Justice Finally Served in Legal Thriller by Rocco Martino!

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ilustrii-nebuni-de-pe-tronul-romei
"Execute them all!" The Emperor Tiberius was angry. The news from Judea was ridiculous. What was that fool Pontius Pilate up to? What incredible nonsense in that last dispatch from Judea. The carpenter son of a virgin had risen from the dead after being crucified. Impossible! What fools would believe a fairy tale like that? The criminal was really innocent? Who would murder an innocent man? Was this an execution for state reasons or for private gain? How could Pontius Pilate allow such a mess to happen? Worse still, how could it now come to his attention? There must be a situation brewing. The followers of this risen criminal could be a threat to Pax Romana - the peace of Rome. Nonsense! He would send Tribune Quintus to find out what had really taken place. His orders would be to investigate what happened, determine the best interests of Rome, and act accordingly. If need be, he could execute the whole lot; all the followers of the criminal, and even Pontius Pilate. "Send for Tribune Quintus!" he roared to his aide.
~~~

. 

The Resurrection:
A Criminal Investigation

By Dr. Rocco Leonard Martino

Believe it! For 99 cents, I was able to read, perhaps, one of the most important books I will ever read! Once I started, I couldn't stop until finished, less than a day! For me personally, it seemed to give me what I had been searching for all my life!

Where was the justice for Jesus?

Of course, most of us have read that his death was all part of a plan...But for those of us who ask Why? Who seek to solve the mystery of what happened...and Want Closure... Dr. Martino has provided it! If you do a search on Dr. Martino, you will discover that he is an international authority in his professional fields. Please conclude therefore, that the work is well done, presented in a logical format, and, in my mind, would represent a professional investigation report that would be suitable to present to your superior.  Please note that there is nothing religious about this book...and should be read that way. That's why I considered it a thriller--a police procedural investigation novel that has one of the best cop characters I've ever read! Some readers may recognize some names who are called as witnesses...

Quintus kept a straight face, but he was greatly disturbed. Tiberius was right. Something very out of the ordinary had occurred here. This was a Centurion before him. This was a man who had carried out many executions and who was now telling him that the disappearance of the body of the criminal may have been a true resurrection from the dead. He decided to be stern to gauge the reaction. Emphatically he lashed out, “Centurion, you are a Roman soldier. Are you a believer in this Jewish Sect? Are you no longer a believer in our Roman gods? In fact, what do you believe?”
Drawing himself even more erect, Longinus looked directly at Quintus, “Tribune, I am a firm believer in the gods of Rome. I am a firm believer in the laws of Rome. I am a firm believer in the policy of our occupation that we work in a cooperative atmosphere with the religious beliefs of our conquered people. I am not a follower in the belief of the Jews as I understand it, and as I have seen it practiced in the Temple and in my duties as part of the occupation garrison,” Here the Centurion took in a deep breath, “but I do believe there is something radically different about this man, Jesus of Nazareth. I am leaning more and more toward the opinion that this man was not a criminal, but only a political pawn between the religious forces of the Jewish people. I believe He was caught in a power struggle between what He was preaching and the status quo. He was a threat to the religious leaders of the Jews, and they engineered His execution by us." The centurion paused, somewhat lost in deep thought, and continued, “He may have even been a god. As time goes on, I am attracted more and more to what He had preached.
Upon my retirement as a soldier in a few short years, I may even become a follower of His beliefs. I truly believe that none of His teachings are detrimental to Rome. Some of our soldiers even reported to me that He continually preached and said, ‘Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and to God that which is God's.’” 
“What about the Roman gods?”
“Tribune, I have always kept a separation between my duties as a soldier and our religion of many gods. I know the Jews believe in one god rather than many; I further accept Jesus of Nazareth believed in a singular god. I am beginning to wonder if He was man and part of that god at the same time.”
Quintus sat back. This was a Roman soldier telling him there was a possibility that Jesus of Nazareth had not been a criminal and that He had risen from the dead, and that He might have been a god. Quintus was silent. “Thank you Centurion. You are dismissed.”
~~~

Now let's look at the main characters. The superior in this case is Tiberius, Second Emperor of Rome. Tiberius was fuming as we open the book because he just received a communication from one of his subordinates, Pontius Pilate. What had he just done?!

Tribune Quintus, who at that time was defined as an individual who defended the rights of people (cop!) was chosen to investigate what had caused all the trouble in Jerusalem. He and over 100 individuals took sail immediately upon receiving orders.

Both of these individuals worshiped the Roman gods at that time, so, I felt that was important, don't you think? Neither of these officials had any vested interest in anything other than the actions of Pontius Pilate and King Herod, both of whom ruled some part of the lands owned by the Emperor. His mission was:

• Find out what exactly happened to the body.
• Determine the political and power situation in Judea. This would require exhaustive examination of the relationship of the Jews, the Jewish leaders, King Herod, and the followers of Jesus to each other and to Rome. 
• Uncover the reasons for the current unrest, and unearth all factors in the life of Jesus and the actions of his followers, both as real and potential threats to Pax Romana.

Interestingly, Quintus was instructed to stop to visit Saul, a Tentmaker on their way. This was the first individual to whom Quintus had talked other than the Emperor and while he recognized his education as a pharisee, he also saw that Saul was adamant that Jesus should have been killed. As an aside, Quintus was assisted by a secretary, a slave who took notes which was fun to consider since it is hard to imagine how somebody would be able to keep notes at that time.

