Maximus

by Richard L. Black

  Alhasan whistled, and the men barked orders to the camels. They reluctantly struggled to their feet. It was time to go.

  Iqbal handed Alhasan a small package, which he tucked safely into a pocket on the side of the saddle on his camel.

  “My friends, enjoy your journey,” Iqbal said as he scurried by to attend to other business.

  Jacob turned to Ezra. “So, now we part, teacher.”

  “It is time. My work is done,” Ezra replied. “You have been good students. I wish you well and hope you find what you are looking for.” Ezra smiled at Jacob and Levi, and they each embraced Ezra affectionately.

  “Will we see you again?” Jacob asked.

  “If your journey should take you to Jerusalem, I hope you will find me. You have a home there with me,” Ezra replied. He grasped Jacob by the arm, looked him in the eye, and said, “Don’t forget your prayers.” They both laughed, but Jacob knew Ezra was not joking. He warmly embraced his mentor once more, then Ezra raised his staff in a final salute and walked away.

  Jacob and Levi struggled to climb aboard their respective camels and were able to hang on as a handler gave the command for the camels to stand. It wasn’t the most comfortable seat, and Levi thought of jumping off and walking. They both settled into their saddles, adjusting their robes and the cloth and leather beneath them. The handlers passed up the reins, and the caravan was off to the slow rocking gait of the beasts.

  For the next two days, the caravan proceeded uninterrupted, stopping only for sleep and water. Jacob and Levi kept to themselves, not engaging with the others in the caravan, as Ezra had instructed.

  Just outside of Cana, at Alhasan’s order, the caravan came to an unexpected halt. One of the handlers trotted back, telling the travelers to move their camels to the side of the road. Jacob could see a cloud of dust in the distance. As the cloud got closer, he made out a large group of men on horseback coming toward them. His first thought was of brigands. Were they being attacked in the open by a band of armed robbers? He reached for his missing sword and settled for resting his hand on the small dagger tucked in his sash. He exchanged glances with Levi, who was doing the same. He instinctively began to assess the terrain and look for high ground and cover. The men on horseback appeared to be riding at a leisurely pace and in rank two by two, not in the wild gallop of an attacking horde.

  As they came closer, Jacob realized it was a cohort of auxiliary soldiers, probably raised in Caesarea and passing through the tetrarchy of Herod Antipas. His chest tightened as they approached, their breastplates and helmets reflecting in the sun. The leader held up his hand as they arrived at the front of the caravan. One of the soldiers rode over to Alhasan, who remained seated on his camel. A conversation ensued, and Alhasan handed the soldier a scroll, no doubt papers authorizing their travel. The soldier looked over the papers carefully, then handed them back. There was more conversation, then he rejoined his men, raised his hand, and the mounted soldiers slowly rode forward. They were about fifty strong; the soldiers stared the travelers down as they passed. Jacob and Levi were careful not to make eye contact with any of them. Jacob could feel condescending eyes upon him and struggled to maintain his composure. He himself had been in similar situations, policing foreigners in strange lands, validating travel papers, and enforcing occupation by intimidation. He was seeing the other side firsthand. It came full circle to him why he and his men had been so hated.

  The auxiliaries passed without incident, and Jacob breathed easier. Alhasan once again sounded the order to move forward, and the caravan slowly lumbered back into motion.

  Two hours passed, and the caravan came to a small rise. As Jacob reached the summit, before him was the full view of the Sea of Galilee. Many in the party paused to take in the wonder of the large blue lake cupped in the palms of surrounding hills; it was beautiful. Alhasan continued forward without pause. He whistled sharply and with fervent hand signals urged the company to keep moving. It was approaching late afternoon, and he wanted to make the shoreline of Galilee before nightfall.

  Dusk brought them to the outskirts of Capernaum. Levi quickly set up the tent, and Jacob retrieved the night’s ration of food. After eating, they decided to take advantage of the bright moonlit night to inspect the seaside town.

  The small fishing fleet was idle on the pebbly beach. The evening was warm and the water calm. The moon rose in the east, leaving a silver streak across the lake. There was a certain peace about the place that appealed to Jacob. They completed their tour and went back to the camp for the night.

