The Life of Levi

By William D. McEachern

Levi is a man beset by problems. While he is wealthy, his riches are always being threatened in
many different ways. As a Tax Collector for the Roman Empire, he is shunned by his fellow Jews
as being ritually impure, and so all Jews want to cheat him out of tax money. Being shunned
deeply wounds Levi, because he had once dreame

• Language: English
• Publisher: LitFire Publishing
• Release date: Nov 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643988825

William D. McEachern

"William D. McEachern lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida with his wife. He is a father and a grandfather. Mr. McEachern matriculated from Duke University, earned his Law Degree from Fordham University School of Law, and a Master's in Law Degree in Taxation from New York University School of Law. He has practiced law for 41 years, but now devotes almost full time to being a historian, writing novels of historical fiction and lecturing on historical topics. An avid reader of history, he thoroughly researches and travels extensively to lend authenticity and realism to his works. Returning to the world of Casting Lots, Mr. McEachern before writing The Life of Levi re-examined in depth numerous translations of the Gospel of Matthew, the latest archaeology of the Sea of Galilee region, including Capernaum, and visited numerous places in the Ancient Roman Empire and museums pertaining thereto. Mr. McEachern's first novel, Casting Lots, which was the life story of the Centurion who presided over the Crucifixion, and which garnered excellent reviews, is continued in The Life of Levi. Mr. McEachern's last two novels, New Caledonia: A Song of America and Caledonia Lost: The Fall of the Confederacy were both selected as Finalists for the Best Historical Fiction for the Year 2017 and 2018. Caledonia Lost: The Fall of the Confederacy is also rated 4 stars out of 4 stars by the Online Book Club."

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Timeline

64 BC Pompey captured Jerusalem

58 BC Julius Caesar appointed governor of Gaul

58-51 BC Julius Caesar conquered Gaul

58-49 BC Triumvirate of Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar

45 BC Caesar defeated Pompey

44 BC Caesar was Assassinated

44- 31 BC Second Triumvirate of Marc Antony, Lepidus, and Octavian (later known as Caesar Augustus) ruled Rome.

31 BC Octavian (later known as Caesar Augustus) defeated the combined forces of Cleopatra and Marc Antony in the naval battle of Actium (near Greece)

31BC-14 AD Octavian became Caesar Augustus, the first emperor

29 BC Caesar Augustus closed the doors of the Temple of Janus, ushering in the era of Pax Roma

14 AD-37AD Tiberius, stepson of Caesar Augustus, became emperor

27-30 AD Ministry of Jesus, mostly near Capernaum

30 AD (April 7) Jesus is Crucified

Map of Galilee

Prologue: Pax Romana

…now that worldwide communications have been established thanks to the authority of the Roman Empire…living standards have improved by the interchange of goods and partnerships in the joy of peace and by the general availability of things previously concealed.—Pliny the Elder

Caesar Augustus stood before his people, his arms uplifted in triumph. The long Civil War had been won. Both Marcus Antonius and Queen Cleopatra were dead. There was no one left to thwart his will.

This day was the day Caesar Augustus had looked forward to ever since his uncle, Gaius Julius Caesar, who, in death, had become his father, had died. Now, the boy who been known as Octavian, had done what Julius Caesar himself could not do: He ruled the world.

This day was the day which came some 25 years before the birth of a baby to a carpenter and his young bride in Judea. That baby by his Words and Deeds in and around Capernaum would eclipse even Caesar Augustus, but that was still far oft on this day when Caesar Augustus stood before the people of Rome as Pontifex Maximus in front of the Temple of Janus.

Behind Caesar, the Temple of Janus, the two-faced God of Doors, stood in all its glory. Its roof was ornately decorated and had been burnished, such that it glowed radiantly in the sunlight. Its glass windows had been polished such that they glistened. Through the open doors, which framed Caesar Augustus, the glistening, golden statue of the two-faced God, Janus, reflecting the rays of the brilliant sun, could be seen in the center of the Temple. At the other end of the Temple, another set of double doors, such as those which stood behind Caesar, were also open. The throng of the crowd, surrounding the Temple, could be seen through the open doors in both directions.

This was a momentous day, because an ancient ritual, not done in centuries, was about to be performed by Caesar Augustus as Pontifex Maximus. The ritual had not been done in centuries, because the ritual required Rome to be completely at peace.

Peace, Caesar Augustus began, universal peace has come at last.

Louder! We can’t hear you! yelled the crowd with one voice.

Caesar, not used to making such a public speech, began anew in a much louder voice. Through victory, universal peace has been won for the Roman people by the Roman army! Augustus Caesar waved his hand towards his adoring veterans, who screamed with joy at his mention of their feats of valor. Of course, the huge pile of booty, to be dispensed to them after the ceremony was finished, had nothing to do with their fervor.

He continued. Rome has not seen a time such as this in hundreds of years. There are no foes left to vanquish! There are no lands left to conquer! Rome is not at war! Rome is at peace!

