oh Israel! Yahweh, our God, Yahweh is the only one of his kind. And thus you are to love the Lord your God with all of your heart with all of your soul and with all of your power. These words which I bind you to today are to be written on your heart. You are to repeat them to your sons. You are to speak of them when you are sitting at home and when you go into the alleyways, when you go to sleep and when you rise the next morning. You are to wrap them around your wrist as a sign. They are to become an ornament on your brow. You are to inscribe them on your doorpost and on the gates of your city.”
Samuel was satisfied. After he had had to hear with horror what that damned Egyptian merchant had spread around here, he had had to make a change to the teaching agenda on short notice. He had to stamp out these awful rumours right away before they took on a life of their own. It had been a good decision to call the issue by its proper name and to confront the boys with this. He was surprised that Jesus had agreed with him so quickly and without any discussion. Perhaps there was a glimmer of hope left that he was turning away from his Greek way of thinking back toward his origin. Samuel noticed that he was smiling. That had been a remarkable achievement today. But now he sure was hungry. After he had placed the torah back in the shrine he slowly walked over to eat a small meal.
It is quite easy to notice that the rabbi does not really pay attention. He does not listen to exactly what I say. Or rather to what you say, to be more honest. However it is good this way, for otherwise there would be major discussions with him. So all is well.
I feel better about my Greek name. Jesus is much more to my liking than Yeshua. Yeshua feels so strict, so rigid, just like the many unnecessary rules of my people. Perhaps those old rigid laws of my forefathers cause me to perceive that name as so strict, for the sound of the name is harmonious. The rabbi thinks that I am distancing myself from my Jewish roots this way, however he is not able to understand what it means for me to have grown up in Egypt, to have seen large buildings such as the three pyramids near Heliopolis. What would he say if he knew that I spoke with Bakenor about my fears while in a chamber of the pyramids? What would he say if I were to tell him that I spoke with a very bright being in there which called itself ‚angel of the earth’? I think that the rabbi would have me be stoned to death if he knew all of that. Now I notice that while I am a Jew I am at home in the whole world and my task will not only affect the Jews. Father, I pray that I may be allowed to travel much. May it be so.
∞
In the afternoon all of the children were fathered in the alleyways. The girls sang and jumped about in a circle. Rachel was also there. Joshua watched the girls. He leaned up against the trunk of the mulberry tree in the shade. He would much rather play with the girls, however that would have given Simeon ammunition to bother him for several days at least. Rachel was one of the few girls that also sometimes played with the boys. She especially loved playing ‚Jacob and the Lord’ or other games of catch, and she seized every opportunity to join in. Joshua had to smile, because he often watched here and loved her graceful way of moving.
Suddenly he heard clanking metallic steps. That had to be a Roman patrol, which one saw more and more often in Nazareth lately. Nine soldiers came marching from Sepphoris toward the main square. A soldier who was decorated more beautifully and nobly then the others led the way. They stopped directly in front of Joshua.
“Salve. Where can I find the rabbi here?”, the leader asked.
Joshua got up. “That is the house there. His name is Samuel and he is in the school building. Shall I accompany you to him?”
“Yes, gladly.”
Joshua went ahead, however the decorated soldier quickly caught up with him and then went ahead of him a few steps. This gave Joshua a good look at his clothing. The leader wore a bronze helmet, from which red hairs grew. He also had a red robe on. A breast-plate was mounted on that which underlined his muscular torso. Two belts adorned him, a mighty sword was attached to a metal strap on his right hand side. Sturdy sandals allowed for the typical quick pace of these Romans. Nails lined the bottom of the sandals, likely to lend them greater longevity. The man gave the other eight soldiers an order, upon which they gave up their strict formation and each walked about on his own.
“Here it is.” Joshua went across the courtyard and called his father, who appeared momentarily.
“Father, this man wishes to speak with you.”
“What is the matter, Centurion?”
“Today we heard from the merchants that there is a child among you that is supposed to be a king. Supposedly it is a child that came here from Egypt some time ago. Is that correct?”
“Oh no, Centurion. You know how quickly rumors get started and then disappear again. A family did indeed move here from Egypt some time ago, and they do have a son. Perhaps his father also called him a king once. But is not my son also a king in my eyes?” Samuel paused for a moment while he pointed at Joshua and smiled at him. “Centurion, you can be at ease, if there were an earthly king living here, I, the rabbi of the village would know about it. After all Nazareth is not large and also is not exactly an appropriate dwelling place for a king. Don’t you agree, Centurion?”
“Wise words. You are right and your words convince me. However we will come by in this area and take a look at your village more often in the future. Also because of the zealots.”
“Centurion, perhaps some people here are in your eyes lacking in education, however there are no zealots here.”
Afterwards the two men spoke of this and that. Many boys had followed Joshua and the soldiers, among them Simeon and his friends, who crowded the courtyard during his talk with the rabbi. This was a major event for the children since soldiers rarely stopped by in Nazareth. Usually they had only quickly marched through the alleys.
Joshua observed the boys, who at first merely eyed the soldiers with curiosity, then gradually became bolder. The boys from the village gazed at the uniforms and admired the weapons. They had become so brash that the soldiers could no longer stave them off and had to show them their swords, daggers and javelins so that they would be left in peace. The soldiers did not let go of any of the weapons, however some of the soldiers who liked being admired and who were not older than the brothers of Jesus demonstrated how sharp and pointy the weapons were. One of them cut a piece of cloth easily, another thrust his spear into a little tree that stood in the court of the rabbi.
“I repeat again, Centurion. There are no zealots here. Those you will find in Sepphoris.”
“Maybe so, rabbi, however we will check on this ourselves. We will have a watchful eye on Nazareth, Nairn and Canaan. Thank you, rabbi.”
The Centurion turned around, waited until his soldiers were back in formation and then the troop headed back toward Sepphoris.
After the Romans had left the village life in the alleyways calmed down again. The girls were the first who began to sing and dance. Simeon also gathered his friends about him. And Joshua sat down underneath the mulberry tree again. He enjoyed the calm, even when it got louder in the alleys again. But he was a little scared by the group of roman soldiers. After all he had heard that they had been looking for Jesus.
What if they returned and took him away with them? That would be awful and scared Joshua even more. It became noticeably darker around him. Joshua became downcast. Fear spread out in him. He gazed toward the singing and laughing girls. Suddenly he saw Jesus, who went toward the girls, sat down and watched them from nearby, clapping his hands. After a while the girls stopped and formed a circle around Jesus. Joshua saw Rachel sit down right next to Jesus. They talked and laughed a lot. Joshua could not hear anything, but he saw how Rachel
