We have mentioned that Galba had succeeded to the throne of the Roman
empire, in the room of the tyrant Nero; and that Vespasian prudently
abstained from taking any active measures in Judea, lest he should
weaken his forces, but kept them together in readiness for any
enterprise that might seem calculated to promote his ambitious views,
and hasten the accomplishment of the prophecy that had been
pronounced by his Jewish captive, Josephus. Had all the inhabitants
of Jerusalem and the neighbouring country improved this season of
rest and respite from foreign war, their city might have been better
prepared to receive the assaults of the Roman army when at length the
siege was determined on; or, better still, they might, by a timely
submission, have appeased the anger of the new emperor, whose
attention was greatly occupied by the unsettled state of affairs in
the regions nearer to the capital of the empire.
But no such salutary and prudent steps were taken by these misguided
and rebellious people, who only turned the arms that were no longer
exerted against a foreign enemy, with greater animosity against each
other. Simon the son of Gioras, the bloody and vindictive Simon,
added a third party to those which already distracted the metropolis.
This scourge of his country might rival even John of Gischala in
cruelty and ferocity, but he was not a match for him in cunning. He
had been conspicuous in the rout of Cestius' army, which had occurred
at the beginning of the war and since that period he had carried on a
course of pillage and violence. He had been expelled from Acrabatana
by Ananus, and entering Masada, he had succeeded in making himself
master of the town. His party had gradually augmented; and having
traversed the region of Idumea with his fierce and victorious band,
he at length turned his eyes towards Jerusalem, and began to
entertain hopes that he might vanquish the two parties that already
contended for the superiority within her walls, and himself become
the leader and the chief of all.
When his approach was known in the city, a considerable body of the
Zealots sallied forth to oppose him, but they could not stand against
his forces, and were driven back again with discomfiture and loss.
Simon did not, however, venture to attack the city immediately; but
apprehensive of his own strength, he resolved on returning to subdue
Idumea before he commenced that enterprise. He therefore placed
himself at the head of twenty thousand men, and hastened back to the
frontier. The Idumeans speedily assembled to the number of
twenty-five thousand and leaving the rest of their forces to guard
their families and possessions from the incursions of the robbers
from Masada, they met Simon on the borders of their territory, where
a long and doubtful contest was maintained the whole day. It is hard
to say which party should be called the victors, for Simon retreated
to the village of Nam, which he had previously fortified and put in a
state of defence, and the Idumeans retired to their own country. But
Simon shortly afterwards made another incursion upon them with a
still more powerful army, and having pitched his camp before Tekoa,
he dispatched one of his associates, named Eleazar, to persuade the
garrison of the neighbouring fortress of Herodium to surrender to
him. The garrison were so indignant at the proposition that they
attacked Eleazar with their drawn swords, and he was obliged to leap
from the wall into the deep ditch that surrounded it, where he died
on the spot.
The Idumeans dreaded the power and the vengeance of Simon, and they
determined, if possible, to ascertain the strength of his army before
they again met him in battle; and one of their princes, named Jacob,
offered to accomplish this object. But he was a traitor, and only
sought the opportunity of betraying his country into the hands of her
enemy. He went from Colures, which was the head-quarters of the
Idumeans, to the camp of Simon, and immediately made an agreement to
assist him in reducing the whole country to his subjection, on
condition that he himself should be well treated, and rewarded with
riches and honours. To these terms Simon promised a ready
compliance, and having regaled him with a grand entertainment, he
dismissed him with extraordinary courtesy. Jacob was elated with the
prospects which he saw before him; and on returning to his
countrymen, he endeavoured to alarm them by a false account of the
forces of Simon, describing them as much more numerous than they
really were. He afterwards tried various arts and persuasions with
the princes and the chief men, separately, to induce them to lay down
their arms, and receive Simon as their governor; and while he was
thus treacherously endeavouring to weaken the courage and corrupt the
fidelity of his countrymen, he secretly sent to Simon, desiring him
to commence the attack, and promising that he would disperse the
Idumeans. To effect this, as soon as the enemy approached, he
mounted his horse and pretended to take flight, followed by those
whom he had already made his accomplices; and the rest of the army,
being seized with a panic, left their ranks and fled away towards
their homes.