The din of the crowd reached a crescendo. Citizen and slave, soldier and merchant, Senator and plebe, all joined in the chorus of triumphant sound: Caesar! Caesar! Caesar! The chant of the crowd rose and rose and rose. Augustus Caesar stretched out his hands palm down, as he tried to quiet the seething mass before him. It was a long time before they were quiet enough for him to begin again.

"Through our overwhelming strength, no future aggressor would dare to ever go to war with Rome! We are at peace. Let us enjoy our peace! Let us unleash upon the world, trade, economic good times, and happiness and joy, as has never been seen before.

Caesar bent down and picked up one end of a massive, lengthy garland that had been strewn at his feet. As he did so, the Legate and the Tribune of the Tenth Legion, the nickname of which was Fretensis, derived from the valor which they had shown at the Battle of Fretum Siculum-the Straits of Messina (and which also sounded like the word for iron)-took the middle and the other end of the garland, respectively. When Caesar lifted it above his head, men came forward and started to loop the garland on the top of the open doors of the temple.

Caesar then moved to the center of the double doors and began the process of closing the doors to the temple. As he did so, the garland was hung over the doors, such that it hung down the outside of the center of the doors. Then, Caesar walked around the temple and, in a similar manner, closed the doors on the far side of the Temple of Janus.

Let no man mistake this. I, Caesar, have closed the doors of the Temple of Janus, in the name of the Senate and the Roman people, recognizing that Rome is at peace and is no longer at war. The symbolism is clear: the doors are only shut when Rome is not at war. Ever since Rome was founded 724 years ago, this ritual has been done only once before. Now, we do it again!

The crowd cheered so loudly that Caesar was taken aback. He bathed in the adulation of Rome. He luxuriated in the crowd fawning over him, worshipping him. Some in the crowd swooned with emotion. Others cast themselves at Caesar’s feet and tried to touch him, his toga, or his sandals.

So, now, the war to end all wars has been fought! Rome is at peace with the world! Joy to the world, the peace is won!

The world is at our feet. Goods flow into Rome from every corner of the earth! Thus, the bounty of the world can be bought and sold in the Forum of Rome. There every man, woman, and child can see displayed fish caught in the Sea of Galilee, seasoned with spices from Arabia! There one can buy porcelain from Sera upon which to serve the fish. One can rest on pillows made of silk, while eating that fish! This is the wonder of our peace. Our Pax Roma has made communications easy and worldwide.

The crowd continued to swoon while the words of the Princeps, Caesar Augustus, were like drops of gentle rain falling from a healing heaven upon an earth dry, dusty, and parched by the drought of war, civil war. All were entranced, as if by a miracle, as their leader bestowed blessings upon them, filling their hearts with hope, their minds with mirth, and their greed with gold coins thrown in the air for all to catch.

*****

Now, some 56 years later after Augustus closed of the gates of the Temple of Janus after the deaths of Cleopatra and Marcus Antony, and ushered in the era of Pax Roma, trade had grown remarkably, nay exponentially, within the Roman Empire. Goods and merchandise flowed not only from nations beyond the borders of Rome, but also, they circulated freely within the boundaries of the Empire. With trade, immense prosperity had been unleashed and the Romans people were basking in the glow of wealth and goods immeasurable. Merchants became amongst the richest of all with just one trade caravan passing from Sera or India to the City of Rome. The people of Rome were enjoying a time of peace, prosperity, and progress.

As Rome savored its position in this new world of peace, commerce, and trade, with delightful spices and material goods, like ivory and silk, flowing into the Capital, an itinerant preacher near Capernaum in far oft Judea was gathering followers and disciples. Some called him a wonderworker; some called him the anointed one; and some called him king.

Just outside of Capernaum, a tax collector, by the name of Levi, was manning his toll collection booth and was awaiting the caravan bringing his old friend, Maes, the merchant. This toll collector did not know then that he and his toll booth, which was located just before the road forked (one way down the western side of the Sea of Galilee to Magdala, and the other continuing the Via Maris, to the Mediterranean Sea and Caesarea Maritima) was standing at the intersection of commerce and Christ.

Book I: The Merchant on the Road

We write our names in the sand; and then the waves roll in and wash them away.—Caesar Augustus

Chapter 1:

Along the Via Maris

Marinus (of Tyre) tells us that a certain Macedonian named Maes, who was also called Titian, son of a merchant father, and a merchant himself, noted the length of this journey to the Stone Tower, although he did not come to Sera (that is, China) in person but sent others there.—Claudius Ptolemy, I-X

He sat by the fire alone. The red embers of the burning wood danced, sputtered, and crackled as they ascended into the blackness of the night, becoming tiny orange stars for a few moments, and then fading, until they became nothing at all in the black of the sky. The star-studded night sky spread over him like an all-encompassing blanket, begging him to sleep. But the diamond pinpoints of stars betrayed no warmth, provided no comfort, and failed to allay his fears, which were rising with each day. The ever-present fear of bandits plagued his mind.

