And yet he was still irritated. Something in him was not willing to be satisfied. Part of that was their smug confidence, their flippancy. Part of it was . . . He wasn’t sure, but he realized in the back of his mind that Simeon was right. He was half looking for a fight. “You’ll never take him with twenty-one men,” he said abruptly.
Simeon only laughed. “Well, you couldn’t take him with six hundred, so who are you to say anything?”
Marcus fought back a flash of anger. “How soon? That’s what Pilate is going to want to know. It’s been nine months now. How soon can you end this?”
“It’s a little more complicated than that,” Yehuda said, miffed by the curt tone. “After our raid on his camp the other night, Ya’abin went across the Jordan into Perea and Moab again.”
“So?”
“We don’t have the support there that we need,” Simeon explained. “No way to track him. No one we trust. We’d be going in blind. We’ll have to wait. He’ll be back.”
Marcus’s smile was wintry. “Your time is running out. Don’t think a few prisoners or one cart filled with captured goods is going to buy you an extension.”
Yehuda’s face contorted. “Look, you,” he started, rising to his full height, “just—”
But Simeon cut him off. “Pilate said we had a year. Or are you telling us that once again the vaunted Roman honor means nothing?”
The Roman’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Watch your tongue, Javelin. That’s gotten you in trouble before.”
“Do we have the year or not?” Simeon snapped.
“Yes, but no more.”
Simeon looked at Yehuda and Sextus in exaggerated surprise. “Did I miss something? Did either of you hear me ask for more time?”
Marcus answered immediately. “You will.”
Simeon’s eyes went as cold as the tribune’s. “Then wait until we do before you start whining about it.” He jerked his head at Yehuda and they started away.
Marcus was furious. He was tempted to run after them and slap them in irons. But he held back and watched them disappear into the trees. “Ya’abin’s still got some seventy-five men,” he said to Sextus. “There is no way they can take him in the next three months. They’ll be back, crawling on their knees asking for more time.”
Sextus said nothing.
“And they won’t get it. Not one day!”
IV
Simeon, Yehuda, Barak, and Issachar crossed the Brook Kidron and started up the steep path that led to the Golden Gate, the eastern entrance to the Temple Mount. Now they were back with crowds of people again, most of them going to the temple as well. At the place where the path split and led to Mount Ophel, south of the temple, Issachar and Barak left them to go find their families. The morning sun was halfway up in the sky, and the temperature was climbing rapidly. Both Simeon and Yehuda were sweating and breathing heavily as they made their way up the inclined pathway.
They had not spoken, other than to say farewell to their two companions, since leaving Marcus and Sextus. “So,” Yehuda grunted. “Would you like to tell me what that was all about?”
“What?”
“You know what. That little exchange between you and Marcus.”
Simeon just shook his head. “He’s got a sliver under his fingernail, that’s for sure. Don’t ask me why. Maybe he’s angry because we’re succeeding.” He didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “Where are you supposed to meet Shana?”
“Near the east entrance to the Court of the Women, but I thought we’d be a lot longer than this. She won’t be there until midday.”
“Oh.”
They walked on for several paces more; then Yehuda took him totally by surprise. “Samuel talked to me about Shana last night.”
That brought Simeon’s head around. Samuel had been in prison with Yehuda in Caesarea. He was single and about the same age as Simeon.
“Yes. He hasn’t said anything before because he was afraid that you might . . . ” He shrugged. “When I told him and some others that you and Shana are not going to reestablish things, he asked if I might consider him as a possible suitor.”
“Well, well,” Simeon said, truly pleased. “Samuel is a good man.”
“Yes. And Shana has always liked him.”
Simeon blew out his breath. “Then when things get hot out there, I want him kept back. Let him stay with the horses or something.”
Yehuda gave him a hard look. “You want to tell him that?”
“Shana has had enough men in her life taken away. I won’t be party to another Daniel.”
“Aside from Samuel, do you know how Shana would react to that comment? Remember, I’m not the only Zealot in this family.”
There was nothing to say to that, and Simeon walked on. They began to slow now, for as they approached the massive gates that loomed above them, the crowds were eight and nine people deep. Simeon half turned and glanced up at the sun. “If Shana won’t be here for another hour or more, come with me and say hello to the family. I’m meeting them under the apse of the Royal Portico. They were asking about you last night.”
Yehuda hesitated, suspecting there might be more to the invitation than Simeon was saying, but then he nodded. “That would be nice.”
Together they joined the throngs and moved slowly through the gates onto the great Temple Mount.
V
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem
The massive Court of the Gentiles that surrounded the temple proper covered more area than many villages. It was packed with people. Jerusalem normally had a large population, well over a hundred thousand people, but during Passover, the greatest of all the festivals, that swelled by five or ten times.
The family of David ben Joseph, including his cousin Benjamin and Benjamin’s wife, Esther, moved slowly along, trying to stay together in the press of the crowds. David, who with Benjamin was in the lead, turned and pointed. “As warm as it is,” he called, “I would guess that Jesus will stay in the shade beneath the porticoes.” He was pointing to the south end of the temple complex, where the great, massive bulk of the three-level Royal Portico towered above them.
