Kingdom 01

Of Such Is The Kingdom, A Novel of Biblical Times

A mysterious stranger arrives in Jerusalem seeking a man who "can be inspired and trained to lead a small insurrection." Failing to interest both a rich shopkeeper and an elderly beggar, he decides to try a brawny blacksmith named Barabbas. Barabbas has already been thinking about "the evils of the Romans and their high taxation." Thus, the stranger had a ready audience with the blacksmith, who thinks all the way home about the possibility of successful insurrection and whether or not to tell his wife whom he knows will be against it. As he arrives home, his three children rush out to meet him and quarrel over who will help wash his feet. The feet are washed and the supper eaten and Barabbas puts off telling his wife about the stranger's strange visit. We follow the stranger to an inn or caravansary (Ch.2) where he will sleep. There he meets some Herodians (Jews who favor Herod) and, discusses their compromising stance and the surprising fact that Herod is not a Jew. The next morning he is gone before they awaken and they wonder (as no doubt you the listener do) who this mysterious stranger is. The answer will be revealed in Chapter 3 (episode 2 of this podcast).