Fishers of Men

by Gerald N. Lund

  As a young man some thirty years before, David ben Joseph was in the shepherd fields of Bethlehem. He saw the angels and heard the glorious announcement that the Messiah had been born. So when word comes to the Galilee that a man named John the Baptist claims to be the forerunner for the Messiah and has designated a carpenter from Nazareth as that Messiah, David is anxious to learn more. Then Jesus comes to Capernaum and calls David’s partners in the fishing business as followers—Simon Peter and his brother, Andrew. David decides to investigate further. He is convinced almost immediately that Jesus is the Christ, or the promised Messiah, and soon is able to convince the rest of his family—all except for Simeon. Simeon finds the teachings of Jesus highly offensive. Loving your enemies and turning the other cheek seems antithetical to all the true Deliverer would stand for. Simeon’s refusal to follow Jesus alienates Simeon from his family.

  However, in time, Simeon cannot help being drawn to Jesus by the simple impact of his teachings and the increasing evidence of his remarkable power. After watching Jesus instantly and completely restore a man’s twisted and withered hand and then feed five thousand people with five small loaves of bread and two fish, Simeon can no longer say that Jesus is an ordinary man. This realization does not bring Simeon peace, however. Now he is torn between his old loyalties to the Zealots and his desire to become a follower of Jesus of Nazareth.

  Mordechai ben Uzziel is one of the richest and most powerful men in Jerusalem. An aristocratic Sadducee and member of the Great Council there, he is anxious to make accommodation with Rome in order to maintain peace and protect the base of power he and the other Jewish leaders hold. His eighteen-year-old daughter, Miriam, is pampered, coddled, and accustomed to a life of comfort and luxury. But she is also filled with a strange sense of unrest. She sees that her father’s religion consists mostly of outward trappings, and she searches for deeper meaning in life. On a trip to the Galilee, she and her father are rescued from the hands of a vicious bandit, Moshe Ya’abin, by Simeon and his band of Zealots. Though Miriam feels a great sense of obligation to Simeon for this, her father does not. Because the Zealots threaten war with Rome, Mordechai sets up an intricate plot with Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, to draw the Zealots into a trap.

  As the story unfolds, Miriam also comes in contact with Jesus of Nazareth. She is on the Temple Mount when he drives out the moneychangers. Later she watches him deal compassionately with a woman taken in adultery. Though she knows little about him, she determines to learn more. To her surprise, her father is furious when he hears of her desire and forbids any further contact.

  Then Miriam accidentally learns of her father’s plan to draw the Zealots into the trap. A seemingly isolated wagon train of arms will be sent to decoy the Zealots into the Joknean Pass; then waiting Roman legionnaires will swoop down and kill them. Knowing that Simeon and the others who saved her life will most likely die, Miriam decides she cannot simply stand by. She goes to the Galilee and tells Simeon everything.

  This puts Simeon in a terrible dilemma. Just prior to Miriam’s coming, Simeon had told his band of men that he would not lead them in the raid against the Romans. Because of his commitment to follow Jesus, he has decided he must turn from his life of violence. But when he learns of Mordechai’s treachery and the danger to his men, there is no choice. He and his father ride to the Joknean Pass. Ironically, in order to stop a massacre, Simeon has to save the Romans, led by Tribune Marcus Didius, the very man who epitomizes all that Simeon once hated. Driven by a desire to do what is right, Simeon intervenes and saves the Roman column, but in doing so, one of his men is killed, and another, Yehuda, his closest friend and second-in-command, is captured.

  The book closes as, in an agony of conscience, Simeon realizes that his commitment to be a disciple of Jesus has come only at a terrible price to those who trusted in him.

  List of Major Characters

  The Household of David ben Joseph, Merchant of Capernaum

  David: Simeon’s father, 461

  Deborah bat Benjamin of Sepphoris: Simeon’s mother, 44

  Simeon: Second son of David and Deborah, ardent Zealot, 21

  Ephraim: Simeon’s older brother, married to Rachel, 25

  Rachel: Ephraim’s wife, 22

  Leah: Simeon’s sister, 15

  Joseph: Simeon’s youngest brother, 10

  Esther: David and Deborah’s granddaughter, daughter of Ephraim and Rachel, 4

  Boaz: David and Deborah’s grandson, son of Ephraim and Rachel, almost 2

  Aaron of Sepphoris: Deborah’s brother, Simeon’s uncle, a dedicated Pharisee, 39

  The Household of Mordechai ben Uzziel of Jerusalem

  Mordechai: Miriam’s father; leader of the Sadducees, member of the Great Sanhedrin of Jerusalem, 42

