“Faustinus will need me,” said young Nicholas. “He has several cases before the magistrates.”
Old Nicholas replied, “I will talk to him about it. You already take weeks off at a time to work on the fishing ships.”
Young Nicholas said, “What about Aunt Berenice?”
Berenice said, “I would love to go, but I’m not healthy enough for traveling.”
“And cousin Timoteus?”
Old Nicholas replied, “He has two young children. He cannot leave his family now.”
“Maybe someone else from the assembly would like to go.”
Old Nicholas said gently, “I don’t want someone else. I want you. This is an opportunity for you to see for yourself the places you have been reading about.”
Nicholas reluctantly nodded. When he read the books of the apostles from the library of the assembly, it seemed that the stories had only happened yesterday, and all he need do to join the action was to set foot there. He thought of going there, some day, but hadn’t expected to go so soon while he was just starting out in life. Still, the idea intrigued him. He asked, “In the writings of the apostles, they call it Judea. Why do we call it Palestina?”
Old Nicholas said, “Emperor Hadrian. After his war on the Jews, he renamed the province after the Philistines to erase the memory of the Jewish kingdom. He wanted to make sure they never rebelled again.”
Young Nicholas thought of the synagogue in Myra. He had often seen Jewish people coming and going from it. None believed in Christus. They would not even darken the door of the Assembly of New Zion where his uncle led in worship. Still, he did not look at them the same as those who worshiped the Greek and Roman gods. They held in common the Hebrew books of the law and the prophets. Many in the synagogue even read them in Greek as he did. And they did not worship idols. But there was a great divide. He knew some Jews among the Christiani. They observed some of the Jewish holy days, but they dressed like Greeks and would never enter the synagogue. Until now he had not given much thought to the Jews who remained in Palestina. He asked, “Are there any remaining in the land?”
Old Nicholas said, “No, the Philistines died off long ago.”
“No, I mean the Jews.”
“Oh, yes, a good number remain.”
“Are they like the Jews here?”
His uncle shrugged. “We will see.”
Old Nicholas replied, “I will talk to him about it. You already take weeks off at a time to work on the fishing ships.”
Young Nicholas said, “What about Aunt Berenice?”
Berenice said, “I would love to go, but I’m not healthy enough for traveling.”
“And cousin Timoteus?”
Old Nicholas replied, “He has two young children. He cannot leave his family now.”
“Maybe someone else from the assembly would like to go.”
Old Nicholas said gently, “I don’t want someone else. I want you. This is an opportunity for you to see for yourself the places you have been reading about.”
Nicholas reluctantly nodded. When he read the books of the apostles from the library of the assembly, it seemed that the stories had only happened yesterday, and all he need do to join the action was to set foot there. He thought of going there, some day, but hadn’t expected to go so soon while he was just starting out in life. Still, the idea intrigued him. He asked, “In the writings of the apostles, they call it Judea. Why do we call it Palestina?”
Old Nicholas said, “Emperor Hadrian. After his war on the Jews, he renamed the province after the Philistines to erase the memory of the Jewish kingdom. He wanted to make sure they never rebelled again.”
Young Nicholas thought of the synagogue in Myra. He had often seen Jewish people coming and going from it. None believed in Christus. They would not even darken the door of the Assembly of New Zion where his uncle led in worship. Still, he did not look at them the same as those who worshiped the Greek and Roman gods. They held in common the Hebrew books of the law and the prophets. Many in the synagogue even read them in Greek as he did. And they did not worship idols. But there was a great divide. He knew some Jews among the Christiani. They observed some of the Jewish holy days, but they dressed like Greeks and would never enter the synagogue. Until now he had not given much thought to the Jews who remained in Palestina. He asked, “Are there any remaining in the land?”
Old Nicholas said, “No, the Philistines died off long ago.”
“No, I mean the Jews.”
“Oh, yes, a good number remain.”
“Are they like the Jews here?”
His uncle shrugged. “We will see.”
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