Thus, almost without bloodshed, Simon entered the country, took the
ancient city of Hebron, and wasted all the neighbourhood. Marching
from thence, he ravaged the whole land of Idumea, and carried off all
the provisions and cattle of the wretched inhabitants. His army had
increased to such a multitude from the number of irregular troops who
followed him, that the country could not furnish necessaries for
them; and the consequent distress of the peasantry, added to the
cruelty of Simon, made them groan beneath the weight of their
accumulated misfortunes. Simon's army carried desolation wherever
they turned: they burned some places, and pulled down others; seized
and destroyed whatever fell into their hands, and trampled under-foot
every species of vegetation, so that the land became a desert, and
appeared as if it had never been cultivated. These proceedings
against their former allies added fury to the resentment of the
Zealots, and yet they dared not meet the destroyer in open battle;
but having placed ambuscades along the road, by which they were
informed the wife of Simon was to pass, they succeeded in carrying
her off a captive to Jerusalem, with several of her attendants. They
hoped by these means to bring Simon to terms, for they knew that the
loss of his wife would distract him; and therefore they expected that
in order to obtain her release he would bind himself by an agreement
that they might dictate. But the feelings of Simon were not to be
acted upon in the manner which they anticipated: instead of
approaching their walls a humble suppliant for the restoration of his
wife, he came raging like a wounded beast of prey. All who ventured
to set their foot outside the gates, to gather olives in the gardens
or bring in other necessaries, were seized by his watchful
emissaries, and brought to their savage master, who put them to
death, without distinction of age or sex, after inflicting on them
unparalleled torments. He is said to have been hardly restrained
from tearing their flesh with his teeth, so ungovernable was his fury
and vengeance. Some of his victims he spared from death only to
inflict on them a worse punishment; for he cut off both their hands,
and in this mutilated condition sent them back into the city, with
orders to tell the leaders, that Simon had sworn by the Almighty,
that if they did not immediately restore his wife to him, he would
break through their walls, and treat in the same barbarous manner all
who were within the city, without any distinction. This dreadful
threat alarmed the people, and even the Zealots. In hope of
appeasing their furious enemy, they sent out his wife to him, on
which he laid aside his intention of an immediate slaughter, and
withdrew his army from the walls.
During the preparations for his departure, a party of his sentinels
brought into the camp a young Jew, whom they had discovered lurking
among the neighbouring hills, and apparently watching their motions
with great anxiety. He fled at their approach, but they pursued and
caught him, and now conducted him into the presence of Simon as a
spy. The young man had a bold and crafty countenance; and his
appearance bespoke that he had endured much hardship and fatigue; but
he almost trembled at the fierce aspect of the son of Gioras, whose
character was doubtless well known to him. Simon sternly demanded
who he was, and what had brought him so near his camp; and believing
that deceit could not, in this instance, be of any advantage to him,
Javan (for it was him) replied:--
"I am the son of Zadok the priest, and have long been a captive in
the hands of the Romans. With danger and difficulty I escaped from
them, when they were encamped on the shores of the Dead Sea. For
months I have wandered among the mountains and the deserts, seeking
vainly to find an opportunity of returning to my native city, and
rouse my countrymen to a fiercer opposition against my hated captors.
The approach of Vespasian so near the walls of Jerusalem long
deterred me from the attempt to gain entrance, as I dreaded falling
into the hands of any of his skirmishing parties; and though I burned
to find myself upon the battlements of Zion, and to cast defiance at
the infidels from her proud bulwarks, yet I was forced to loiter away
my time in restless inactivity. When Vespasian withdrew his forces
from the neighbourhood, I again approached my native district, but
was again disappointed in my object, by finding that your valiant
troops were contending with those ruffian Zealots. The succeeding
war in Idumea prevented me from passing through that country, until
you left it to seek vengeance for the insult offered to you by John
of Gischala and his robber band. Then I entered Judea by a secret
path through the mountains, and was anxiously watching for a moment
of security, that I might present myself before the gates of the city
and join her brave defenders, when I fell into the hands of your
brave men."
Simon was satisfied that the prisoner was not deceiving him, and he
replied,--
"Why then did you not boldly come to me, and join the ranks of my
patriotic followers? You might have known that the welfare of
Jerusalem is my only object; and that I seek to rid her of her
present oppressors, that I may establish again the rules of order and
good government, and restore the neglected worship of the temple to
its former holiness and magnificence. My righteous efforts will
doubtless be blessed with success, and the God of battles will put to
rebuke those miscreants who now so audaciously trample on his holy
sanctuary and despise his laws."
