Tibellus at once ordered John to be released from all further work,
the badge of slavery to be removed, and that he should be supplied
with handsome garments, removed into the house, and assigned an
apartment with the freedmen. The bearer of the signet of Titus--now
that it was ascertained that the signet had been really given to
him by Caesar--was an important person, and was to be received with
consideration, if not honour. When these changes had been made,
John was again brought before Tibellus.
"Is there anything else that I can do for your comfort, as one who
has been honoured by Titus, himself, our future emperor? You have
but to express your wishes, and I shall be glad to carry them out."
"I would ask, then," John said, "that my friend and companion may
be set free, and allowed to accompany me to Rome. He is my adopted
brother. He has fought and slept by my side, for the last four
years; and your bounty to me gives me no pleasure, so long as he is
labouring as a slave."
Tibellus at once sent for Philo, and ordered the collar to be filed
from the neck of Jonas, and for him to be treated in the same
manner as John.
The next day Tibellus invited John to accompany him to the barracks
and, as he would take no excuses, he was obliged to do so.
Tibellus presented him to the general and his officers, who
received him very cordially; and were much struck with his quiet
demeanour, and the nobility of his bearing. John had, for four
years, been accustomed to command; and the belief, entertained by
his followers, in his special mission had had its effect upon his
manner. Although simple and unassuming in mind; and always ready,
on his return to the farm, to become again the simple worker upon
his father's farm; he had yet, insensibly, acquired the bearing of
one born to position and authority.
He was much above the ordinary height; and although his figure was
slight, it showed signs, which could well be appreciated by the
Romans, of great activity and unusual strength. His face was
handsome, his forehead lofty, his eyes large and soft; and in the
extreme firmness of his mouth and his square chin and jaw were
there, alone, signs of the determination and steadfastness which
had made him so formidable a foe to the Romans.
"So you are John of Gamala!" the general said. "We have, doubtless,
nearly crossed swords, more than once. You have caused us many a
sleepless night, and it seemed to us that you and your bands were
ubiquitous. I am glad to meet you, as are we all. A Roman cherishes
no malice against an honourable foe, and such we always found you;
and I trust you have no malice for the past."
"None," John said. "I regard you as the instruments of God for the
punishment of my people. We brought our misfortunes upon ourselves,
by the rebellion--which would have seemed madness had it not,
doubtless, been the will of God that we should so provoke you, and
perish. All I ask, now, is to return to my father's farm; and to
resume my life there. If I could do that, without going to Rome, I
would gladly do so."
"That can hardly be," Tibellus said. "The rule is that when one
appeals to Caesar, to Caesar he must go. The case is at once taken
out of our hands. Besides, I should have to report the fact to
Rome, and Titus may wish to see you, and might be ill pleased at
hearing that you had returned to Galilee without going to see him.
Besides, it may be some time before all animosity between the two
peoples dies out there; and you might obtain from him an imperial
order, which would prove a protection to yourself, and family,
against any who might desire to molest you. If for this reason,
alone, it would be well worth your while for you to proceed to
Rome."
Three days later, Tibellus told John that a ship would sail, next
morning; and that a centurion, in charge of some invalided
soldiers, would go in her.
"I have arranged for you to go in his charge, and have instructed
him to accompany you to the palace of Titus, and facilitate your
having an interview with him. I have given him a letter to present
to Titus, with greetings, saying why I have sent you to him.
"Here is a purse of money, to pay for what you may require on the
voyage; and to keep you, if need be, at Rome until you can see
Titus, who may possibly be absent.
"You owe me no thanks," he said, as John was about to speak. "Titus
would be justly offended, were the bearer of his signet ring sent
to him without due care and honour."
That evening Tibellus gave a banquet, at which the general and
several officers were present. The total number present was nine,
including John and the host--this being the favourite number for
what they regarded as small, private entertainments. At large
banquets, hundreds of persons were frequently entertained. After
the meal John, at the request of Tibellus, related to the officers
the manner of his escapes from Jotapata and Jerusalem, and several
of the incidents of the struggle in which he had taken part.