That made sense, and they started pushing their way in that direction. Ten minutes later David’s assessment proved correct when they heard someone call out to them. “David! Deborah!”
It was Peter.
“Shalom, Peter,” David said, moving over to him and gripping his hand.
“Shalom, David.” He looked around. “No Simeon?”
“He was to meet with the Romans this morning. He’ll be joining us as soon as he can.”
“Good. How are things progressing?”
“I think quite well, all in all.” David turned. “You remember my cousin Benjamin and his wife, Esther?”
“I do,” Peter said warmly. “Boker tov.”
“And good day to you.”
Just then Leah gave a little cry. “There’s Simeon now. And Yehuda!” She darted away to meet them.
When they came back over, Simeon introduced Yehuda to Benjamin and Esther as well. Then, as the family gathered around Yehuda and inquired after his family, Simeon stepped to Peter. “Is Jesus teaching today?”
“Yes. In fact, several members of the Sanhedrin have him cornered now. We were just going over there.” He gave Simeon a probing look. “How are things, Simeon?”
“Good,” he said, meaning it. “Things are going well.”
“Just this morning, Jesus was asking if we had any word of you.”
That pleased Simeon. “Tell him that while God has not chosen to light our path more than a step or two ahead of us, he does allow us to see far enough out that, so far, we have not stumbled.”
“‘Trust in the Lord with all thy heart,’” Peter quoted softly, “‘and lean not unto thine own understanding, and he shall direct thy path.’”
It was from the Proverbs written by King Solomon. “That’s it exactly,” Simeon said.
“I shall tell him that.” Peter swung around
to the family. “Come. Andrew and James have saved us a place by one of the columns.”
Yehuda started to say his good-byes, but Simeon quickly went to him. “Come with us. Shana won’t be there yet.”
“No,” he said, a little too quickly, “I’ll wait there in case she comes earlier.”
“You’re afraid, aren’t you?” Simeon said with sudden insight.
“Afraid of what?”
“Afraid that if you listen, Jesus might convert you too.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I just want to make sure I don’t miss Shana.”
“Come on, you stubborn mule,” Simeon said, grabbing his arm. “As hardheaded as you are, there’s no great danger anything will penetrate that thick skull.”
Leah had been listening to their interchange and took Yehuda’s other arm. “Just for a little while. It’s cool under the portico.”
Reluctantly, Yehuda allowed himself to be led along. As they moved into the shade and made their way between the towering columns, they saw the others—Anna, Andrew and his wife, James and John, Matthew, Bartholomew. They were all there.
Just beyond where the others waited, directly under the great dome that formed the apse of the Royal Portico, Jesus stood amidst several men in long, flowing robes. It was clearly a confrontation. The men surrounding the Master were shouting angrily, gesticulating wildly.
“Looks interesting,” Yehuda drawled.
Curious, they moved in closer so they could hear.
Chapter Notes
The prohibition against coming in contact with the dead is given in Numbers 19. The purification for this pollution involved being washed with water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer specially sacrificed and burned on the altar as a sin offering. Hyssop, an herb that is frequently used as a symbol of purification, was also used (see Fallows, 1:509).
The Tomb of Zachariah and the Pillar of Absalom are two massive monuments, several stories high, that can still be visited in the Kidron Valley today. Though folklore attributes them to a much earlier time in Israel’s history, archaeologists agree that they were probably carved from the solid rock in the first century before Christ. A major portion of the western slope of the Mount of Olives is still an extensive Jewish cemetery. It is considered by many Jews to be a special blessing to have that as one’s final resting place because those buried there will be the first to be resurrected when the Messiah comes.
On the opposite slope of the Kidron Valley, or the eastern slope of Mount Moriah, the Temple Mount, there is a Moslem cemetery. During the time of the Ottoman Empire, according to modern guides in Israel, the Moslems decided to bury their dead there because they knew of the Jewish belief that when the Messiah comes, he will enter Jerusalem through the eastern or Golden Gate. Since the Messiah is a cohen, or priest, he cannot come close to anything that is dead. Therefore, he will not be able to go through the cemetery there and his coming will be thwarted.
It is also part of both Jewish and Islamic tradition that the judgment will take place in the Kidron Valley between the Mount of Olives and the Temple Mount. An Islamic tradition states that Mohammed will sit on a pillow by the Dome of the Rock, the beautiful mosque that is now the dominant feature of the Temple Mount. A wire will be stretched from there to the Mount of Olives, where Jesus will be. (Moslems accept Jesus as one of the prophets.) All mankind will be required to walk across the wire. Those who are righteous will make it. The wicked will lose their balance and fall into the valley and perish (see Berrett, 275).
Chapter 20
And who is my neighbour?
—Luke 10:29
I
Jerusalem 9 April, a.d. 31
“By what authority do you presume to criticize us?” The man who spoke had a thin face and pinched lips. The anger in him was so hot his cheeks had turned a mottled red. “You and your disciples violate the Law on every hand. One of our number invited you to dine with him last evening. He said that you and your followers didn’t even bother to wash before eating. You have no regard for the Sabbath. You blaspheme by suggesting that you are equal with God, whom you call your Father. How dare you point your finger at us—we who honor the Law in both word and deed? We who have placed a fence around the Law so that it is not desecrated.”
