ancient world, such an event – though tragic to the families involved – would have barely registered a blip.”
This day was turning out to be full of surprises, and we had barely begun. I had always pictured Bethlehem as a small but thriving town. Growing up, the priests had made Herod’s actions sound like the massacre of a large American grade school. I told them so.
This was not unusual.
“I grew up with the same impression,” said Lavon. “But a town of this size wouldn’t have held more than a handful of boys of the requisite age. Plus, they were peasants. No one else really cared.”
I was about to ask another question when we heard a trumpet blow, so we turned to head back. We walked toward the east, making a circle along the back side of the village.
As we neared the road, we encountered the only local residents who had remained behind. One miserable old woman kneaded dough, while her equally wretched companion placed it onto hot rocks, which she then covered with a flat clay pan.
A thin, faded tan-colored shawl covered each of their heads, while the rest of their clothing consisted of little more than rags. Neither woman even bothered to look up.
“They’re so pitiful,” said Bergfeld. “I wonder why they didn’t run like the others?”
I guessed it was because they had nothing left to lose.
Finally, one of them glanced at us, and Lavon reached under his tunic and pulled out two denarii – Roman coins worth about a day’s wage for an unskilled laborer. He tossed one to each woman.
Feeling a bit ashamed, I reached into my money pouch and did the same.
The trumpet blew again before we had time to do more, so we hustled back to the wagon. Decius watched us approach and greeted Lavon with a broad smile.
“Ah, Lavonius, you’re back,” he said. “You can tell your companions that they will no longer need to see Egypt. After such a wonder as this, they will undoubtedly find the Alexandria Lighthouse disappointing.”
The nearby Romans burst out laughing, as did we after Lavon translated. We all stood there for a minute or two while the soldiers talked amongst themselves; then Sharon interrupted with a question.
“Do you know the name of this village?”
None of them did, so Decius dispatched an Aramaic-speaking legionnaire to ask the two women. Moments later, the young man came trotting back.
“Emmaus,” he said.
Bergfeld and Lavon stared at each other for a brief instant before quickly turning away and staring at the ground.
“I’ll be damned,” I heard him mutter.
Decius eyed them curiously, as did I. I had heard the name before, but couldn’t for the life of me think of where. But that wasn’t my real concern. I could see the obvious question running through the Roman’s mind: how would travelers from the edge of the world have heard of such a pathetic little place?
I went back to the wagon to check on the wounded soldier I had treated and told Sharon to follow with some water. I made sure Decius saw it, too, better to reinforce the notion that we were useful people, worth keeping alive.
Chapter 19
The soldiers re-packed and formed a marching column with their customary efficiency. Seeing that all was in order, Publius gave the command and we trundled forward once more to the east. As before, Sharon rode in the wagon and did her best to tend to the injured Romans, while the rest of us kept pace on foot.
Once we had settled into a rhythm, I pulled Lavon aside.
“Decius noticed that you recognized the name of that village,” I said.
“I know,” he admitted. “It took me by surprise.”
“Why was it so important?”
“Luke’s Gospel records that after the Resurrection, Jesus met two of his followers walking down the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They didn’t recognize him, and he had a little fun with them. He pretended to be a stranger who knew
This day was turning out to be full of surprises, and we had barely begun. I had always pictured Bethlehem as a small but thriving town. Growing up, the priests had made Herod’s actions sound like the massacre of a large American grade school. I told them so.
This was not unusual.
“I grew up with the same impression,” said Lavon. “But a town of this size wouldn’t have held more than a handful of boys of the requisite age. Plus, they were peasants. No one else really cared.”
I was about to ask another question when we heard a trumpet blow, so we turned to head back. We walked toward the east, making a circle along the back side of the village.
As we neared the road, we encountered the only local residents who had remained behind. One miserable old woman kneaded dough, while her equally wretched companion placed it onto hot rocks, which she then covered with a flat clay pan.
A thin, faded tan-colored shawl covered each of their heads, while the rest of their clothing consisted of little more than rags. Neither woman even bothered to look up.
“They’re so pitiful,” said Bergfeld. “I wonder why they didn’t run like the others?”
I guessed it was because they had nothing left to lose.
Finally, one of them glanced at us, and Lavon reached under his tunic and pulled out two denarii – Roman coins worth about a day’s wage for an unskilled laborer. He tossed one to each woman.
Feeling a bit ashamed, I reached into my money pouch and did the same.
The trumpet blew again before we had time to do more, so we hustled back to the wagon. Decius watched us approach and greeted Lavon with a broad smile.
“Ah, Lavonius, you’re back,” he said. “You can tell your companions that they will no longer need to see Egypt. After such a wonder as this, they will undoubtedly find the Alexandria Lighthouse disappointing.”
The nearby Romans burst out laughing, as did we after Lavon translated. We all stood there for a minute or two while the soldiers talked amongst themselves; then Sharon interrupted with a question.
“Do you know the name of this village?”
None of them did, so Decius dispatched an Aramaic-speaking legionnaire to ask the two women. Moments later, the young man came trotting back.
“Emmaus,” he said.
Bergfeld and Lavon stared at each other for a brief instant before quickly turning away and staring at the ground.
“I’ll be damned,” I heard him mutter.
Decius eyed them curiously, as did I. I had heard the name before, but couldn’t for the life of me think of where. But that wasn’t my real concern. I could see the obvious question running through the Roman’s mind: how would travelers from the edge of the world have heard of such a pathetic little place?
I went back to the wagon to check on the wounded soldier I had treated and told Sharon to follow with some water. I made sure Decius saw it, too, better to reinforce the notion that we were useful people, worth keeping alive.
Chapter 19
The soldiers re-packed and formed a marching column with their customary efficiency. Seeing that all was in order, Publius gave the command and we trundled forward once more to the east. As before, Sharon rode in the wagon and did her best to tend to the injured Romans, while the rest of us kept pace on foot.
Once we had settled into a rhythm, I pulled Lavon aside.
“Decius noticed that you recognized the name of that village,” I said.
“I know,” he admitted. “It took me by surprise.”
“Why was it so important?”
“Luke’s Gospel records that after the Resurrection, Jesus met two of his followers walking down the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They didn’t recognize him, and he had a little fun with them. He pretended to be a stranger who knew
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