The Madonna and the Political Prisoner, Chapter 2/2

It’s morning, the children are out of the house and I’m alone with Anna, my mother. She’s been waiting for this moment. Salome and Ruth are scarcely out of the door when she turns to me.

“Tell me, Mari, what happened. How did Joshua get lost? Where did you find him? We were worried sick when Susannah arrived home without the menfolk and said that you’d had to go back to look for Joshua.”

“He was in the Temple, Mother. He’d been discussing our religion and history with the chief rabbis there after he’d found we left without him.”

“You left him alone there?”

“We didn’t mean to. I thought he was with the rest of the party. He’d spent a lot of the journey to Jerusalem with the other boys and young men. I assumed that’s where he was when we set off home.”

“But didn’t you check? Surely you could have seen he was missing?”

“We were a big party, Mother, over fifty of us from several villages. Of course we should have checked - I know that now. But we didn’t. I thought Joseph had seen him, and he thought I had.”

“You were lucky to find him. It was sensible of him to stay in the Temple where you’d been. Didn’t you look there first?”

“Hindsight is a great thing, Mother. We split - Clopas and his sons searched one quarter of the city, Joseph and I went back to where we’d lodged near the Bethlehem Gate. I did look in the Temple Courtyard. I didn’t think of looking inside. I’m not allowed further in as you know, and it was three days after the end of the Festival so we didn’t think anything would still be going on there.”

“He was right inside then? What was he doing?”

I tell her everything I can remember. How he was fascinating the elderly rabbis with his knowledge and wisdom and how some of the younger students studying in the rabbinical school there came to listen and dispute with him. They say he held his own with some of the brightest scholars. My mother does not seem to be astonished.

“I know he’s a bright lad. Why don’t you talk to Rabbi Joel? He could train to be a rabbi just like Clopas’s brother-in-law, Jonas. Joel has reached the status of judge now, replacing Eli, alongside Jethro. But Jethro’s getting old, he’s not very active there these days. They’ll be seeking another rabbi in a few years’ time.”

“Yes, Mother, I know. I’ll talk to Joel sometime - he took a lot of care with me and his daughter Hannah even though we were girls. Perhaps he’ll give Joshua special tuition. I’m not sure if rabbinical ordination is a must for preparation for the Messiah though.”

“Why not? Many of our great leaders have been learned men too. Think of King David and Solomon. And the Judges of old that our Scriptures tell of - they were men of letters and spiritual power as well as military leaders. Why don’t you talk to Joel today? Why don’t you go to see him now while the children are out of the house? I can look after Salome and Ruth if they come back early. Salome can go for the water if she returns before you do.”

So I pick up my mother’s suggestion. If I don’t she’ll keep on at me and I shan’t get a moment’s peace until I’ve done it. In all probability Joel will be free as Jonas usually teaches the boys of the village together. Joel sometimes takes the older boys for some special teaching. But it’s not far, so I might as well go and see if he’s available for a quick word. I’d rather talk to Joel than Jethro - the old man is very deaf now and I’m not sure that he ever really believed in me, but just went along with Eli when that man changed his mind and accepted my claim that I was carrying the future Messiah.

So I pull on my shawl and set out before the day gets too hot. Most of the women will be down at the well at this hour where I would normally have been too. Joseph is busy in his workshop. The early morning hammering has given way to silence as he has a farmer from over Sepphoris way negotiating some new order. I think that perhaps I ought to share my mother’s suggestion with him before I go to the synagogue, but when I poke my head around the door of his workplace, I see the two men are deep in conversation and Joseph doesn’t even notice me. I’ll tell him later what Joel says - it will only be advice at this stage - nothing definite, I’m sure. We’ve never talked of the possibility of Joshua training as a rabbi. Clopas would have been the obvious one, I know Eli was disappointed when he showed so little interest, so he championed his daughter Michal’s husband’s cause instead and celebrated his ordination just before he collapsed and died.