The next morning, he and Jonas took their places on board the ship,
and sailed for Rome. It was now far in November, and the passage
was a boisterous one; and the size of the waves astonished John,
accustomed, as he was, only to the short choppy seas of the Lake of
Galilee. Jonas made up his mind that they were lost and, indeed,
for some days the vessel was in imminent danger. Instead of passing
through the straits between Sicily and the mainland of Italy, they
were blown far to the west; and finally took shelter in the harbour
of Caralis, in Sardinia. Here they remained for a week, to refit
and repair damages, and then sailed across to Portus Augusti, and
then up the Tiber.
The centurion had done his best to make the voyage a pleasant one,
to John and his companion. Having been informed that the former was
the bearer of a signet ring of Titus, and would have an audience
with him, he was anxious to create as good an impression as
possible; but it was not until Caralis was reached that John
recovered sufficiently from seasickness to take much interest in
what was passing round him. The travellers were greatly struck with
the quantity of shipping entering and leaving the mouth of the
Tiber; the sea being dotted with the sails of the vessels bearing
corn from Sardinia, Sicily, and Africa; and products of all kinds,
from every port in the world.
The sight of Rome impressed him less than he had expected. Of its
vastness he could form no opinion; but in strength, and beauty, it
appeared to him inferior to Jerusalem. When he landed, he saw how
many were the stately palaces and temples; but of the former none
were more magnificent than that of Herod. Nor was there one of the
temples to be compared, for a moment, with that which had so lately
stood, the wonder and admiration of the world, upon Mount Moriah.
The centurion procured a commodious lodging for him and, finding
that Titus was still in Rome, accompanied him the next day to the
palace. Upon saying that he was the bearer of a letter to Titus,
the centurion was shown into the inner apartments; John being left
in the great antechamber, which was crowded with officers waiting
to see Titus, when he came out--to receive orders, pay their
respects, or present petitions to him.
The centurion soon returned, and told John to follow him.
"Titus was very pleased," he whispered, "when he read the letter I
brought him; and begged me bring you, at once, to his presence."
Titus was alone in a small chamber, whose simplicity contrasted
strangely with the magnificence of those through which he had
passed. He rose from a table at which he had been writing.
"Ah, my good friend," he said, "I am truly glad to see you! I made
sure that you were dead. You were not among those who came out, and
gave themselves up, or among those who were captured when the city
was taken; for I had careful inquiry made, thinking it possible
that you might have lost my ring, and been unable to obtain access
to me; then, at last, I made sure that you had fallen. I am truly
glad to see that it is not so."
"I was marvellously preserved, then, as at Jotapata," John said;
"and escaped, after the Temple had fallen, by a secret passage
leading out beyond the wall of circumvallation. As I made my way
home, I fell into the hands of some slave dealers, who seized me
and my companion--who is my adopted brother--and carried us away to
Alexandria, where I was sold. As you had not yet returned to Rome,
I thought it better not to produce your signet, which I had
fortunately managed to conceal.
"When I heard that you had reached Rome, and had received your
triumph, I produced the ring to my master Tibellus; and prayed him
to send me and my companion here to you, in order that I might ask
for liberty, and leave to return to my home. He treated me with the
greatest kindness and, but that I had appealed to you, would of
himself have set us free. It is for this, alone, that I have come
here; to ask you to confirm the freedom he has given me, and to
permit me to return to Galilee. Further, if you will give me your
order that I and mine may live peacefully, without molestation from
any, it would add to your favours."
"I will do these, certainly," Titus said, "and far more, if you
will let me. I shall never forget that you saved my life; and
believe me, I did my best to save the Temple, which was what I
promised you. I did not say that I would save it, merely that I
would do my best; but your obstinate countrymen insisted in
bringing destruction upon it."
"I know that you did all that was possible," John said, "and that
the blame lies with them, and not with you, in any way. However, it
was the will of God that it should be destroyed; and they were the
instruments of his will, while they thought they were trying to
preserve it."
"But now," Titus said, "you must let me do more for you. Have you
ambition? I will push you forward to high position, and dignity. Do
you care for wealth? I have the treasures of Rome in my gift. Would
you serve in the army? Many of the Alexandrian Jews had high rank
in the army of Anthony. Two of Cleopatra's best generals were your
countrymen. I know your bravery, and your military talents, and
will gladly push you forward."
