The place they found to stay was in the base of a little-known tower in the Jerusalem wall known as Pulpit Tower (to the very few people who know about it, that is.) In the morning they began asking around about where the newly-born king could be found. People who had been very friendly one minute acted very strangely when the subject was brought up. They seemed a little frightened and reluctant to talk further.
After a couple of hours they were approached by a squad of soldiers. Their sergeant spoke to Caspar. “Good sir, you and your friends are invited to the palace. The king wishes to welcome you.” This was strange indeed. Never had any of them been invited to meet a king. But it seemed impolite to refuse, not to mention unwise, and these were wise men after all. The meeting with the king (Herod was his name) was as strange and uncomfortable as might be expected. Something was not right. He was too nice for a king, they thought, and too interested in their quest to meet the newly born king of the Judeans. He summoned his chief priests and scribes, who, after conferring at length, finally decided that the place to look was Bethlehem, a village only a few miles to the south. King Herod seemed pleased by this, and sent them on their way, asking them to report back when they found the child so that he too could go and pay his respects. Each of the wise men felt that this was very odd behavior for a king. They did not like him, they did not trust him, and they hoped it did not show. They took their leave of the king and his entourage and returned to their lodging place in the tower, resolving to travel to Bethlehem the next day.
After a couple of hours they were approached by a squad of soldiers. Their sergeant spoke to Caspar. “Good sir, you and your friends are invited to the palace. The king wishes to welcome you.” This was strange indeed. Never had any of them been invited to meet a king. But it seemed impolite to refuse, not to mention unwise, and these were wise men after all. The meeting with the king (Herod was his name) was as strange and uncomfortable as might be expected. Something was not right. He was too nice for a king, they thought, and too interested in their quest to meet the newly born king of the Judeans. He summoned his chief priests and scribes, who, after conferring at length, finally decided that the place to look was Bethlehem, a village only a few miles to the south. King Herod seemed pleased by this, and sent them on their way, asking them to report back when they found the child so that he too could go and pay his respects. Each of the wise men felt that this was very odd behavior for a king. They did not like him, they did not trust him, and they hoped it did not show. They took their leave of the king and his entourage and returned to their lodging place in the tower, resolving to travel to Bethlehem the next day.
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