26 Joost Smit Sibinga with its main part, v. 45-52, which as we saw is organized in 19 + 57 + 19 = 95 words. The little elementary mathematics we have indulged in makes it easy to see through the well conceived composition plan of this episode - though to my mind we moderns, in order to become familiar with the facts, do need the help of charts such as provided here; we even need several ones, as one supplements the other. In principle, however, the logic of this design appears to be rather simple. The size of the words of Jesus in v. 48b-49, 56 s., may have helped to inspire it; it may also have been adjusted to the overall design. It also functions as a gnomon, as we shall see. 13.2.5 Within this overall design two significant details, the betrayer’s evil intention as worded in v. 44b and his kiss, the ultimate act of betrayal in v. 45c, ask for further comment. As to Judas’ prearranged signal, the segment v. 44-46 is firmly structured by a combination of repetitio and stylistic variatio: v. 44bc: «ὃν ἂν φιλήσω αὐτός ἐστιν˙ κρατήσατε αὐτόν...» v. 45c, 46: .. κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν .. καὶ ἐκράτησαν αὐτόν. The size of the segment is 81 syllables (see Chart 9a); it divides into 25 syllables spoken by Judas (D) and 56 syllables of N(arrative), and this is, as one sees from the bottom line of Chart 9a, identical with the division within the D(iscourse) part of the whole story. In two ways the 25 (= 5²) s. of Judas’ words are supplemented into a larger square, 81 (= 9²), by the gnomon of 56 s. For a modern reader, 9² - 5² = (9 + 5) x ( 9 - 5) = 14 x 4 = 56. The ancients would have represented the square numbers geometrically, adding (2n + 1) units to n² as often as required.46 In any case, the formal arrangement of v. 44-46 is identical with that of the D(iscourse) section of the entire passage. Moreover, the account of the arrest, v. 44-46, is again made part of the larger square v. 44-47, now including the incident with the High Priest’s slave, and measuring 81 + 40 = 121 (= 11²) s. The moment of the kiss itself (Mark 14:45c) is given an extra dramatic dimension in Matthew 26:50 as well as in Luke 22:48: Jesus reacts by a remark or a direct question addressed to Judas. In Mark we may have to introduce a slight pause after his greeting ‘Rabbi!’ (v. 45b), before (v. 45c) καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν. Here, at v. 45b/c, the narrative divides into 112 + 192 (= 304) s., that is: 19 x 16 is divided into (7 x 16) + (12 x 16); approximating the golden mean of nineteen in natural numbers one arrives at 12 and 7.47 See, e.g., Ivor Thomas, Selections Illustrating the History of Greek Mathematics, Lon- 46 don, Cambridge, Mass.: Heinemann, Harvard University Press, 1951, I, p. 86-88, 98-99. 47 In modern terms: 19 = 11.742 + 7.258.