"I thank you, Caesar, for your offers," John said, "which far
exceed my deserts; but I would rather pass my life as a tiller of
the soil, in Galilee. The very name of a Jew, at present, is
hateful in the ear of a Roman. All men who succeed by the favour of
a great prince are hated. I should be still more so, as a Jew. I
should be hated by my own countrymen, as well as yours, for they
would regard me as a traitor. There would be no happiness in such a
life. A thousand times better a home by the Lake of Galilee, with a
wife and children."
"If such be your determination, I will say nought against it,"
Titus said; "but remember, if at any time you tire of such a life,
come to me and I will give you a post of high honour and dignity.
There are glorious opportunities for talent and uprightness in our
distant dependencies--east and west--where there will be no
prejudices against the name of a Jew.
"However, for the present let that be. Tomorrow I will have
prepared for you an imperial order--to all Roman officers, civil
and military, of Galilee and Judea--to treat you as the friend of
Titus; also the appointment as procurator of the district lying
north of the river Hieromax, up to the boundary of Chorazin, for a
distance of ten miles back from the lake. You will not refuse that
office, for it will enable you to protect your country people from
oppression, and to bring prosperity upon the whole district.
"Lastly, you will receive with the documents a sum of money. I know
that you will not use it on yourself, but it will be long before
the land recovers from its wounds. There will be terrible misery
and distress; and I should like to think that in the district, at
least, of my friend, there are peace and contentment. Less than
this Caesar cannot give to the man who spared his life."
John thanked Titus, most heartily, for his favours; which would, he
saw, ensure his family and neighbours from the oppression and
tyranny to which a conquered people are exposed, at the hands of a
rough soldiery. Titus ordered an apartment to be prepared for him,
in the palace; and begged him to take up his abode there, until a
vessel should be sailing for Casarea. Slaves were told off to
attend upon him, and to escort him in the city; and everything was
done to show the esteem and friendship in which Titus held him.
Titus had several interviews with him; and learned now, for the
first time, that he was the John of Gamala who had so long and
stoutly opposed the Romans.
"If I had known that," Titus said, with a smile, "when you were in
my hands, I do not think I should have let you go free; though your
captivity would have been an honourable one. When you said that you
would not promise to desist from opposing our arms, I thought that
one man, more or less, in the ranks of the enemy would make little
difference; but had I known that it was the redoubtable John of
Gamala who was in my hands, I should hardly have thought myself
justified in letting you go free."
John, at the request of Titus, gave him a sketch of the incidents
of his life, and of the campaign.
"So you have already a lady love," Titus said, when he had
finished. "What shall I send her?
"Better nothing, at present," he said, after a moment's thought and
a smile, "beyond yourself. That will be the best and most
acceptable gift I could send her. Time, and your good report, may
soften the feelings with which doubtless she, like all the rest of
your countrywomen, must regard me; though the gods know I would
gladly have spared Galilee, and Judea, from the ruin which has
fallen upon them."
In addition to the two documents which he had promised him, Titus
thoughtfully gave him another, intended for the perusal of his own
countrymen only. It was in the form of a letter, saying to John
that he had appointed him procurator of the strip of territory
bordering the Lake of Galilee on the east, not from any submission
on his part, still less at his request; but solely as a proof of
his admiration for the stubborn and determined manner in which he
had fought throughout the war, the absence of any cruelty practised
upon Romans who fell into his hands, of his esteem for his
character, and as a remembrance of the occasion when they two had
fought, hand to hand, alone in the valley going down from Hebron.
The gold was sent directly on board a ship. It was in a box, which
required four strong men to lift. A centurion, with twenty men, was
put on board the ship; with orders to land with John at Casarea,
and to escort him to his own home, or as near as he might choose to
take them. Titus took a cordial leave of him, and expressed a hope
that John would, some day, change his mind and accept his offer of
a post; and that, at any rate, he hoped that he would, from time to
time, come to Rome to see him.
The voyage to Caesarea was performed without accident.
