As a religious man, Asaf is angry that the adulterous woman was not stoned to death. He tells Noemí about the reaction of religious leaders to Jesus’ words in the sand, but he still refuses to reveal what Jesus wrote for him. Asaf tells no one, claiming that the statement was too far-fetched to be taken seriously.īefore setting out on his travels, Asaf returns home to spend some time with his wife. As for the message Jesus wrote down for Asaf, this remains a mystery. The men claim that there is no truth in Jesus’ words, but they are all nonetheless troubled. Next to the High Priest, Joazar, for example, Jesus wrote down the word ‘Atheist’. The messages Jesus wrote down on the sand have had an unsettling effect on many of those present. Yet their anger against him is tinged with wariness. While La Fenicia runs off to deliver Noemí’s message to Marcio, angry Pharisees and Sadducees complain about Jesus’ behaviour. Both Noemí and La Fenicia know that, were Asaf to find out, the consequences would be devastating. Noemí has asked La Fenicia to mention this fact to Marcio, a handsome Roman soldier.

Rather, Noemí is in the process of arranging an extra-marital tryst of her own. Noemí pretends to be unconcerned about the fate of the adulterous woman, but both she and La Fenicia know this is not the case. Noemí and her maidservant La Fenicia watch this incident from afar. Chastened and unnerved, the angry crowd disperses, and the adulterous woman is set free. After this, Jesus writes a series of words in the sand – mysterious messages for many of those gathered, including Asaf.

He invites anyone who is without sin to cast the first stone at the woman. A woman from the community has committed adultery and is condemned to death by stoning at the hands of an angry crowd. Asaf and his family follow the strict Law of Moses which demands the harshest punishment for anyone who transgresses it. He lives in Jerusalem with his beautiful wife Noemí. SynopsisĪsaf is head of the Sanhedrin Guard. Her fate is much more tragic, as her husband’s anger drowns out her pleas for forgiveness. In private, another woman sins against her husband. In public, an adulterous woman is almost stoned to death she is saved only when Jesus writes words in the sand which reveal the secret sins of the religious leaders condemning her. It is dangerous transgressing the law in ancient Jerusalem. 1949 First production date: 19 December 1949 Keywords: family > marriage, morality > honour, morality > punishment, family > patriarchy, ideology > religion and faith, women, society, violence > social Genre and type: tragedy Pitch Titles English title: Words in the Sand Date written: c.

Las palabras en la arena (c.1949), Antonio Buero Vallejo

Las palabras de jesus