  Miriam bat Mordechai ben Uzziel: Mordechai’s only daughter, 18

  Livia of Alexandria: Miriam’s servant and friend, 20

  Drusus Alexander Carlottus: Livia’s brother who was sold into slavery, 17

  Ezra of Joppa: Sandal maker, married to Lilly, 30

  Lilly: cousin to Miriam’s deceased mother, Ezra’s wife, 28

  The Household of Yehuda of Beth Neelah

  Yehuda: Simeon’s friend and partner in the Zealot movement, a farmer, 24

  Shana: Yehuda’s sister, 17

  Other Prominent Characters

  Jesus of Nazareth: Carpenter and teacher, 30

  Mary of Nazareth: Mother of Jesus2

  Marcus Quadratus Didius: Roman tribune, 25

  Cornelia Alberatus Didius: Marcus’s mother

  Sextus Rubrius: Roman centurion, about 50

  Moshe ben Ya’abin: Bandit and thief

  Eliab: Ya’abin’s chief captain

  Pontius Pilate: Procurator of Judea

  Azariah the Pharisee: Leader of the Jerusalem group and titular head of the Pharisees, 50

  Simon Peter: Fisherman, one of the Twelve Apostles called by Jesus

  Andrew: Simon Peter’s brother, one of the Twelve

  James and John: Sons of Zebedee, partners in fishing with Peter and Andrew; both apostles

  Matthew Levi: A publican in Capernaum; called to follow Jesus, also one of the Twelve

  Luke, the Physician: A disciple of Jesus in Capernaum

  Amram the Pharisee: Leader of the Pharisees in Capernaum, about 50

  Joseph of Arimathea: A wealthy member of the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, a secret follower of Jesus

  Mary Magdalene: A follower of Jesus from Magdala on the Sea of Galilee, from whom Jesus cast out seven devils

  Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany: A family close to Jesus with whom he sometimes stayed while in the Jerusalem area

  Glossary

  NOTE: Some terms which are used only once and are defined in the text are not included here.

  Abba (AH-bah)—Diminutive of Ahv, father; thus “Papa,” or “Daddy.”

  bath or bat (BAHT)—Daughter, or daughter of, e.g., Miriam bat Mordechai, or Miriam, daughter of Mordechai.

  ben (BEN)—Son, or son of, as in Simeon ben David or Simeon, son of David. An Aramaic translation of ben is bar, as in Peter’s name, Simon Bar-jona, or Simon, son of Jonah (Matthew 16:17), and bar mitzvah.

  Beth (BAIT; commonly pronounced as BETH among English speakers)—House of, e.g., Bethlehem, House of Bread; Bethel, the House of God.

  boker tov (BOH-kur TOHV)—Literally “good day”; used like “hello.”

  Eema (EE-mah)—Diminutive of Eem, mother; thus “Mama,” or “Mommy.”

  goyim (goy-EEM)—Gentiles, literally in Hebrew, “nations,” a word used for anyone not of the house of Israel, or in modern times, one who is not a Jew; singular is goy.

  matzos (MAHT-zos)—Unleavened bread, especially that used during the Feast of Unleavened Bread and with the Passover meal.

  menorah (commonly, men-ORE-rah, but also men-ore-RAH)—A candlestick; usually refers to the sacred, seven-branched candlestick used in the tabernacle of Moses and later in the tem
ples.

  mezuzah (meh-ZOO-sah)—Literally, in Hebrew, “doorpost”; the small wood or metal container with scriptural passages inside fixed to the doorposts and gates of observant Jewish homes in response to the command in Deuteronomy 6:9.

  pater familias (PAY-tur FAH-MILL-ee-us)—The “Father of the family”; suggests his absolute authority over his wife and children.

  Pesach (pe-SOCK)—The Hebrew name for Passover.

  praetorium (pree-TOR-ee-um)—Official residence of the Roman governor or procurator or other high government official.

  publicani (poo-blee-KHAN-ee)—Latin for “public servant”; the publicans of the New Testament were hired by Romans to serve as the tax assessors and collectors in local districts.

  Sanhedrin (san-HED-rin)—The ruling council in various towns and cities; the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem was the supreme governing body of the Jews at this time.

  seder (SAY-dur)—From the Hebrew word for “order.” The Passover meal is often called seder; there the various prescribed foods are laid out in a specific order.