"I shall look back at our visit to Rome as a dream," Jonas said,
one evening, as they sat together on the deck of the ship. "To
think that I, the goatherd of Jotapata, should have been living in
the palace of Caesar, at Rome; with you, the friend of Titus,
himself! It seems marvellous; but I am weary of the crowded
streets, of the noise, and bustle, and wealth and colour. I long to
get rid of this dress, in which I feel as if I were acting a part
in a play.
"Do not you, John?"
"I do, indeed," John replied. "I should never accustom myself to
such a life as that. I am longing for a sight of the lake, and my
dear home; and of those I love, who must be mourning for me, as
dead."
At Caesarea, a vehicle was procured for the carriage of the chest,
and the party then journeyed until they were within sight of
Tarichea. John then dismissed his escort, with thanks for their
attention during the journey, and begged them to go on to the city
by themselves. When they were out of sight, he and Jonas took off
their Roman garments, and put on others they had purchased at
Caesarea, similar to those they were accustomed to wear at home.
Then they proceeded, with the cart and its driver, into Tarichea;
and hired a boat to take them up the lake. The boatmen were
astonished at the weight of John's chest, and thought that it must
contain lead, for making into missiles for slingers.
It was evening when the boat approached the well-known spot, and
John and his companion sprang out on the beach.
"What shall we do with the chest?" one of the boatmen asked.
"We will carry it to that clump of bushes, and pitch it in among
them, until we want it. None will run off with it, and they
certainly would not find it easy to break it open."
This reply confirmed the men in their idea that it could contain
nothing of value and, after helping John and Jonas to carry the
chest to the point indicated, they returned to their boat and rowed
away down the lake.
"Now, Jonas, we must be careful," John said, "how we approach the
house. It would give them a terrible shock, if I came upon them
suddenly. I think you had better go up alone, and see Isaac, and
bring him to me; then we can talk over the best way of breaking it
to the others."
It was nearly an hour before Jonas brought Isaac down to the spot
where John was standing, a hundred yards away from the house; for
he had to wait some time before he could find an opportunity of
speaking to him. Jonas had but just broken the news, that John was
at hand, when they reached the spot where he was standing.
"Is it indeed you, my dear young master?" the old man said, falling
on John's neck. "This is unlooked-for joy, indeed. The Lord be
praised for his mercies! What will your parents say, they who have
wept for you for months, as dead?"
"They are well, I hope, Isaac?"
"They are shaken, greatly shaken," old Isaac said. "The tempest has
passed over them; the destruction of Jerusalem, the woes of our
people, and your loss have smitten them to the ground but, now that
you have returned, it will give them new life."
"And Mary, she is well, I hope, too?" John asked.
"The maiden is not ill, though I cannot say that she is well,"
Isaac said. "Long after your father and mother, and all of us, had
given up hope, she refused to believe that you were dead; even when
the others put on mourning, she would not do so--but of late I know
that, though she has never said so, hope has died in her, too. Her
cheeks have grown pale, and her eyes heavy; but she still keeps up,
for the sake of your parents; and we often look, and wonder how she
can bear herself so bravely."
"And how are we to break it to the old people?" John asked.
Isaac shook his head. The matter was beyond him.
"I should think," Jonas suggested, "that Isaac should go back, and
break it to them, first, that I have returned; that I have been a
slave among the Romans, and have escaped from them. He might say
that he has questioned me, and that I said that you certainly did
not fall at the siege of Jerusalem; and that I believe that you,
like me, were sold as a slave by the Romans.
"Then you can take me in, and let them question me. I will stick to
that story, for a time, raising some hopes in their breasts; till
at last I can signify to Mary that you are alive, and leave it to
her to break it to the others."
"That will be the best way, by far," John said. "Yes, that will do
excellently well.
"Now, Isaac, do you go on, and do your part. Tell them gently that
Jonas has returned, that he has been a slave, and escaped from the
Romans; and that, as far as he knows, I am yet alive. Then, when
they are prepared, bring him in, and let him answer their
questions."