"Most noble Simon," replied the wily Javan, "your holy zeal finds an
echo in my breast. Had I known the object of your enterprise, I
should long ere this have hastened to enroll myself under your
victorious banner, and have rejoiced to lend my aid to so meritorious
a purpose. I am now ready to take an oath of fidelity to you and
your cause; and, by the blessing of the Almighty, we shall soon
triumph over the Zealots, and restore the city of the Great King to
prosperity and peace."
Thus spoke Javan, partly actuated by a politic regard to his own
safety, and partly prompted by his fanatical zeal and pride. He
hoped that Simon's party might gain the ascendancy, if they once
obtained a footing in the city; and he knew enough of their leader to
be convinced that he would forward to the utmost all his own schemes
and projects, for what he called the honour of God--by which he
meant, the oppression and destruction of all who differed from the
proud, self-righteous sect to which he belonged. He believed that in
so doing he should promote the cause of religion, and strengthen the
party of those whom he considered as the only true children of
Abraham. He therefore made up his mind to attach himself to Simon,
and, if possible, to gain his confidence, and penetrate all his
schemes. Should they succeed, he would enter Jerusalem as his
follower; but if he failed in opening her gates, either by force or
by subtlety, Javan depended on his own cunning to make his escape
from his adopted leader, and unite himself to whichever party he
should find the most congenial to his own bigoted feelings, when he
had succeeded in obtaining an entrance into the city.
A compact was soon entered into between these two crafty men, who
both affected to conceal their own cruel and ambitious views under
the disguise of zeal for religion. In this profession Javan was more
sincere than Simon; he had devoted a great part of his early life to
the study of the sacred writings, and still more sacred traditions,
so profoundly reverenced by his sect; and for the honour of these
voluminous and erudite productions, and the observance of the
wearisome regulations which they enjoined, he held it to be his duty
to consecrate his time and his strength, and even to abandon every
tie of natural affection that might interfere with the views which he
entertained. But with the son of Gioras, ambition and revenge were
the darling objects; and religion was little more than a cloak, under
which to exercise every violence and every cruelty that was dictated
by his own evil heart. He once more resolved to defer his intended
attack upon Jerusalem, and wait until the forces within the city had
wasted yet more of their strength in civil contests; and also until
he had further augmented his own army. He therefore retired again
into Idumea, where for a considerable time he continued his former
system of pillage and oppression.
The suspension of hostilities on the part of the Romans, and the
departure of Simon, encouraged some of the Christians at Pella to
forsake for a little time their place of refuge, and to return to
Jerusalem, either to secure some of their effects which had been
neglected at the time of their retreat, or to see again those members
of their families who, though separated from them in faith and in
hope, were yet united to them by the bonds of affection. Among those
who thus visited the holy city at this time were Amaziah and Judith.
They had come to the resolution of finally abandoning their devoted
and rebellious country, and retiring to Ephesus with their son, who
had hitherto remained in Jerusalem. They knew that they should there
find a numerous and increasing church of Christians, and that the
venerable apostle John then dwelt there, and watched over the
spiritual welfare of his beloved brethren in Christ, with all the
affection and all the zeal that glowed in his devoted heart. To
enjoy the privilege of his presence and his instruction was one great
motive that induced Amaziah and his wife to select Ephesus as the
place of their retreat; and they also possessed friends and
connexions among the believers established there. Before they
undertook so long a journey, they wished to see and to bid farewell
to their relations in Jerusalem; and they likewise intended to make
an effort for the preservation of their dear Naomi, by endeavouring
to persuade her parents to allow her to accompany them, and remain
under their protection, until Judea should again be restored to
tranquillity. Such a result of the war they did not themselves
anticipate; for they looked confidently for the fulfilment of the
denunciations of wrath pronounced against their countrymen by the
Lord Jesus; and they feared that if Naomi remained in the city, she
would share the fate of its obstinate inhabitants. Oh how gladly
would they have persuaded Zadok and Salome also to be the companions
of their exile! But that they knew to be a fruitless wish, so long
as they despised the name of the Redeemer, and disbelieved alike his
threatenings and his promises.
