Read Online The Crown and the Cross: The Life of Christ by Frank G. Slaughter - Free Book Online
Authors: Frank G. Slaughter
Tags: Historical fiction, Jesus, Christian fiction, Jesus Christ, Classic fiction, life of Jesus, life of Jesus Christ, Frank Slaughter, ministry of Jesus, christian fiction series, Mary Magdalene
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to obey. Rousing Mary, he began making preparations for the journey. Flight into Egypt meant leaving everything they had gained in Bethlehem—a home, Joseph’s business as a carpenter, the kinsmen and friends who had welcomed them. But when Joseph repeated the words of the angel to Mary, she did not hesitate. While she gathered their clothing together, Joseph went to arouse a kinsman and purchase a second mule to carry their possessions and the gifts of the Magi. He could not risk waiting for the regular markets to open in the morning, for there had been an urgency to the voice in the dream that warned him no time was to be lost.
The kinsman who was routed from his bed asked questions, but Joseph put him off as best he could while they bargained for the mule. Because of the urgency, he paid a higher price than he would have had to pay in the regular market, and most of his supply of coins was used up in buying the animal. He did not worry about that, however. The gold given them by the Magi as a present for the child, as well as the valuable gifts of frankincense and myrrh, could be readily exchanged in Egypt for lodging and the necessities of life, but he did not dare display them there in Bethlehem lest word reach the authorities and he be held on suspicion of theft before they could escape from the country.
Mary was saddened at having to leave Bethlehem, but the danger to Jesus put all other considerations from her mind. While Joseph was buying the mule, she busied herself binding up their meager possessions into packs which could be strapped on the backs of the animals. The gifts of the Magi she carefully secreted in the middle of a roll containing extra clothing and their sleeping pallets. What food was in the house was wrapped in a cloth so it could be lashed to the back of one of the mules along with the waterskin and their few cooking utensils.
Joseph’s tools formed an important part of their belongings and these were carefully placed in a goatskin bag. With them he would need only a few moments’ work in their new home to prove his skill as a carpenter. Artisans such as he moved about frequently, and the tools, plus proof of his ability to use them, were the only passport they needed in a world where the famous Pax Romana had opened the borders of all countries, except the few areas on the fringes of the empire where fighting was still going on.
It was almost dawn before they finished loading their belongings on the backs of the two animals. Jesus had been sleeping in the cradle Joseph had made for Him, and their last act before leaving Bethlehem was to lash this on top of one of the packs. Mary would walk and carry the baby in her arms much of the time, but for the rest of it He could lie in the cradle while she walked beside the animal. With her hand to steady the cradle, the rocking gait of the mule would lull the child to sleep. Whatever discomfort Joseph and Mary were to experience in this abrupt flight from their homeland, they were determined that Jesus should know as little of it as possible.
II
As they left Bethlehem dawn was breaking over the range of hills to the east that hid the leaden surface of the Sea of Judgment and the sulfurous mists, relics of the brimstone which had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, rising from it. The town still slept and Joseph led the pack animals carefully lest their footfalls arouse the soldiers of the small garrison assigned there to keep order and remind the people not to cheat the tax gatherers. They would have had trouble enough explaining why they were moving southward at such an hour, and if the treasures hidden deep inside the roll of sleeping pallets were discovered, could hope for nothing less severe than being hailed before a magistrate to explain whence such valuable things came.
As they took the road to Hebron, the castle of Herodeion was a grim reminder to them of the reason for their flight, but they did not yet feel the wrench of parting that would be
The kinsman who was routed from his bed asked questions, but Joseph put him off as best he could while they bargained for the mule. Because of the urgency, he paid a higher price than he would have had to pay in the regular market, and most of his supply of coins was used up in buying the animal. He did not worry about that, however. The gold given them by the Magi as a present for the child, as well as the valuable gifts of frankincense and myrrh, could be readily exchanged in Egypt for lodging and the necessities of life, but he did not dare display them there in Bethlehem lest word reach the authorities and he be held on suspicion of theft before they could escape from the country.
Mary was saddened at having to leave Bethlehem, but the danger to Jesus put all other considerations from her mind. While Joseph was buying the mule, she busied herself binding up their meager possessions into packs which could be strapped on the backs of the animals. The gifts of the Magi she carefully secreted in the middle of a roll containing extra clothing and their sleeping pallets. What food was in the house was wrapped in a cloth so it could be lashed to the back of one of the mules along with the waterskin and their few cooking utensils.
Joseph’s tools formed an important part of their belongings and these were carefully placed in a goatskin bag. With them he would need only a few moments’ work in their new home to prove his skill as a carpenter. Artisans such as he moved about frequently, and the tools, plus proof of his ability to use them, were the only passport they needed in a world where the famous Pax Romana had opened the borders of all countries, except the few areas on the fringes of the empire where fighting was still going on.
It was almost dawn before they finished loading their belongings on the backs of the two animals. Jesus had been sleeping in the cradle Joseph had made for Him, and their last act before leaving Bethlehem was to lash this on top of one of the packs. Mary would walk and carry the baby in her arms much of the time, but for the rest of it He could lie in the cradle while she walked beside the animal. With her hand to steady the cradle, the rocking gait of the mule would lull the child to sleep. Whatever discomfort Joseph and Mary were to experience in this abrupt flight from their homeland, they were determined that Jesus should know as little of it as possible.
II
As they left Bethlehem dawn was breaking over the range of hills to the east that hid the leaden surface of the Sea of Judgment and the sulfurous mists, relics of the brimstone which had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, rising from it. The town still slept and Joseph led the pack animals carefully lest their footfalls arouse the soldiers of the small garrison assigned there to keep order and remind the people not to cheat the tax gatherers. They would have had trouble enough explaining why they were moving southward at such an hour, and if the treasures hidden deep inside the roll of sleeping pallets were discovered, could hope for nothing less severe than being hailed before a magistrate to explain whence such valuable things came.
As they took the road to Hebron, the castle of Herodeion was a grim reminder to them of the reason for their flight, but they did not yet feel the wrench of parting that would be
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