The evening meal had been ended before Isaac had left the room to
feed, with some warm milk, a kid whose dam had died. It was while
he was engaged upon this duty that Jonas had come upon him. When he
entered the room Simon was sitting, with the open Bible before him,
at the head of the table; waiting his return to commence the
evening prayers.
"What has detained you, Isaac?" he asked. "Surely it is not after
all these years you would forget our evening prayers?"
"I was detained," the old man said, unsteadily and, at the sound of
his voice, and the sight of his face, as it came within the circle
of the light from the lamp, Mary rose suddenly to her feet, and
stood looking at him.
"What is it?" she asked, in a low voice.
"Why," Simon asked calmly, "what has detained you, Isaac?"
"A strange thing has happened," the old man said. "One of our
wanderers has returned--not he whom we have hoped and prayed for
most--but Jonas. He has been a slave, but has escaped, and come
back to us."
"And what is his news?" Simon asked, rising to his feet; but even
more imperative was the unspoken question on Mary's white face, and
parted lips.
"He gives us hope," Isaac said to her. "So far as he knows, John
may yet be alive."
"I knew it, I knew it!" Mary said, in a voice scarcely above a
whisper.
"O Lord, I thank thee. Why have I doubted Thy mercy?"
And she stood, for a moment, with head thrown back and eyes
upraised; then she swayed suddenly, and would have fallen, had not
Isaac run forward and supported her until, at Martha's cry, two of
the maids hastened up and placed her on a seat.
Some water was held to her lips. She drank a little, and then said,
faintly, "Tell us more, Isaac."
"I have not much more to tell," he replied. "Jonas says that John
certainly did not fall in Jerusalem--as, indeed, we were told by
the young man of his band who returned--and that he believes that,
like himself, he was sold as a slave.
"But Jonas is outside. I thought it better to tell you, first. Now,
I will call him in to speak for himself."
When Jonas entered, Martha and Mary were clasped in each other's
arms. Miriam, with the tears streaming down her cheeks, was
repeating aloud one of the Psalms of thanksgiving; while Simon
stood with head bent low, and his hands grasping the table, upon
which the tears were raining down in heavy drops.
It was some little time before they could question Jonas further.
Martha and Mary had embraced him as if he had been the son of one,
the brother of the other. Simon solemnly blessed him, and welcomed
him as one from the dead. Then they gathered round to hear his
story.
"John and I both escaped all the dangers of the siege," he said.
"We were wounded several times, but never seriously. God seemed to
watch over us; and although at the last, of the six hundred men
with which we entered Jerusalem there were but twelve who remained
alive, we were among them."
"Yes, yes, we knew that," Martha said. "News was brought by a young
man of his band, who belonged to a village on the lake, that twelve
of you had escaped together on the day the Temple fell. The others
all returned to their homes, but no news ever came of you; and they
said that some party of Romans must have killed you--what else
could have befallen you? And now we are in February--nearly six
months have passed--and no word of you!"
"We were carried off as slaves," Jonas said, "and taken, like
Joseph, to be sold in Egypt."
"And have you seen him, since?" Simon asked.
"Yes, I saw him in Egypt."
"And he was well then?"
"Quite well," Jonas replied. "I was sent to Rome, and thence
managed to make my way back by ship."
"We must purchase him back," Simon said. "Surely that must be
possible! I have money, still. I will make the journey, myself, and
buy him."
And he rose to his feet, as if to start at once.
"Well, not now," he went on, in answer to the hand which Martha
laid on his shoulder, "but tomorrow."
While he was speaking, Mary had touched Jonas, gazing into his face
with the same eager question her eyes had asked Isaac. The thought
that Jonas was not alone had flashed across her. He nodded
slightly, and looked towards the door. In a moment she was gone.
"John!" she cried, as she ran out of the house; at first in a low
tone, but louder and louder as she ran on. "John! John! Where are
you?"
A figure stepped out from among the trees, and Mary fell into his
arms. A few minutes later, she re-entered the room.
"Father," she said, going up to Simon, while she took Martha's hand
in hers, "do you remember you told me, once, that when you were a
young man you went to hear the preaching of a teacher of the sect
of the Essenes, whom they afterwards slew. You thought he was a
good man, and a great teacher; and you said he told a parable, and
you remembered the very words. I think I remember them, now:
"'And his father saw him, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed
him, and said, "Let us be merry, for this my son was dead, and is
alive again; he was lost and is found."'