Fortunately for Quintus, Pontius Pilate was in Damascus so Quintus had the opportunity to proceed in his absence without any type of interaction. He immediately sought out Lucius who was head of the Roman Garrison. Although there had been early notices of what was to happen, Lucius had not been told to prepare so they went over things, and Quintus then asked for a list of all those that had been involved in either the death or the burial of Jesus. Two centurions, Sutonius and Longinus were identified and soon became totally involved in the investigation. Another centurion had come with Quintus, so they are were quickly formed into teams that would be responsible for various duties.

Longinus had been first interviewed by Quintus. He had been at the site when Jesus died. He had been the one to pierce his side with a lance to see that water and blood flowed out, as it would in death... Longinus became a personal aid to Quintus as he grew to trust him more and more and planned on nominating him as a Tribune when he met with Tiberius.

The disappearance of the body was the most problematic to Quintus and his investigation. He studied the grave, interviewed all individuals who were still alive--the guards that were assigned there were all executed--and could not find how the body had been stolen, carried away, or, if the man had not been dead, role the stone back by himself and escape.

Subsequent interviews with Pontius Pilate and Caiphas were brilliantly done. King Herod's interview was not covered much--it was clear to Quintus, upon meeting him, that this man was evil and would do anything to protect himself...

In my opinion the importance of this book is that there was no mandate guidance from the Emperor. He knew the two men involved but he couldn't just oust them from their positions. Sending an officer, albeit a close friend of his, was exactly what was needed. In fact, that is what Lucius, head of the Garrison, said should have happened long ago. Since it was not led by either the Jewish or the local officials, the novel allows so much to be explored by the individual in charge of the investigation--one who had no background on what had happened, who the people were that were really involved, nor the charged criminal...

This is a must-read for anybody who would like to learn how the investigation of an individual should be conducted...before...they were crucified... Thank you Dr. Martino for satisfying my personal need for closure...and for justice to prevail, at least legally...


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About the Author: Dr. Rocco Leonard Martino    

Dr. Rocco Leonard Martino is Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Cyber Technology Group, Inc. and of CyberFone Technologies, Inc. Most recently he was Founder, Chairman and CEO of XRT, Inc., the world leader in providing complete global treasury, cash and banking relationship management solutions for many of the world's largest corporations and government entities. Treasury systems designed by Dr. Martino are integrated and operate in real-time in a fault-tolerant, on-line environment in over thousands of organizations around the world. Dr. Martino has patented and is the inventor of the CyberFone - the first Smart Phone - and the driving force behind the software systems that unite communication and computer power. The CyberFone provides real-time video, voice and data linkages. in the home or in the office. Dr. Martino is a pioneer and international authority in the planning and use of computers, and originated many of the methods in use today.
Dr. Martino served in various high-level positions prior to XRT and CyberFone Technologies, Inc. He was EVP of Mauchly Associates created in partnership with Dr. John Mauchly, the co-inventor of electronic computers. He allied with Rear Admiral Grace Hopper USN, on Automatic Programming techniques, which were the forerunner of COBOL. As Director of the Computer Division for Adalia Limited, a consulting firm headed by Sir Robert Watson-Watt, the inventor of radar, Dr. Martino participated in the extensive development of wireless navigation systems. Dr. Martino graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Toronto in Mathematics and Finance. He earned a Ph.D. from the Institute of Aerospace Studies for work in the re-entry of Space Vehicles, especially in heat transfer requirements for heat shields.
In 1993 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Neumann University for his contributions in Information Technology. In 2000, he received Honorary Degrees from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia and from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Both degrees were awarded for his humanitarian and charitable activities, as well as for his scientific achievements. The National Italian American Foundation honored Dr. Martino for Lifetime Achievement in 1992, as did the Monte Jade Society in 1999, and the CYO in 2000. In this latter award he was chosen as a symbol for Youth. In 2011 he was awarded The Order of the Golden Palm by the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre; and in 2011 the Order of Merit by the Order of Malta. Dr. Martino served as Professor of Mathematics and Engineering at the University of Waterloo and at New York University. His graduate and senior undergraduate lectures included such topics as Artificial Intelligence, Space Flight, Information Systems, Economics, and Financial Modeling Systems. He continues to lecture at numerous Universities throughout the World.
Dr. Martino has been knighted five times. Most significant is his Papal Knighthood in the Order of St. Gregory the Great awarded by Pope John Paul II in 1991. Dr. Martino has served on various Public Service, Charitable, and Church Organizations. He served as Vice Chair of the Board of the Gregorian University Consortium Foundation and as a member of various public service Boards, including: St. Joseph’s University; Equestrian Order of the HolySepulchre; Order of Malta; Vatican Observatory Foundation; and Founding Chairman of the MBF Foundation dedicated to applying computer technology for those with severe physical and/ or mental handicaps. Dr. Martino has also served on various Corporate Boards over the past fifty years. Dr. Martino has been a guest speaker at many functions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. He has taken part in scores of radio and video broadcasts speaking on Foreign Affairs, Information Technology, Innovation, and National Security. He is a Senior Fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Dr. Martino is the author of twenty-one published books, including three novels, as well as scores of papers, and numerous corporate monographs. He is listed in various biographical anthologies.