Suddenly Jesus’ calm patience was gone. He got to his feet, his eyes blazing with indignation. “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. You hypocrites! Why do you make clean the outside of the cup and platter, but inwardly you are full of ravenous greed and wickedness?”
The reaction that triggered was not surprising. There were gasps of outrage, spluttering denials, a fist raised and shaken in Jesus’ face. “Away with him!” someone shouted.
Jesus overrode them. “You love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and for men to call greetings to you in the streets, but I say unto you that you are like graves which are not marked and men walk over them because they are not aware.”
Simeon winced. The imagery was like the crack of a whip. These were dead men, polluting everything they touched, but with no warning signs to alert the unwary.
A man who had been near the back of the accusers pushed forward. From his dress, Simeon guessed he was a lawyer, one of the experts in the Law. “Master,” he said petulantly, “by speaking thus of the Pharisees, you reproach us as well.”
Though he was now surrounded by more than half a dozen very angry men, Jesus did not fall back even a step. He lifted a hand, pointing a finger directly at the man who had spoken. “Woe unto you also, you lawyers! You place burdens on men which are grievous to be borne, and yet you yourselves will not so much as touch those burdens with one of your fingers.
“Woe unto you, lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge. Not only do you refuse to enter therein, but you hinder those who would.”
For a moment, Simeon thought the man was going to lunge at Jesus. His hands were balled into fists; his mouth worked spasmodically. Jesus never moved. His eyes held the man like some magnetic force, and finally the man dropped his hands.
He swung around. “Come on!” the lawyer shouted. “This man curses against our Law. Take him. Take him to the Council.”
“Yes!” cried the man with the pinched lips. “He blasphemes. Seize him.”
But one look at the crowd and the men visibly recoiled. There was anger on the faces of the crowd, but it wasn’t directed at Jesus.
“He speaks the truth,” a man just behind the Pharisees shouted. “You are pompous hypocrites.”
“Leave him alone,” a woman cried out. “He speaks for God.”
The muttering of the crowd rose to a ominous rumble. “Go back to your gilded thrones,” someone called. “Go back and let us listen to this man.”
The lawyer was staring, his head jerking back and forth. He moved closer to the thin-faced man and whispered something. He nodded and they whispered to the others. Closing in tightly together, they started backing away. “The Council will hear about this,” the lawyer shouted, shaking his fist one last time. “We’ll be back.”
The crowd quieted as the agitators moved away. Yehuda nudged Simeon, even as he watched them plunge into the crowd. “No wonder they want to kill him,” he said softly.
Simeon jerked around and gave Yehuda a sharp look.
“You haven’t heard that?” Yehuda asked.
“What?”
“I’ve heard it from three different people since arriving here last night. Word is that the leaders of the city are so enraged with Jesus, they’re trying to find a way to have him killed.”
“They wouldn’t dare.”
“That’s also what some are saying. The people would riot if they tried it.” He shook his head. There was obvious admiration in his eyes. “I have to admit, Simeon. Your Jesus is no coward.”
Before Simeon could respond, Jesus spoke. Now he was looking at the faces of the people. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”
Simeon and Yehuda exchanged looks again. “Couldn’t s
ay it better myself,” Yehuda said softly, grinning. “I’ve always thought that some of the Pharisees are puffed up like loaves of bread with too much yeast in them. Someone needs to poke them with a stick and deflate them a little.”
He realized that Deborah had turned and was watching him with saddened eyes. Then Yehuda remembered Simeon’s Uncle Aaron. He kicked himself. “I’m sorry, Deborah. I didn’t mean . . . ” He let it die, because in actuality Yehuda found Aaron to be one of the very kind Jesus was talking about.
Simeon felt a touch of shame too, for Aaron had come to his mind as well. And yet, he thought, Aaron had come to Caesarea to try to influence Pilate to let Simeon go. That was more than many of Simeon’s other friends and associates had done.
“I say this unto you, my friends,” Jesus went on, completely calm again. “Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and which, after that, have no more that they can do to you. But I shall forewarn you about whom you should fear. Fear him who has the power to cast both body and soul into hell.”
To his surprise, out of the corner of his eye, Simeon saw Yehuda nod. Good. You wanted to hear what Jesus teaches? Well, here it is.
As was characteristic of him, Jesus let his eyes sweep across the faces of his listeners as he let his words sink in.
“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning. You should be like unto men that wait for their lord when he returns from the wedding. When he comes and knocks, the men are ready to open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the lord shall find watching.”
Leah half turned and looked up at Yehuda. “He’s speaking about the coming of the Messiah.”
Yehuda gave her a surprised look, then turned back to look at Jesus.
“And if their lord shall come in the second watch or in the third watch and find them watching and waiting, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have suffered his house to be broken into. You should be therefore ready also, for the Son of man comes at an hour when ye think not.”
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