but not their texts, now enshrined for all the world
to see in Jerusalem;
(smiling gently)

As I don't speak German?.

Dr. Antonin Clavius

You mean he will see us?

AL WAHID

Perhaps, were he to know our?your aim?.

Dr. Antonin Clavius

(openly enthused now)

?.in German!!!