"And so, father, is it even unto us."
Illustration: The Return of John to his House on the Lake.
Martha gave a loud cry, and turned to the door and, in another
moment, was clasped in John's arms. Then his father fell on his
neck.
There was no happier household in the land than that which joined
in the Psalms of thanksgiving that night. The news spread quickly
to the fishermen's cottages, and the neighbours flocked in to
congratulate Simon and Martha on the return of their son; and it
was long since the strains of the songs of joy had floated out so
clear and strong over the water of Galilee for, for years, strains
of lamentation and humiliation, alone, had been on the lips of the
Jewish maidens.
After the service of song was over, Miriam and the maids loaded the
table, while Isaac fetched a skin of the oldest wine from the
cellar, and all who had assembled were invited to join the feast.
When the neighbours had retired, John asked his father and Isaac to
come down with him, and Jonas, to the side of the lake, to bring up
a chest that was lying there.
"It is rather too heavy for Jonas and me to carry, alone."
"It would have been better, my son, to have asked some of our
neighbours. They would gladly have assisted you, and Isaac and I
have not, between us, the strength of one man."
"I know it, father, but I do not wish that any, besides ourselves,
should know that the box is here. We will take a pole and a rope
with us, and can adjust the weight so that your portion shall not
be beyond your strength."
On arriving at the spot, Simon was surprised at seeing a small box,
which it would be thought a woman could have lifted, with ease.
"Is this the box of which you spoke, John? Surely you want no aid
to carry this up?"
"We do, indeed, father, as you will see."
With the assistance of Jonas, John put the rope round the box, and
slung it to the pole near one end. He and Jonas then took this end.
Simon and Isaac lifted that farthest from the box, so that but a
small share of the weight rested upon them. So the chest was
carried up to the house.
"What is this you have brought home?" Martha asked, as they laid
the box down in the principal room.
"It is gold, mother--gold to be used for the relief of the poor and
distressed, for those who have been made homeless and fatherless in
this war. It was a gift to me, as I will tell you, tomorrow; but I
need not say that I would not touch one penny of it, for it is
Roman gold. But it will place it in our power to do immense good,
among the poor. We had best bury it, just beneath the floor, so
that we can readily get at it when we have need."
"It is a great responsibility, my son," Simon said; "but truly,
there are thousands of homeless and starving families who sought
refuge among the hills, when their towns and villages were
destroyed by the Romans and, with this store of gold, which must be
of great value, truly great things can be done towards relieving
their necessities."
The next morning, John related to his family the various incidents
which had befallen him and Jonas since they had last parted; and
their surprise was unbounded, when he produced the three documents
with which he had been furnished by Titus. The letters, saying that
the favour of Caesar had been bestowed upon John as a token of
admiration, only, for the bravery with which he had fought, and
ordering that all Romans should treat him as one having the favour
and friendship of Titus, gave them unbounded satisfaction. That
appointing him procurator of the whole district bordering the lake
to the east surprised, and almost bewildered them.
"But what are you going to do, my son? Are you going to leave us,
and live in a palace, and appear as a Roman officer?"
"I am not thinking of doing that, father," John said, with a smile.
"For myself I would much rather that this dignity had not been
conferred on me by Titus; and I would gladly put this commission,
with its imperial seal, into the fire. But I feel that I cannot do
this, for it gives me great power of doing good to our neighbours.
I shall be able to protect them from all oppression by Roman
soldiers, or by tax gatherers. There is no occasion for me to live
in a palace, or to wear the garments of a Roman official. The
letter of Titus shows that it is to a Jew that he has given this
power, and as a Jew I shall use it.
"While journeying here from Rome, I have thought much over the
matter. At first, I thought of suppressing the order. Then, I felt
that a power of good had been given into my hands; and that I had
no right, from selfish reasons, to shrink from its execution.