They found their niece unshaken in her faith, and fully resolved to
hold fast to the religion which she had so boldly professed, in spite
of all the sorrow which that profession had brought upon her. It is
true that the influence of her kind and affectionate mother had
preserved her from any severe manifestations of her father's wrath;
but all the domestic comfort and happiness which she had so long
enjoyed was gone. Zadok no longer regarded her with affection and
pride, and no longer delighted in conversing with her, and
instructing her in all the learning for which he was himself so
celebrated. As much as possible he avoided seeing her, and when they
met, his countenance expressed such deep grief and such repressed
anger, that Naomi shrunk from his presence, and in her own apartment
shed many bitter tears of sorrow, but not of weakness or indecision.
The severest trial she had to undergo was when at stated periods she
was summoned to attend her father and rabbi Joazer, to whom the
secret of her apostasy had been confided, and in whose learned
arguments her parents placed their only hope of her restoration to
the true faith.
Rabbi Joazer spared neither time nor pains to accomplish this desired
object; but all his tedious harangues, and all his copious appeals to
the rabbinical writings and the traditions of the elders, only served
to show to Naomi more plainly the folly and absurdity of exalting
these human inventions above the word of God, and made her feel more
devotedly attached to the faith she had adopted, and which she knew
to be verified by Scripture, and founded on divine revelation. With
humility, and yet with firmness, she replied to the assertions of the
rabbi; and quoted the words of the prophets to prove that Jesus was
indeed the Christ. Joazer would not listen to her; he only
overwhelmed and silenced her, by long and rapid quotations from the
cumbrous volumes on which he rested his creed; and at length
dismissed her with anger and impatience to her chamber again.
Claudia was her constant companion, and her greatest earthly solace.
She sympathised in the afflictions of her friend, and listened with
an interest that daily increased, to the detail of all that she had
seen and heard at Pella, and all the affecting narratives that had at
first attracted Naomi's own attention, and excited her own curiosity,
and led to her own adoption of the faith of Christ. The heart of
Claudia was touched, and it was evident that the work of the Spirit
had commenced within her, though it advanced but slowly, and she did
not, as it were, grasp and comprehend the doctrines that were
presented to her, with the rapidity that had characterized Naomi's
conversion. Her less energetic disposition was alarmed at the wonder
and the novelty of the religion that was proposed to her belief; and
though in the mythology which she had been taught in her childhood,
there were many pretended instances of the heathen divinities
dwelling with men upon the earth, yet the history of Jesus Christ,
God manifest in the flesh, was altogether so different from these
idle tales, and the miracles which glorified his earthly life were so
astonishing and so awakening, that Claudia paused before she could
give full credence to all that her friend related to her.
Salome had repeated to her husband the substance of the interesting
discourse of Amaziah on the night of Naomi's return; and Zadok saw
plainly that an impression had been made on her mind, which he was
very anxious to obliterate. He therefore strictly enjoined her never
to renew the conversation with his daughter, on the plea that it
would only strengthen Naomi's unhappy belief if she was called on to
defend it; but his real object was to preserve his wife from the
contamination of her obnoxious doctrines. He also took every
opportunity of repeating to Salome his strongest arguments against
Christianity, and all the popular slanders that were circulated
against its Founder, and his immediate followers. By these means he
succeeded in silencing the voice of conviction that was beginning to
make itself heard in her breast; and the seed of the Spirit lay
dormant beneath the weight of ancient prejudice, and mistaken
reverence for the opinion of her intelligent and upright husband.
Things were in this state when Amaziah and Judith returned to
Jerusalem. The house in which they had formerly dwelt when resident
in the city, had been pillaged and destroyed during the recent scenes
of anarchy and confusion; but Amaziah was a man of wealth, and had
secured sufficient property in gold and jewels to provide for the
maintenance of himself and his family, besides allowing him to
indulge in the benevolent pleasure of ministering largely to the
support and comfort of his poorer brethren. Zadok, somewhat
unwillingly, invited him to reside, during the short period that he
intended to remain in Jerusalem, in a portion of his own spacious
dwelling; but he never ate at the same table with his brother or his
family, and he allowed as little intercourse as possible between the
members of his own household and the Nazarene inmates of his house.
The comparative state of security to which Jerusalem and its vicinity
were restored, by the inactivity of the Romans, also induced the aged
Mary to return to her beloved home at Bethany, under the protection
of Amaziah, who left her in her secluded dwelling, before he and his
well-armed party descended the Mount of Olives and entered the city.