  Shabbat (sha-BAHT)—Hebrew name for the Lord’s day; the source of our word Sabbath.

  shalom (shaw-LOWM)—“Peace,” used as a greeting and a farewell.

  Sh’ma (SH-MAH)—Literally “hear!” the opening word of Deuteronomy 6:4; the name for the most sacred prayer of the Jews.

  Talmud (TALL-mood)—A collection of sacred writings and commentaries written by learned rabbis and Hebrew scholars of the Torah over many generations.

  Torah (TORE-ah)—The writings of Moses; the first five books of the current Old Testament.

  Via Maris (VEE-ah MAR-ees)—The Way of the Sea; famous highway following the eastern Mediterranean coastline from Egypt to Syria.

  Via Sacra (VEE-ah SAHK-rah)—The Sacred Way; main street of the Roman city center, or Roman Forum.

  Pronunciation Guide for Names

  Readers may wish to use the common English pronunciations for names that have come to modern times, such as David. The Hebrew pronunciation is for those who wish to say them as they may have been spoken at the time of the Savior. Any such pronunciation guide must be viewed as speculative, however; we simply do not know for certain how Hebrew names were pronounced in antiquity.

  Abraham—In Hebrew, ahv-rah-HAM

  Anna—ahn-AH

  Azariah—ah-zeh-RAI-ah

  Bethlehem—English, BETH-leh-hem; Hebrew, BAIT lech-EM

  Beth Neelah—BAIT nee-LAH

  Bethsaida—English, BETH-say-dah; Hebrew, BAIT sah-EE-dah

  Caesarea—see-zar-EE-ah

  Capernaum—English, ka-PUR-neh-um; Hebrew, kah-fur-NAY-hum

  Chorazin—khor-ah-ZEEN

  Daniel—dan-YELL

  David—dah-VEED

  Deborah—deh-vor-AH

  Ephraim—ee-FRAI-eem

  Esther—es-TAHR

  Eve—hah-VAH

  Galilee—English, GAL-leh-lee; Hebrew, gah-LEEL or gah-lee-YAH

  Ha’keedohn—ha-kee-DOHN

  James—Same as Jacob, or yah-ah-KOHV in Hebrew

  Jerusalem—ye-roosh-ah-LAI-eem

  Jesus—Hebrew form of the name is Yeshua (yesh-oo-AH), which is the same as the Old Testament Joshua; Greek form is hee-AY-soos.

  John—Hebrew form of the name is Johanan (yo-hah-nahn).

  Joknean Pass—yohk-NEE-an

  Joseph—yo-SEPH

  Leah—lay-AH

  Miriam—meer-YAM

  Mordechai—mor-deh-KAI

  Moshe Ya’abin—mohw-SHEH ya-ah-BEEN

  Mount Hermon—hur-MOHN

  Mount Tabor—English, TAY-bur; Hebrew, tah-BOHR

  Ptolemais—TOHL-eh-mays

  Rachel—rah-KHEL

  Samuel—shmoo-EL

  Sepphoris—seh-PHOR-us

  Shana—SHAW-nah

  Simeon—shee-MOHN

  Simon—see-MOHN

  Yehuda—yeh-HOO-dah; other forms, Judah or Judas

  Chapter 1

  Even a god cannot change the past.

  —Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics, 6:2

  I

  Capernaum, in the Galilee 16 June, a.d. 30

  “Archers! Take your marks!”

  The bull voice of Yehuda roared in the darkness, almost drowned out by the clash of swords and the shouts of terrorized men coming from the battle raging below.

  In perfect synchronization, the two dozen or so Zealots of the band of Ha’keedohn the Javelin notched their shafts to the string, pulled back the bows until the feathers caressed their cheeks, and squinted carefully as they picked out their targets below them in the light of the half-moon. Yehuda dropped his arm and shouted. “Three!” Two dozen shafts shot away.

  Below them, on the narrow road that snaked its way through the Joknean Pass, men screamed or gave a soft cry of surprise as they crumpled and fell. Simeon felt a rush of exultation. It was going to work. Moshe Ya’abin was on the run.

  Suddenly, though, everything seemed to slow to half-speed. Yehuda’s voice echoed hollowly, as if he were shouting from inside a cistern. “One!” The hands began to raise towards the quivers on their backs, but slowly. Too slowly! Simeon gaped in horror. The quivers were empty! There were no arrows to loose. Dark shapes were swarming up the hill at them, howling, their faces twisted with fury. In the lead, Ya’abin swung an enormous sword, his lips drawn back in a hideous grimace.

