well how the girls then descended on him and gave him the attention befitting a hero. Simeon on the other hand was awarded with a beating from his father shortly after. Nonetheless Joshua enjoyed playing with the children now and then since he normally had to be learning and studying the torah in the house of his father around this time. For his father Samuel, the rabbi of the small village, did not like it when he played in the dust with other kids and wandered about. Especially not with Simeon, the brute, as he always tended to say. But Samuel disliked it even more, when Joshua played catch with the girls among the green hills of Nazareth.
Joshua had to obey and learn to be calm, for his father had ordained that he would become a scribe later on. For then he would be respected man, would serve the faith of his forefathers and would also never have to worry about his future.
However today Joshua had gotten away to play with the other children, for the rabbi was far far away in Sepphoris to meet with some folks who had journeyed there all the way from Jerusalem. Joshua had heard much about Sepphoris, but had never been there himself.
Eyes bound, Joshua stood in the middle of the largest alleyway and waited for Rachel to give him the sign to go ahead. Since the cloth also covered his ears, he could not hear much and waited quietly for his turn. However there was no sign. Only the wind grew stronger and stronger, until it turned into a storm that swirled up dust and fears and tormented his body as if with many little pinpricks. The children screamed and yelled as they fled. Joshua would have normally also quickly ran home, for like all other children he was afraid of sandstorms. They were all warned and taught about the dangers of these forces of nature and the demons dwelling in them. However today he remained standing and calmly pulled the cloth from his eyes. All of the kids had disappeared, only Rachel was still next to him and watched the happening with him. The storm became so strong that both of the children had to seek shelter behind a hut. They put their hands in front of their eyes, for the storm was raging and hurt. It felt as if the demons were playing one of their games with the people again. His father always said that only the Messiah could protect people from the demons.
Oh, couldn’t the Messiah come soon? By now he also knew what a Messiah was. After all his father spoke ever more often of the pressing need of the Jewish people for a Messiah, a saviour. He, Joshua, also was urgently awaiting him. The Messiah would surely rescue him from the relentless strictness of his father and from that boaster Simeon.
“Joshua, look. There are some people coming up the path. They were in the middle of the storm. They survived the demons“, Rachel shouted excitedly in order to come up against the howling of the wind. Only then did he realize that he once again had passage from the torah in front of his inner eye.
“I don’t see anything. Where?”
“Are you blind? There behind the house of Zephaniah.”
Joshua pinched his eyes together in order to recognize the new arrivals at the entrance to the village. Yes, Rachel was right. Who could that possibly be? They were not Romans, although their soldiers rode through Nazareth often in these days. His father was not supposed to be back till evening and did not own a donkey. For now, as the figures approached, he discerned a man leading a large donkey on which a woman sat.
“Who is it, Rachel?”
“I don’t know. Who in our village owns such a large donkey?”
Joshua could not look away from them until he also spotted a child in their age on the donkey, seated sheltered behind the woman. Joshua saw a glowing and froze. There had been something like a bright flash in the darkness, but he could only barely make out the outlines of the strangers. Who was that? Then he saw them. The blue eyes of the child lit up the darkness which was descending over Nazareth just now. The child looked directly at him. It became quiet about Joshua. The demons which had been audible shrieking and cursing in the storm, could not take away the holiness of this moment. These deep blue eyes dug deeply into Joshua’s soul. He became very warm and he felt sheltered. Who was this child?
∞
The sun had risen and shone its golden yellow light on the roughly sixty huts, houses and cave-dwellings of Nazareth. The village lay gracefully snuggled up against the hill behind it, like a panther. A majestic olive tree presided over all of it with its silvery leaves. A few inhabitants strolled comfortably through the alleyways.
The prayers had all been spoken, the family of the rabbi was complete, sitting at the morning meal. Finally they could eat. Like almost every morning they were having unleavened bread, cheese, milk and garlic olive oil. Additionally gigs and dates were served. His father had returned very late yesterday evening from Sepphoris and as always sat at the head of table. And besides, everything in the house of the Rabbi had to be the way it always had been. The seating order was a part of this. Samuel’s wife Sarah sat on the rabbi’s right hand side, to his left Joshua, then came Joshua’s half-sister Esther, whose mother had been the first wife of the rabbi up until her death, and then his younger sister Judith. It was forbidden for Joshua and his sisters to talk while they were seated at the table. They obeyed that rule, for obedience to the father was one of the most important virtues that existed. Obedience was an obligation. In this way Joshua became a good observer.
“Sarah, did I get this wrong or has Joseph the carpenter returned with his family?” Samuel broke a piece of bread and dipped it in the olive oil. Today he somehow seemed stricter. “A lamp was lit in their house yesterday evening and I heard a child laughing.”
Joshua glanced over to his mother and noticed her sad eyes. This atmosphere here was numbing him. His mother seemed fearful. She did not say anything. Joshua knew that whenever she had a hard time speaking she had been treated cruelly by his father. And when the Rabbi got angry, he beat her. Joshua was also often beaten, for the rabbi always found a reason to. Joshua hated his father so much, but also revered him in a strange way since he was highly respected in the village and always treated the other people fairly. And for this he hated him even more.
“Woman, answer me when I ask you a question.” It took a few seconds until Sarah was able to speak. Silence and fear filled the air.
“Yes, they are back again, Samuel.” She spoke very quietly. “Miriam came over to me yesterday evening and greeted me. Then I told her that the village was going to host a celebration in their honor. Joseph wanted to visit you after school and go over some things with you. “ She looked at her husband and awaited a reply that did not come.
“They were in the country of the Egyptians the past four years and meanwhile even have a son. He is called Yeshua. It must have been him you heard laughing. “
“They were gone for four years. Hard to believe that they even dare to show up here again.” Samuel shook his head angrily. “This village could have used a good craftsman these past years. But it is a mystery to me how they are still able to afford that big house. Oh well, then I suppose I will listen to what he has to tell me.”
Not a single word was spoken for the remainder of the meal. The strict glances of the rabbi suppressed any further expression. He was the ruler of this family.
Joshua had to let his mother and sisters clear off the table by themselves and followed Samuel across the courtyard into the large meeting hall which was situated across from the three living rooms. Samuel was a big man who took big steps, however he walked so hunched over that Joshua sometimes thought he would tip over any moment due to losing his balance.
The whole village gathered in the assembly hall when important events were to be discussed, and it was here that the children met for school. The rabbi was especially proud of this assembly room, in which Joshua was taught the teachings of their forefathers together with the other boys.
The