  In the morning, the caravan was up and on the move early. Levi gathered their belongings while Jacob said good-bye to the camel handlers.

  “You leave us?” said the deep voice of Alhasan.

  Jacob and Levi turned to see the tall Alhasan standing behind them.

  “Yes, our journey ends here.” Jacob extended his hand in friendship.

  An uncomfortable moment passed before Alhasan clasped Jacob’s hand. “We will pass by here again with the coming of two new moons,” Alhasan said. “If you choose to journey back, you are welcome to join us.” He lifted his arms and with palms up, bowed his head as if blessing them, then walked away.

  Jacob turned to Levi. “Let’s go find him.” They strode confidently into Capernaum, walking leisurely through the dusty streets. The low houses and buildings were constructed of dark gray basalt, which increased the heat in the narrow streets. A soft, warm breeze met them as they came out of the maze of buildings onto the hard rocky beach. The boats were already long gone, off for the day’s fishing. Two men were repairing the hull of one overturned boat; another was mending nets that hung on a large wooden frame. A few men sat idly on makeshift chairs in open shelters where the counting and processing of the day’s catch was done. They would be busy later in the afternoon when the boats returned. Two racks, made of poplar branches laid across a waist-high framework, approximately six feet wide and extending some fifty feet, ran parallel to each other and held hundreds of fish drying in the sun. The air was filled with the smell of fish.

  Jacob continued on to the water’s edge. He wrapped his robe around himself and stepped into the shallows up to his knees. The cool water was refreshing. He held his staff in the crook of his arm and removed his head covering. After dipping it into the water and wringing it out, he wiped the sweat from his face and neck. He wanted to throw off his robe entirely and bathe. Jacob swished his sandaled feet in the water to rid them of the built-up dirt and grime. Levi did the same, then kicked water on his friend. Jacob hurriedly moved away, certain that a wrestling match would shortly ensue; he didn’t want to make a scene their first day in Capernaum. Like a big kid, Levi chased Jacob out of the water, kicking water on him again. The two men scraping the hull of a fishing boat nearby stopped to watch in amusement.

  Jacob approached the two weathered men and spoke to them in Greek. “My name is Jacob. This is my friend, Levi.” The shorter men looked up suspiciously at the two formidable strangers speaking to them in Greek. “We have come a long way to seek Jesus of Nazareth. Do you know where he can be found?” Jacob asked.

  The men looked at each other. Finally one responded, “Where do you come from?”

  “Egypt,” answered Jacob.

  “News of Jesus has traveled far,” the thinner, more muscular one said.

  “Do you know where he can be found?” Jacob repeated.

  There was a pause as the fisherman laid his metal scraper on the hull of the boat. “He and his many followers have caused quite a commotion with their need for food and shelter. They come down here to the shore and get in the way. I have heard that Jesus went north to Bethsaida and many, like a trail of ants, have followed him—we have enjoyed the peace and quiet of their absence. I hope they stay a long time.” He looked at his companion and laughed, revealing sparse brown teeth. “Are you disciples too?” he asked.

  Jacob weighed his answer. “We are just curious.”

  The man picked up his scraper an
d returned to his work. “You’ve come a long way merely to satisfy curiosity.”

  “How far is Bethsaida from here?” Jacob asked, ignoring the sarcasm.

  “If you leave now, you could be there before sunset.” The fisherman spat, then resumed his scraping, dismissing the strangers.

  Jacob and Levi made their way to the main road.

  “We should have stayed with the caravan,” Levi said as he adjusted the satchel over his shoulder.

  “How were we to know he wasn’t here?” Jacob responded. He followed Levi as they began walking north on the dusty road.

  “We haven’t talked much of home,” Jacob said, trying to make conversation as they strode along, staffs in hand.

  “Our home has always been a long road to a battle somewhere,” Levi responded. “We’ve spent more time on campaigns in the last fifteen years than we’ve spent in Rome.” Jacob sensed a bit of melancholy in Levi’s voice as he added, “I’m not sure where my home is anymore.”