I’ve never really liked Jonas that much. I remember Eli seeking his opinion when they’d proposed to have me publicly whipped after they said my carelessness had betrayed my father and his companions to Herod’s soldiers and it was only Clopas who’d stopped them. But Jonas and Eli’s other son-in-law Nathaniel had both pressed for a punishment, so they’d compromised and had me beaten in the privacy of my own courtyard. At least I was spared the humiliation of disgrace before the whole village, though Jonas and Nathaniel as well as Eli seemed happy to be witnesses to my shame. Only Clopas seemed embarrassed. It’s odd. Even now when I see Jonas, I remember that day and blush. I don’t know why - I’m a grown woman now of twenty six with seven children and then I was only just of age, not yet thirteen. It’s another world and yet when I look at Jonas I feel like that young girl again as though I’m naked before him and he sees into my very mind.

Anyway, I don’t need to see Jonas now. He’ll certainly be busy teaching the boys. When I get to the synagogue I can hear the children chanting from the Torah. I spot Joel but he’s got someone with him. I turn to retrace my steps, but he catches sight of me and beckons me to stay, indicating he won’t be long. I listen to the boys. Joshua, James, Joe, Simon and Judas will all be there. I listen to see if I can distinguish any of their voices. I think my family must make up a goodly proportion of the class. My family is one of the largest in the village and no other mother has five sons. I’m lucky to have retained my health and not had any problems in childbirth. So many others have had stillbirths or given birth to crippled or blind children. Even the twins arrived without complications. After so many children I have to admit I’ve lost my slimness that I’d retained until after Joe was born. My husband does not seem to mind and he doesn’t look at other younger women like some men I know. I trust him absolutely. He’s devoted to me and our children.

Eventually the man Joel’s been talking to takes his leave, nodding to me as he passes by. I know the man by sight but can’t remember his name. I know many in the village now - certainly most of the women. I follow into the alcove where Joel is standing.

“Peace to you, Mari. It’s good to see you this morning. I’ve heard all about your alarm in Jerusalem. I celebrated Passover here this year with my family, Hannah sends you her greetings. You two used to be such friends, but she doesn’t see you now since she married and moved to Sepphoris. Her husband is a rabbi in the main synagogue there and they have four bonny children.”

“Please send her my greetings when you next see her. I’ve fond memories of our times together when you used to give her and me special lessons after the boys had gone home.” I pause.

“Have you come for any special reason?”

“Of course. I wanted to ask your advice about Joshua’s further education.”

“He’s a bright boy. I pick him out with a couple of others to give them extra work. But he’s the best scholar. It’s not so much his memory, though that’s good. It’s the understanding he seems to bring to the texts. He seems mature well beyond his age. Have you ever thought of having him trained for rabbinical ordination? He could do it, you know."

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. When we lost him in Jerusalem, he’d been back in the Temple disputing with the chief rabbis there.”

“So I heard.”

“And a couple of them came out to meet us when we eventually found him and told us how much he’d impressed the teachers there with his knowledge and intelligent questions. They said he must have good teachers here,” I add smiling at Joel.

“Thank you for that compliment, Mari. I do my best, but I think one of these days soon Joshua will outstrip me. He needs to obtain higher learning, perhaps in the synagogue in Sepphoris or even Tiberias. Or you could think of trying to enrol him in Jerusalem itself although the competition to get a place there is stiff.”

“I think he’s too young for that. And we need him here in Nazareth to help in his father’s workshop. My husband isn’t old but he does seem to tire easily these days and I look forward to the time when Joshua can take on some of the heavier work from him.”

“Well, another couple of years here is the most I think he’ll still get benefit from. After that you should think of getting him studying for rabbinical ordination - it takes several years, so he shouldn’t leave it too long. He could still train at a town synagogue in Sepphoris, Magdala or Capernaum or even in the rabbinical school in Tiberias on the lakeside and get home frequently enough to give your husband a hand with the carpentry. Think about it. You’ve probably got another couple of years before you need to decide. What does Joseph think?”

“I haven’t discussed it with Joseph yet. He got angry that Joshua stayed behind to talk to the chief rabbis. I don’t know what he’ll think of the boy training to be a rabbi. I’m sure he intends Joshua to learn his trade and take over the business as a family concern in due course.”

“Do talk to your husband about it. Suggest he comes to see me and I’ll discuss the options with him. And I’ll start giving Joshua more extra tuition to make the learning easier later. I’ll be able to assess his interest and commitment to a life of teaching. I suspect he may find that more to his taste than a lifetime of carpentry, noble though that trade is.”

“Thank you, Joel. You’ve given me much to think about. I will talk to Joseph soon.”

I will. I’m not sure how he’ll take it though.