Doubtless, at first I shall be misunderstood. They will say that I,
like Josephus, have turned traitor, and have gone over to the
Romans. Even were it so, I should have done no more than all the
people of Tiberias, Sepphoris, and other cities which submitted to
them.
"But I do not think this feeling will last long. All those who
fought with me outside Jerusalem, against the Romans, know that I
was faithful to the cause of my country. The few survivors of the
band I led into Jerusalem can testify that I fought until the
Temple fell, and that I escaped by my own devices, and not from any
agreement with the Romans.
"Moreover they will, in time, judge me by my acts. I shall rule, as
I said, as a Jew, and not as a Roman--rule as did the judges in the
old times, sitting under my own fig tree, here, and listening to
the complaints that may be brought to me--and I trust that wisdom
will be given to me, by the Lord, to judge wisely and justly among
them."
"You have decided well, my son," Simon said. "May God's blessing be
upon you!
"What think you, little Mary? How do you like the prospect of being
the wife of the ruler of this district?"
"I would rather that he had been the ruler only of this farm," Mary
said, "but I see that a great power of good has been given into his
hands, and it is not for me to complain."
"That reminds me," Simon said, "of what Martha and I were speaking
together, last night. You have both waited long. There is no
occasion for longer tarrying. The marriage feast will be prepared,
and we will summon our neighbours and friends to assemble here,
this day week.
"And now, John, what are you going to do?"
"I am going, father, at once to Hippos, the chief town in the
district. I shall see the authorities of the town, and the captain
of the Roman garrison, and lay before them the commission of
Caesar. I shall then issue a proclamation, announcing to all people
within the limits of the district that have been marked out that I
have authority, from Rome, to judge all matters that may come
before me, in the district; and that all who have causes of
complaint, or who have been wronged by any, will find me here,
ready to hear their cause, and to order justice to be rendered to
them. I shall also say that I shall shortly make a tour through the
district, to see for myself into the condition of things, and to
give aid to such as need it."
Great was the surprise of the Roman and Jewish authorities, in
Hippos, when John produced the imperial commission. There was,
however, no doubting or disputing it. The Roman officers at once
placed themselves under his orders, and issued proclamations of
their own, in addition to that of John, notifying the fact to all
the inhabitants of the district.
Among the Jewish authorities there was, at first, some feeling of
jealousy that this young man should be placed over them; but they
felt, nevertheless, the great benefits that would arise from the
protection which one of their own countrymen, high in the favour of
Titus, would be able to afford them. When showing his commission,
John had also produced the letter of Titus, giving his reasons for
the nomination; and indeed, the younger men in the district, many
of whom had followed John in his first campaigns--and who had
hitherto, in accordance with the oath of secrecy taken on
enrollment, concealed their knowledge that John of Gamala was the
son of Simon--now proclaimed the fact, and hailed his appointment
with joy.
On the appointed day, the marriage of John and Mary took place and,
as the news had spread through the country, a vast gathering
assembled, and it was made the occasion of a public demonstration.
The preparations which Martha and Mary had made for the feast,
ample as they had been, would have availed but little among such a
multitude; but Isaac and the menservants drove in and slaughtered
several cattle and, as those who came for the most part bore
presents of wine, oil, bread, goats, and other articles, and the
neighbours lent their assistance in preparing a feast at the great
fires which were lighted along the shore, while Simon contributed
all the contents of his wine store, the feast proved ample for all
assembled.
John and his wife moved among the throng, receiving congratulations
and good wishes; Mary blushing, and tearful with happiness and
pride in the honour paid to John; John himself radiant with
pleasure, and with satisfaction at the thought of the good which
the power, so strangely conferred upon him, would enable him to
effect for his neighbours.
After that, things went on in their ordinary routine at the farm;
save that John was frequently away visiting among the villages of
the district, which was some thirty miles long by ten wide. The
northern portion was thinly inhabited; but in the south the
villages were thick, and the people had suffered greatly from the
excursions of the Roman foragers, at the time of the siege of
Gamala. Many of the villages had been rebuilt, since that time; but
there was still great distress, heightened by the number of
fugitives from the other side of Jordan.