  “You seem like you’re enjoying yourself,” Jacob observed.

  There was a pause as Levi thought for a moment. “I do feel a little more at ease . . . as long as we don’t sail into the path of any more pirates. However, I don’t think I will ever get used to not carrying a sword,” Levi said. Jacob laughed.

  “You have a stick now.” Jacob rapped Levi on the shoulder with his staff. Levi turned, and the sparring was on. Both men grabbed their staffs and, with boyish grins and hands spread wide, began jousting for position. The staffs clacked and banged together as each tried to connect with a friendly body blow. They kicked up sand and dust and danced around, laughing and exchanging friendly insults. Jacob got his legs briefly tangled in his long robe, which wasn’t ideal for close-quarter combat. In adjusting the material, Jacob took his eyes off Levi for an instant. Levi saw his opening and pounced, tackling his friend to the ground. They struggled and laughed in each other’s grasp. Jacob finally broke away and jumped again to his feet. He stopped dead in his tracks just as Levi retrieved his staff and swung it around, popping Jacob on the shin. Jacob winced but his attention was fixed on a small crowd of men that had appeared over the rise a short distance away.

  The men walked, peacefully encircled around a taller man who was talking and moving his hands gracefully for emphasis as he walked.

  Jacob stood up straight, forgetting about the sting and bruise he would certainly see on the front of his leg tomorrow. “It’s him,” he said quietly.

  Levi rolled over and collected himself to his knees, following Jacob’s stare. A cloud of dust arose behind the smaller group of men. Hundreds of people following the men suddenly came into view, looking like an army cresting the hill.

  “It’s him; it’s Jesus,” Jacob repeated excitedly, still frozen in his tracks.

  The mass of humanity was about two hundred yards off. Jacob and Levi dusted themselves off and proceeded along the road toward them. He wanted to make sure Jesus and his men didn’t duck into a building before he could get a closer look. As the mass of people got closer, Jacob and Levi stood against a stone wall and waited. Jacob counted about ten men immediately surrounding Jesus. These must be the apostles he had heard about. As they got closer, he could hear their voices. Jesus occasionally nodded his head and smiled.

  Jacob’s eyes were fixed on Jesus; he appeared happy and at peace. He moved with an air of confidence and authority Jacob had seen in men of power in Rome—but without the Romans’ flamboyance and arrogance. He could immediately see why men would be drawn to him. He wore a white tunic and a simple brown robe and headcovering that gave him relief from the hot sun. He was dressed as humbly as the men he walked with. He had a full beard, and his long, dark hair framed his tanned face. Jesus passed within a few feet of Jacob and turned his head. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Jacob felt himself transfixed by the most kind and crystal clear eyes he had ever gazed into. Jesus smiled warmly and acknowledged the stranger leaning against the wall. Jacob felt weak; warmth flooded his soul, and tears began forming in his eyes. He instinctively knew this was no rebel or warrior. This was a humble man of peace. The feeling was overwhelming, as if he had been immersed in a warm bath.

  Jesus and the apostles moved on, and the horde of people began passing quietly: men, women, and some children. This was certainly not the making of an uprising. These were ordinary people, not warriors. Many smiled at Jacob as they walked by. Most walked with heads bowed silently in reverent contemplation.

  Jacob and Levi fell in with the walking crowds, and followed them back through the town and to the shore again. The fishing village was soon flooded with people, and the thin shoreline once again returned to being a makeshift camp. Jesus was nowhere to be seen, having escaped, no doubt, to the residence of friends somewhere in town. Jacob and Levi walked through the people back to the waterline and sat on the hull of a small overturned boat, watching the spectacle of humanity gather.

  The afternoon wind picked up and the people, sensing Jesus was not returning to preach, began to seek shelter away from the shoreline. Many moved into the surrounding countryside seeking the protection of the hills west of town. Jacob and Levi stayed on the beach with the few who remained. Fishermen were starting to return from their day’s work. Many of them were under full sail until they neared the shore, where the fishermen beached their crafts, securing them on the rocky shore.

