Two friends loved each other so deeply that one was willing to die for the other — and the other refused to let him. This tale of ultimate friendship, preserved in the Exempla of the Rabbis (compiled by Moses Gaster in 1924 from medieval Jewish sources) and referenced in multiple classical compilations, tells of two companions whose bond was tested by a death sentence.
One of the friends was arrested and condemned to die. Before his execution, he asked the king for permission to travel home and settle his affairs — say goodbye to his family, distribute his property, and make arrangements for his dependents. The king laughed. Why would he release a condemned man? The prisoner would simply flee.
The second friend stepped forward. "Take me as a hostage," he said. "If my friend does not return by the appointed day, execute me in his place." The king, astonished and curious, agreed to the arrangement.
The condemned man left. Days passed. The execution date drew near. The hostage friend sat in the prison cell, calm and unafraid, absolutely certain his companion would return. The king's court whispered that he was a fool — no one comes back to die when they have been given a chance to escape.
On the final day, at the very last hour, the condemned friend came running back. He had settled his affairs and returned to face his death, unwilling to let his friend die in his place. The two men argued in front of the king, each insisting that he should be the one to die.
The king, witnessing a loyalty he had never imagined possible, pardoned them both. Then he made a single request: "Let me be the third member of your friendship." The tale became a model for what the rabbis called true love — love that is not dependent on any external cause and therefore never ceases.