  Simeon stiffened as everything changed. In a fleeting instant, the bowmen were gone, the attackers had disappeared. All was black. The silence was eerie. What was happening? Where—? Then his heart seized up, and an icy breath blew across his neck. A ghostly figure began to materialize out of the darkness. Simeon tried to lunge upward, panic squeezing at his chest, but he was tied to the earth. His fingers dug into his palms. It couldn’t be! Not—

  But it was! It was Daniel. Yehuda’s younger brother staggered toward him, his face whiter than the driven snow, his hands clutching at his stomach. Something inside Simeon’s head warned him not to look, shouted at him not to look, but he couldn’t stop himself. His eyes dropped. Daniel was clutching at an enormous arrow protruding from his body. It was longer than a man’s bow, almost longer than Daniel’s entire body.

  Simeon shrank back as the apparition came towards him, larger, looming ever larger. He could not take his eyes from Daniel’s face. It was twisted with pain, the features barely recognizable. His eyes were huge, questioning, betrayed.

  Simeon tried to turn away, unable to look any more, but Daniel’s hand shot out and jerked him around, leaving a smear of blood across Simeon’s tunic. “Why, Simeon?” The voice echoed as if it came from a huge drum. Why? Why? Why?

  Simeon sat up with a jerk, eyes wild. He was bathed in sweat, and he was gasping frantically. Then with a flood of relief he realized he was not in the Joknean Pass. He was not with Yehuda and Daniel. He was in his bed. He was in his father’s house in Capernaum.

  He fell back on the bed. It had come again, but it was just a dream.

  And yet—. His shoulders slumped and he put his hands over his face, the chills still coursing through his body. “Oh, Daniel!” he whispered. “I am so sorry.”

  II

  Joppa, on the coastal plains of Judea

  About seventy-five miles to the southeast of Capernaum, in a small seaside house in the town of Joppa, Miriam, daughter of Mordechai ben Uzziel of Jerusalem, moaned softly. Reaching up, she rubbed at her eyes, pressing gently against the lids, trying to ease the weariness that lay behind them. Why? Why couldn’t she sleep? She could not remember when she had last felt so totally, utterly spent. Yet her mind would not rest. Her thoughts were like a chariot wheel thrown off in full flight.

  She sat up and looked around. In the soft moonlight coming through the window, she could see Livia’s still form on the smaller bed in the corner, her honey-blond hair a splash of pale gold. They had not returned here to the house of Ezra the Sandalmaker until about two hours after sundown. Lilly, Ezra’s wife and Miriam’s cousin, had fixed them a quick supper
; then they had all gone to bed. Livia fell asleep almost instantly and now slept deeply. How Miriam envied her. Miriam had not so much as dozed off in that time, not even for a moment.

  Moving carefully so as not to make any sound, she slipped quietly off the bed and padded to the window. The shutters were open to catch the breeze off the sea. She leaned out, resting her elbows on the sill, and breathed deeply. The moon was low in the sky, making a silvery ribbon across the surface of the water. She could hear the soft lapping of the waves on the sand below her. The sound soothed and relaxed her. This was the Great Sea, or the “internal sea,” the Mare Internum, as the Romans named it, or the Mediterranean, the Sea-in-the-Middle-of-the-Land. She liked that last name. It seemed to fit it best.

  Miriam lowered her head and rested it on her arms. What danger had she brought upon this simple household? Unlike her father’s side of the family, Ezra and Lilly were neither rich nor powerful. Lilly was Miriam’s mother’s cousin. Childless, she and Ezra lived simply but comfortably here on the coast. It was a good location for a sandalmaker. Joppa was on the Via Maris, the Way of the Sea, the great Roman road that led from Egypt into Syria. Miriam didn’t see them a great deal, but regarded Lilly, who was ten years older than she was, as more like an aunt than a cousin.

  When Miriam had overheard her father and Marcus laying out the plot to trap the Zealots at the Joknean Pass, she hadn’t known what to do. Then she had decided to come to Ezra for help. It said a lot about both of them that neither Ezra nor Lilly hesitated. With his wife’s encouragement, Ezra took Miriam and Livia to Capernaum so Miriam could warn Simeon. Now Miriam realized that if her father ever learned of what they’d done, she would not be the only one in serious trouble. Her father was a powerful man, both financially and politically. She suspected that he would wreak his revenge on Ezra in more ways than one.