  23

  Jacob and Levi watched the hard-working fishermen as they unloaded the day’s catch into large baskets. Within an hour, about a dozen boats lined the shore and were in various stages of unloading fish or drying and repairing nets. Jacob looked out to the horizon and saw a small speck of sail approaching and sensed something was awry. The sail, small and irregular, was not raised to full extension on the center mast. As the boat got closer, he could see that the mast had been broken and what was left was lashed together and holding up a tattered sail that caught just enough wind to drive the heavily laden boat slowly ashore. The boat moved sluggishly, like a large piece of driftwood on the water. As the craft came to within fifty yards of shore, a sudden shift in the wind collapsed the sail, and the boat was suddenly dead in the water. Two men manning the small craft stood and began waving their arms frantically. Jacob thought he could hear them calling out.

  The fishermen on shore looked up but seemed hesitant to help. The boat was held offshore by the uncooperative wind and the lack of sail sufficient to harness it. It was obvious to Jacob that the boat was under duress as the two-man crew continued waving for assistance. Jacob and Levi stood and looked around to see if one of the fishing boats would shove off and set sail to lend aid—no one moved. The boat drifted to within thirty yards of the beach, but the water was too deep to walk out with a rope to help. The two men were obviously shouting for help. The wind shifted again and began to push the boat south along the shoreline and further out into the lake. Something had to be done immediately or the boat and the men in it might not make it to shore. Jacob could now see clearly that the mast had been snapped in half, and the boat was at the mercy of the offshore wind. Before Jacob could make a move, however, Levi had shed his robe and tunic and, clad only in a loincloth and sandals, run into the water.

  A crowd had gathered upon hearing the cries of distress coming from the boat, but they stood and watched rather than attempting to rescue the imperiled fishermen. When Levi ran past them and into the water, they pointed and gasped and began to chatter loudly among themselves.

  The fickle wind shifted again, and the boat momentarily stopped its drifting offshore. Hard-swimming Levi reached the boat within a couple of minutes. Jacob dropped his staff and removed his robe. He girded his tunic around his waist and walked into the water, shouting encouragement to his friend. Levi reached the side of the boat and with one hand grasped the side rail. A conversation ensued, which resulted in one of the men handing the end of a rope to Levi, who began swimming back to shore. Jacob couldn’t believe Levi actually seemed to think he could tow the heavy boat ba
ck to shore, but the wind had subsided and he was making slow progress. Jacob removed his own tunic, threw it onto the beach, and dived into the water. In a short time he had reached Levi, who was straining to swim with the rope in his hand, pulling the boat slowly along. Jacob grabbed the rope as well and with renewed energy, they both worked to tow the boat to safety. They could hear the encouraging shouts of the small crowd that had gathered along the beach. Still, no one launched another boat or ventured into the water to assist.

  After a few minutes of exhausting swimming, Jacob’s feet reached bottom. He yelled at Levi, who was still swimming. Levi stopped and stood on the bottom in about five feet of water. They both dug their toes into the muddy, rocky bottom and made better headway. Jacob jokingly said to Levi, “Ezra would tell us we are drawing too much attention to ourselves.” They both laughed. When the water was only waist deep, two other men waded out to help them tow in the boat the rest of the way.

  Once the boat was secured, Jacob and Levi stepped aside as people began to help the fishermen from the boat. Jacob remembered Ezra telling him about the conservative customs of the Jews, that their culture wasn’t as comfortable with the uncovered body as Romans were, so they retrieved their tunics and robes and, despite being soaking wet, dressed. There was a commotion near the disabled craft, and Jacob saw that the men were struggling to remove from the boat a man with a bloody bandage around his head. Impetuously, Levi moved forward and scooped up the young man from the grip of the unorganized effort. He cradled him in his arms and looked for direction from an older man who jumped down from the boat. The crowd parted as the older man grabbed Levi by the arm and guided him toward the town. Jacob fell in behind them with a young boy who was weeping as he trailed the older man closely.

  The older man spoke rapidly as they walked. Neither Jacob nor Levi could understand a word he said. Jacob finally addressed the old man in Greek and asked how they could help him.