Naomi could not rest when she found that her venerable friend was
again at Bethany without seeking the first opportunity of going to
visit her; and as she was allowed to walk out under the guardianship
of the indulgent Deborah, she succeeded several times in inducing her
to extend their rambles to the village, and permit her to rest awhile
in Mary's cottage. The old nurse knew that Naomi was under the
displeasure of her father, and as she was present on the evening when
the disclosure of her sentiments took place, she was well aware of
the cause of Zadok's anger, and therefore she could not imagine that
his daughter's visits to the aged disciple of Jesus would be approved
of by him. Nevertheless she could not deny her dear young mistress
in anything, and by her means Naomi enjoyed much delightful
conversation with her friend. Perhaps the young and ardent convert
would have been more strictly in the path of duty if she had not thus
acted in opposition to the wishes of her parents; but we are only
describing a human character, liable to sins and errors, and not a
model of perfection, such as the world has never seen but once.
Naomi believed that she could not be wrong in seeking the society of
her to whom she owed the knowledge of salvation, and endeavouring to
obtain from her instructions fresh knowledge and fresh strength, to
support her in any coming trials or sufferings. The increasing
infirmities of her beloved teacher also acted as a strong stimulus to
her to seize every opportunity of visiting her, not only that she
might benefit by her discourse as much as possible, but also that she
might cheer her solitude, and minister to her wants, and, as far as
lay in her power, render her latter days easy and comfortable.
Claudia always accompanied her friend on these expeditions; and the
words of the venerable and evidently declining saint powerfully
strengthened the impression which had already been made on her mind.
The sacred peace and joy that shone in the countenance of Mary,
riveted her attention and commanded her respect; while the kindness
and benignity of her manner, her zeal for the spiritual welfare of
her young pupils, and her tender indulgence for their faults and
backslidings, won her warmest affection.
Judith and Amaziah also made frequent visits to the dwelling of Mary;
and by their care, a poor Christian woman was discovered in the
village, and engaged to attend upon her, and provide for her comfort.
Hannah was a humble but most devoted disciple, and she joyfully
undertook to watch the declining days of one so holy and so
privileged as Mary of Bethany. Her own poverty had prevented her
from retiring to Pella at the commencement of the war, and the entire
seclusion in which she lived, had caused her to be overlooked by
those who would willingly have assisted her; and she now rejoiced
that she had been appointed to remain in danger and distress, since
it was her lot at length to share the dwelling, and listen to the
discourse, of her who had sat at the feet of Jesus, and heard from
his own lips the words of grace and salvation.
One evening near the time of sunset, Naomi and Claudia were returning
from their favourite walk to Bethany, attended only by the faithful
Deborah, Theophilus, who was their frequent companion, being unable
to join them. They crossed the rippling stream of Cedron, and
entered the garden of Zadok, which extended from the margin of the
brook to the road by which they always approached the city gate. The
thick foliage of the overhanging trees cast a deep shade across the
garden path, and the young maidens were startled at observing the
figure of a man lurking in one of the darkest spots. Claudia would
have fled from the garden, and Deborah shrunk back, trembling more
from a superstitious fear of meeting an apparition than from any
apprehension of danger from a living man. But Naomi, with her usual
presence of mind and undaunted spirit, drew them forward, whispering,
"Fear not: if evil is intended it is useless to fly, for we must be
overtaken; and if we boldly proceed, our confidence may deter the
intruder from approaching us."
They advanced along the most open path, and Naomi continued talking
to her companions in a cheerful tone of voice, when even her courage
was almost put to flight by the stranger suddenly springing towards
her through the bushes, and catching her in his arms. But what was
her surprise and delight when she heard the voice of Javan exclaim,--
"It is my own dear sister Naomi! I thought I could not mistake your
form and step--but your voice completely satisfied me. I have been
lingering here for some hours; for I was anxious, if possible, to see
some member of my father's household, and learn the present state of
the city before I presented myself at the gate. But as I find you,
Naomi, walking thus slenderly attended, I conclude that the civil war
has somewhat subsided, and I may fearlessly enter the city under your
escort."
Naomi most joyfully embraced her brother, for whom she had a sincere
affection, notwithstanding the many annoyances and provocations which
she had received for his violent temper. Indeed all these were
forgotten and forgiven during his long absence; and she remembered
but that Javan was her only brother, who had been in danger and in
captivity, and had now returned to be her friend and companion, and
the comfort, as she hoped, of her parents. She assured him that he
could safely enter the walls of Jerusalem, as the Zealots were almost
constantly shut up in the temple, except when they sallied forth to
insult or pillage the more peaceable inhabitants.