The aid which John gave enabled most of the fugitives in his
district to return to their distant villages, and to rebuild their
homes, where there was now little fear of their being again
disturbed. The distress in his own district was also relieved. In
some cases money was given, in others lent, to enable the
cultivators to till their fields, to replant vineyards, and to
purchase flocks so that, in the course of a year, the whole
district was restored to its normal appearance, and the signs of
the destructive war were almost entirely effaced.
Then John was able to settle down in his quiet home. In the morning
he worked with his father. In the afternoon he listened to the
complaints, or petitions, of those who came before him; settling
disputes between neighbours, hearing the stories of those who
considered that they were too hardly pressed upon by the tax
collector, and doing justice to those who were wronged.
Soon after he married, mindful of the doctrines he had heard during
his visit among the community of Nazarites by the Dead Sea, John
made inquiries and found that many of the sect, who had left the
land when the troubles with the Romans commenced, had now returned;
and were preaching their doctrines more openly than before, now
that those of the ancient religion could no longer persecute them.
At Tiberias a considerable community of the sect soon established
themselves; and John, going over, persuaded one of their teachers
to take up his abode with him, for a time, and to expound their
doctrines to him and his family. He was astonished at the spirit of
love, charity, and goodwill which animated the teaching of the
Christians--still more at the divine spirit that breathed in the
utterances and animated the life of their Master.
The central idea, that God was the God of the whole world--and not,
as the Jews had hitherto supposed, a special Deity of their
own--struck John particularly, and explained many things which had,
hitherto, been difficult for him to understand. It would have been
galling to admit as much, in the days of Jewish pride and
stubbornness; but their spirit was broken, now; and John could
understand that although, as long as the nation had believed in him
and served him, God had taken a peculiar interest in them, and had
revealed to them much of his nature and attributes--while the rest
of the world had had been left to worship false gods--He yet loved
all the world, and was now about to extend to all men that
knowledge of him hitherto confined to the Jews. Above all, John saw
how vastly higher was the idea of God, as revealed in the new
teaching, than that which the Jews had hitherto entertained
regarding him.
A month after the arrival of the teacher, John and Mary were
baptized into the new faith; and a few months later Simon and
Martha, who had been harder to convince, also became converts.
When Titus was raised to the imperial throne, John, in compliance
with the request he had made him, journeyed to Rome, and remained
there for a short time as his guest. Titus received him with
affection.
"I shall not try to tempt you with fresh offers of honours," he
said, "though I regret that you should refuse to accept a sphere of
wider usefulness. From time to time, I have heard of you from the
reports of my governors; who say that the district under your
charge is the most prosperous and contented in all Palestine, that
there is neither dispute nor litigation there, that there are no
poor, that the taxes are collected without difficulty; and that,
save only that you do not keep up the state and dignity which a
Roman official should occupy, you are in all respects a model
ruler."
"I have every reason to be thankful," John said. "I have been
blessed in every way. My parents still survive. I am happy with my
wife and children. Your bounty has enabled me to bind up the
wounds, and relieve the distress caused by the war. My mind has
been opened to heavenly teaching, and I try humbly to follow in the
steps of that divine teacher, Jesus of Nazareth."
"Ah, you have come to believe in him!" Titus said. "There are many
of his creed, here in Rome, and they say that they are even on the
increase. I would gladly hear, from you, something of him. I have
heard somewhat of him from Josephus, who for three years dwelt
among the Essenes, and who has spoken to me very highly of the
purity of life, the enlightenment, and religious fervour of that
sect--to which, I believe, he himself secretly inclines; although,
from the desire not to offend his countrymen, he makes no open
confession of his faith."
John, before he left, explained to the emperor the teachings of his
Master; and it may be that the wisdom, humanity, and mildness which
Titus displayed, in the course of his reign, was in no small degree
the result of the lessons which he learned from John.
The latter came no more to Rome but, to the end of his life, dwelt
on the shore of Galilee, wisely governing his little district after
the manner of the judges of old.
Jonas never left his friend. He married the daughter of one of the
fishermen, and lived in a small house which Simon built for him,
close to his own. At the death of the latter, he became John's
right hand on the farm; and remained his friend, and brother, to
the end.