The main body of the story describes the narrator's meeting with Baumoff, who is described as a scientist who is also profoundly Christian and obsessed with the crucifixion. Baumoff believes that events following Christ's death (the darkening of the sky, the rending of the temple curtain, and shaking of the ground, as described in the gospels) have a rational, scientific basis.
The core narrative focuses on the narrator's encounter with Baumoff, who is portrayed as both a scientist and a devout Christian deeply engrossed in the crucifixion. Baumoff believes that the events following Christ's death (the darkening of the sky, the tearing of the temple curtain, and the ground shaking, as detailed in the Gospels) can be explained through a scientific lens.