"But happily," she added, "the situation of our father's house, so
near the water-gate, allows me to walk out constantly in this
direction; and not only to enjoy the beauty and fragrance of our own
garden, but to ramble unmolested among the olive-groves of yonder
mount, and to visit the lovely village of Bethany."
Naomi sighed as she spoke of Bethany, for she feared that the return
of her brother might put a stop to the happy and interesting hours
which she passed there with Mary; for she knew that if he once
suspected the object of her visits to the village, his anger would be
ungovernable, and she dreaded his becoming acquainted with what he
would call her impious apostasy. She could have wished that he might
remain ignorant of it, but she felt that it was almost a hopeless
wish, and she only prayed that she might be supported under the
bitter addition of a brother's anger and a brother's scorn.
Claudia did not receive the salutations of Javan with unmixed
pleasure. She feared for Naomi, and she feared for herself, and she
felt a gloomy foreboding that his presence would only bring fresh
trouble and discord. But Deborah was overpowered with delight at
again beholding her beloved young master in freedom. All the
waywardness of his disposition had not weakened her attachment to
him, and he returned her affection with great sincerity. Javan was
not devoid of good natural feelings, and when they were called forth
he displayed a warmth of heart that would have made him amiable and
beloved, if it had been united to the Christian graces of humility
and charity. But pride and fanaticism were his predominant passions,
and too often stifled or concealed all that was good and estimable in
his character. He loved his parents and he loved his sister. His
father's learning and strict attention to the observances of religion
and the customs of his sect, were with him a source of pride, and he
could not but respect the deep piety and integrity of Zadok; while
his mother's gentle and affectionate manner, and the tender
admonitions which she had bestowed on him at parting, had made an
impression on his heart that could not be obliterated. In the energy
and determination of Naomi's character he found a counterpart of his
own; and he admired her spirit, though it had been the frequent cause
of dissensions between them in former days, while yet his sister's
heart was unchanged, and the faults of her education were uncorrected
by the mild spirit of Christianity. But all the more engaging points
in her character were unshared by her brother, and found no sympathy
from him when his love for her was opposed by his prejudices or his
passions.
On reaching the threshold of their father's house, Naomi hastened
forward to acquaint her mother of Javan's return, for she feared that
the sudden joy of seeing him so unexpectedly might overpower her.
She found Salome and Zadok, with their friend Rabbi Joazer, sitting
on the terrace at the back of the house, from whence there was a fine
view of the Mount of Olives and the surrounding country. The
situation of Zadok's house was very elevated; and this terrace, which
was a favourite resort of the family, entirely commanded the city
walls to the east, and afforded a cool and pleasant retreat when the
sun was sinking towards the western horizon, and casting the deep and
broad shadows of the temple and the battlements across the fertile
valley that lay below. A small but richly cultivated garden of
flowers had been formed at the foot of the terrace, and the perfume
of roses and jessamines, and other odorous plants, rose deliciously
in the evening breeze. The moon had just risen above the summit of
the Mount of Olives, and though it yet appeared but as a brilliant
crescent, yet in the pure atmosphere of that favoured land its mild
beams were sufficient to shed a soft and lovely light on all around.
Naomi paused involuntarily when she drew near the group who were
seated in this enchanting spot. Zadok and Joazer were conversing so
earnestly that her light step was unperceived, as the faces of the
speakers were turned from her, and unintentionally she heard some
words of their discourse.
"She is an obstinate apostate!" exclaimed the rabbi, with warmth.
"She is unworthy of the name of Zadok's daughter! Let her be
_anathema maranatha_."
"Oh! say not so," cried the trembling voice of Salome. "Curse not my
child, most holy rabbi. If, as you say, she is possessed by the
spirits of evil, let us rather pray for her."
Zadok was about to reply, when a sigh that burst from Naomi's
burdened heart attracted the attention of her parents and the rabbi,
and they turned towards her. It must have been a heart of stone that
could look upon her at that moment, and not be touched by the
expression of deep grief and patient resignation depicted in her pale
countenance. Her hands were clasped, and her glistening eyes turned
upwards, as if seeking from above that comfort and that protection
which it seemed probable would soon be denied her on earth. Anxiety
and sorrow had already left their traces on her form and face, and
quenched the brilliance of her clear black eye; but she was more
lovely and more interesting in her patient grief than she had been in
the pride of her joyous youth.