His son rested his young head in his lap and was deeply asleep. I do it all for you, he whispered in the boy’s ear, but not so loudly as to awaken the little one. He nervously thumbed the journal he was keeping. It detailed the roads of the land routes all the way to China. It had everything about the tides, currents, winds, and ports, such as Berenice on the Red Sea coast of Egypt and Sindh of India-everything one needed to know to sail to India and then back across the sea. The leather encasing the papyrus leaves of his journal was supple beneath his fingers. He enjoyed swishing his fingers across it. The cold of the night penetrated his knuckles, making them stiff. The wind tossed his greying hair and nipped at his face with its cold fingers. The desert was working its magic of fire by day and ice by night. He wrapped his toga around his son to keep them warm.

Maes awoke as his son, Alexander, stirred. The dawn had not yet come, but Aurora’s pink fingers spread over the horizon, stretching as far as the zenith. The eastern skies lightened. Maes carefully moved his son so as not to awaken him.

Maes got up and stretched. His fingers, which were stiff with the night, he flexed until they moved smoothly. He thought he would tend to a camel, which he had noted yesterday seemed to have a problem with one of its feet. Moving to the line of camels, which were just starting to bray with the new day, Maes sought out the one he thought was injured.

He reached down and lifted the big foot of the camel up, but the camel resisted him. He tried again. This time the camel begrudgingly accommodated him and let Maes inspect the foot. The merchant spread the big toes of the camel wide open, revealing their hardened nail of protection. Between each toe was webbing, which spread out as the camel put weight on the foot. Each toe had a thick pad of fat which had to be carefully inspected. He rubbed his fingers around each toe of the camel and each fat pad, seeking the problem. The camel snorted, but then, thankfully, spit his phlegm away from the merchant.

Then the trained eyes of the Greek merchant saw the abscess hidden within the webbing. The foot’s ball of fat, which cushioned the camel’s foot from the strain of bearing weight, had been cut, maybe by a rock or pebble, and was infected. The merchant pulled out his knife. At the sight of which, the camel started to pull back its foot. Before the camel could get away, the merchant deftly and quickly pierced the abscess, and its yellow pus poured out. The pungent smell was overwhelming. The merchant blanched, but he did not vomit. He opened a pouch that was tied around his waist, which held his medicinal herbs. He selected a sprig of artemisia herba-alba, and then he crushed it in his hand to make a fine powder. He rubbed the powder against the infection in the camel’s foot. Then, he took off his head scarf and wrapped it around the camel’s foot. The camel gingerly put weight on the foot and found it was not as sore as before.

As he walked back to the front of the column of camels, the merchant wiped his blade on his robes. He then wiped off the sweat that had accumulated on his forehead. It was then that he regretted having given the camel his head scarf. The sun was too strong, but what was now done, was done. He harrumphed. It was still days before they would get to Capernaum. He mused, ‘Maybe there, I can get another suitable head scarf.’

The heat was bothering him. He wiped his forehead again and sighed. ‘I am the great merchant, Maes Titianus, but all I feel is old,’ he chastised himself. He closed his fists, but with difficulty and pain. He closely examined his boney hands. His fingers were getting a little knobbier each day. He could close his fingers only after a great struggle and not a little pain. In a sense, he regretted that he had a son so late in life. He loved his son, but he feared that he would be dead before the boy was fully grown.

Maes was a slender, but sinewy man. His light brown hair was bleached by the sun. His wits had been sharpened by years of trading. He knew all the merchant’s tricks, but he utilized none of them. He had, thus, developed a reputation for fair trading. He had also sharpened his mind by constant reading, for which he had developed a passion, which he wanted to pass down to his son. ‘Knowledge is king. If one is learned, he can live a better life.’ He had already read Alexander the Iliad by Homer, the blind.

He looked back across the distance of the Via Maris as it stretched towards the horizon and the City of Damascus many miles behind. He sighed. Damascus was but a memory now. He didn’t know when or whether he would ever go back there. ‘No great loss’, he thought. ‘I’ll write about it in my journal tonight.’

*****

He thought about what he would do when this trip, this long trip was over. His fellow merchant and partner, Peucestas, had been a friend for many years. Peucestas was a Macedonian like Maes, but unlike Maes, he wanted to go to Delos. They had argued over this every night for the last two weeks.

No one goes there, unless it is to participate in the slave trade, Maes objected. He implored his friend, It is not a good place for me to bring my son.

Peucestas petted his beard. My friend, I would not do anything to embarrass my friend, Maes Titianus.

Peucestas was a different sort of man from Maes. They did not look anything alike, even though they both came from Macedonia. Peucestas had a full beard, while Maes was clean shaven. Peucestas had black, wiry hair. Peucestas had trained to be a warrior, in hopes of being as famous as the man for whom he was named. Peucestas was tall, but very muscular. He acted, rather than thought about things. He was a man of many skills, with tracking being his