A tear rolled down Salome's cheek as she gazed upon her beloved, but,
as she believed, her deluded and erring child; and Zadok turned away,
and strove to conquer the love and the compassion that swelled within
his breast. But the rabbi was unmoved. Years of laborious and
unprofitable study had extinguished his social affections, and dried
up the current of his natural feelings. In the firmness of the young
Christian he saw nothing but the machinations of Satan, and in her
touching sorrow he only recognised the wiles of the evil one to
soften and deceive her parents.
"Away, thou child of the devil!" he exclaimed, "and seek not to move
your too indulgent parents by this vain show of sorrow, while by your
perverseness and impiety you are all the while breaking their hearts.
Oh that you resembled your holy and zealous brother Javan! Then
would you be a joy and a comfort to the house of the righteous Zadok,
instead of bringing shame and dishonour on the descendant of Aaron,
the saint of the Lord. But why do I waste my words on one so
obdurate and so unworthy. Satan hath blinded thine eyes, and shut
out the light of heaven; and but for your mother's false tenderness,
you should be sent forth an outcast, as his portion."
To this passionate malediction the unhappy Naomi made no reply. She
felt that it was but a portion of her appointed trial, and in her
heart she repeated the meek words of the fugitive King of
Israel--"Let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him." She turned
towards her mother, and said in a faltering voice,
"I come only to announce my brother's safe return. He feared to
startle you if he suddenly appeared. May he be a blessing to you.
For myself, I can only expect his scorn and hatred when he hears that
I have learned to honour the holy name which he despises. But be it
so. My proud heart has need of all this to convince it of its own
weakness and its own depravity."
Joazer had not waited for the conclusion of Naomi's sentence, but had
hurried from the terrace to meet and to welcome his former pupil; and
Salome seized the opportunity of his absence to entreat her husband
to conceal from Javan, at least for a time, the apostasy of his
sister.
"Doubtless," she urged, "our prayers and our arguments will, ere
long, bring her back into the path of truth; and you know, Zadok, the
violence of Javan's feelings with regard to the Nazarene faith.
Before I go to meet my son, let me hear you promise to keep from him
the knowledge of what would so deeply grieve him."
Zadok gave the promise which she required, for he hoped that Naomi
might derive benefit from the conversation and the learning of her
brother; and he knew that if Javan even suspected her of being a
disciple of Jesus of Nazareth, he would hold it to be contamination
to have any intercourse with her. Naomi rejoiced in this concession,
for she dreaded her brother's wrath; and she determined that she
would not confess to him her faith so long as duty and sincerity did
not require it. She would gladly have retired to her own chamber,
and related to Claudia all that had occurred, but she felt that her
absence from the family circle on this occasion would excite the
surprise and call forth the inquiries of her brother; she therefore
endeavoured to subdue her emotion, and to assume a cheerful aspect,
before Javan and the rabbi, joined by her father and mother, appeared
on the terrace.
The greetings and the animated conversation that ensued, allowed her
time to rally her spirits and regain her composure. Javan had much
to tell of his perils at Jotapata, of his long and irksome captivity,
and of his escape and subsequent adventures. And as the name of
Marcellus was frequently mentioned in his narrative, and Javan also
faithfully delivered the parting messages of their former friend to
each member of the family, Naomi felt so deep an interest in the
discourse as to forget for a time her own peculiar trials and
sorrows. Claudia also was delighted at the news of her brother's
safety and prosperity. It was a long time since he had been able to
send her any intelligence; but in his last letter he had informed him
that their father was anxiously awaiting any favourable opportunity
for recalling her from Jerusalem, and placing her in some secure
retreat, before the Roman army should commence a serious attack upon
the capital. She had therefore, since the departure of Simon and his
army, been in constant expectation of receiving a summons from Rufus,
and an intimation of the plan which he wished her to pursue in order
to join him. She ardently desired again to see her father and
brother; and yet she dreaded this summons, for her heart was linked
to Jerusalem by many ties, and she regretted that she had not been
born a Jewish maiden, that so her duty as well as her affections
might lead her to share the dangers and remain to sympathise in the
sorrows of her friends. She had prospects of happiness laid out
before her, the particulars of which shall be detailed hereafter, but
she feared that her father's consent might not be obtained for their
accomplishment, and that he might demand from her a sacrifice that
she felt she could hardly make.
When first she recognised Javan in the garden, she thought that he
might have been employed by her father to escort her out of the city
to meet him in some safe place; and she listened with mingled anxiety
and fear, until she found from his conversation with Naomi that he
had escaped as a fugitive from the Roman camp, and not come as an
emissary from the centurion. And when she heard the story of his
wanderings, and knew how long a period had elapsed since he left the
camp, though relieved from the dread of being recalled from
Jerusalem, she again felt anxious and surprised at her brother's long
silence, and feared that his messengers must have been unfaithful, or
that his letters had been intercepted by the way. While she was
minutely interrogating Javan concerning her father and brother, Zadok
drew the rabbi aside, and communicated to him his reasons for
consenting to keep secret from the zealous young Pharisee the fact of
his sister's conversion to Christianity and with some difficulty he
obtained Joazer's concurrence to the plan. The fanatical rabbi
burned to disclose the whole story of Naomi's crimes to her brother;
for he fully anticipated that he should then have Javan's support and
assistance in bringing about those harsh measures which he had vainly
pressed upon her parents, as most likely to conduce to her
restoration. It was therefore with a bad grace that he agreed to
allow a further period for the trial of gentle treatment, and
consented to meet and converse with the delinquent, in the presence
of her brother, with the same freedom and cordiality that had marked
his manner towards her in former days. These two learned but
mistaken men then rejoined the party, and listened with considerable
interest to Javan's account of the forces and discipline of the Roman
army, and also to as much as he thought proper to disclose of Simon's
projects. He had left his adopted leader in Idumea, and had entered
Jerusalem as a spy upon the Zealot party. His design was to incline
as many of the influential men as he could induce to listen to him,
to invite Simon into the city, and make him their chief, in
opposition to John of Gischala, and when he considered affairs in a
proper state for the appearance of the son of Gioras at the gates of
Jerusalem, he had promised to send him intelligence by a trusty
messenger, or himself to go into Idumea, and summon him to be the
deliverer of his country.
The greater part of these schemes Javan kept profoundly secret; and
after he had lauded the courage and the zeal of Simon, and expatiated
on his patriotism and his fitness to take the command of the Jewish
forces, as successor to the captive Josephus, he turned the
conversation to his own personal adventures and dangers, since he had
escaped from the Roman camp. His sufferings and privations had
frequently been very severe, as he was compelled to lurk among rocks
and uninhabited wildernesses for several days together, for fear of
falling into the hands of his enemies. In the village of Bethezob,
in Peræa, he had found a refuge for some time, at the dwelling of
Mary, the daughter of Eleazar, who was a near relation of his
mother's, and with whom he had become acquainted during her temporary
residence in Jerusalem some years before. She was a woman of great
wealth, and lived on the estates which she had inherited from her
father, in a style of magnificence and luxury. Her attendants and
domestics formed a numerous retinue; and her influence in the
neighbourhood was so great, that when Placidus, shortly after Javan's
visit to his relative, ravaged the district of Peræa, he deemed it
prudent to leave the noble lady unmolested, in the hope that his
moderation might induce her to favour the Roman party.
Javan informed his parents that he had endeavoured to persuade Mary
to remove, with her only child and all her movable wealth, to the
metropolis for security, before the Roman army should enter Peræa;
but she had refused to do so at that time, as she felt convinced that
with the comparatively small body of troops which Placidus had under
his command, he would not attempt the subjugation of the province.
Her conjectures had proved false, and the Roman general had not long
afterwards carried his conquering arms through the whole region.
Mary had however remained in safety on her own territory; and when,
some time subsequent to his first visit, Javan had again found it
necessary to retreat to Peræa, to avoid the wild bands who, under
their leader Simon, were ravaging Idumea, he found her meadows and
orchards as fertile and uninjured as when he saw them before the
descent of Placidus. The lady of Bethezob had, however, been so much
alarmed at the destruction which the Romans had effected in the
surrounding country, that she told Javan she had resolved to abandon
her estates and retire with her family into Jerusalem, to await in
the security of its walls and battlements, the termination of the
war. Better had it been for the wealthy daughter of Eleazar to have
remained near her native village, subject to all the chances and the
dangers of an invading army, than to join the inhabitants of Zion,
and share in all the sorrows and sufferings and revolting crimes to
which the long-protracted siege at length drove this most desperate
and enduring people!
[Illustration: Convent at Santa Saba]