The Water Carrier: The Story of a Life

By D.C. Born

It was a time of rebellion and harse reprisal; a time of the peoples longing for a savior---the Messiah---as Israel smoldered under the oppressive heel of Rome and her minions. When Isaac, orphaned as a chilod as a consequence of the conflict, unintentionally became associated with a rebel band, his longing for a life of family and friends repeatedly was promised and then crushed. When the severest blow came, he collapsed into near-helplessness only to be returned to health through the caring of a stranger and given a new vision of life by the Teacher named Yeshua.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 2, 2006
• ISBN: 9781465316257

D.C. Born

D. C. Born is a retired aerospace engineer. Since 1987, he has been involved with the cycling adventures of sons Steve and Jeff, often as crew chief. In 1990 he published the book Release the Pace Giraffe, chronicling the exploits of Steve and his crew in Steve’s successful rookie attempt at the Race Across America. Mr. Born lives with his wife, Rita, in Sunriver, Oregon.

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Prologue

His name was Isaac. He was twelve years old and he was an orphan. When Isaac was but three, his father was killed by soldiers who came to this small Judean village, seeking men suspected of insurrection. Soon thereafter, Isaac’s mother died. Some said it was of a broken heart. It also was said that the child, much like the patriarch whose name he shared, had been given a most inappropriate name, for Isaac means He laughs.

A quiet, introspective boy who rarely laughed, Isaac survived the tragic events of his early childhood. He had been taken in by the childless couple who owned and operated the caravansary that stood near the village’s northern entrance. As he grew older he came to understand that his was not a family-type relationship. Rather, he was no better off than a servant in the house. And when he became old enough to carry water from the well that was just beyond the edge of the caravansary’s yard, he was put to work as the stable boy, responsible for feeding and watering the owner’s animals and those of the guests.

Though the work was hard, Isaac was proud to carry the water because he knew that this was the very well from which the bold warriors of King David had brought water to their leader when the hated Philistines occupied the town a thousand years earlier. So, Isaac carried the water with pride. And soon the people of the village stopped calling him by his given name. Instead, they called him The Water Carrier.

Chapter 1

The day was slowly turning to dusk as slender, curly-haired Isaac stood at the opening to the animal shed, his deeply tanned face expressionless as he idly watched the throngs of people passing along the dusty road into his village. Though it was not uncommon for the village to be busy with the traffic that traveled the north-south ridge route between nearby Jerusalem to the north and Hebron to the south, the small village was unusually crowded these past few days. Isaac did not exactly know why so many visitors were here other than he heard it had something to do with a decree from King Herod. It was something the people spoke of in private and in derisive terms as "Herod’s fawning obeisance to the hated people who really control the country."

All Isaac knew for sure was that the caravansary inn was full, so he had to vacate his small room and make his bed with the animals in the shed. Also, that there were more animals to feed and water and that additional water was needed in the inn, itself. So, as Isaac watched the noisy, milling crowd of people and animals, he stretched and yawned, weary from the work he had accomplished so far this day.

He also felt a strange tingle of excitement that his village was so alive with people from ‘who knew where.’ Normally, visitors mainly were members of the caravans that passed through, staying but a night, if at all. However, Isaac had heard that this time most of the people were not the typical merchants and traders, and that they would be here for several days. That fact, while exciting in its curiosity, also held a tinge of disappointment for him because it most likely meant he would not be seeing and visiting with the shepherds from the nearby Migdal Eder, the ‘tower of the flock’ that was close by the road to Jerusalem. These men who pastured their flocks out in the open all year long came often into town for provisions. But, as long as the town was so busy, these unkept men probably would stay away because they were not well accepted by the so-called good people even though it was these men who tended the special sheep that were destined for Temple sacrifices.

As Isaac continued to gaze at the passing crowd, its existence gradually faded into the background of his awareness as, in his mind’s eye, he envisioned his village that sat high on a steep prominence in the hills of Judea. It was a modest gathering of humble, mud colored, flat roofed houses surrounding a small market place and the comparatively grand place-of-assembly.

In this late-autumn month of Kislev, the village stood amid fields recently sown in barley and wheat. Out there also were the terraced groves of olive trees, now bare-branched, awaiting the rains of the month of Tebeth to make them green and then lush with fruit. To the west were the grassy, rock strewn hills that rose and fell as they gradually descended to the coastal plain and the Great Sea beyond. And off to the east stood the barren, yellow, saw-toothed hills that were cut by deep ravines. That stark wilderness dropped off swiftly to the narrow strip of blue that was the Salt Sea. And beyond those waters stood the equally barren mountains of ancient Moab, now called by the Greek name Perea.

As it often did, the image of this seemingly endless expanse of furrowed and sterile hills that his people called ‘desolation’ and ‘wasteland’ caused his mind to wander to thoughts about the history of this place where he had been born. Since reaching his twelfth year, he faithfully had gone to the village’s place-of-assembly on the Sabbath to hear the elders read and discuss the Torah as well as the writings of the Prophets. And on many an evening after his work was done, he would sit quietly at the town gate, intently listening as gatherings of village elders recounted the many stories about his village.

One of his favorites was the story of the young woman named Ruth who, following her Bethlehemite mother-in-law Naomi, had come from Moab to this ‘town of bread,’ this Bethlehem, where she married the wealthy wheat farmer Boaz, thereby becoming the ancestor of David.

He knew the story of how Samuel had come to this village and found the shepherd boy David, youngest son of the herdsman Jesse, and anointed him king. And he reveled in the many adventures of that most famous and revered son of this little village.

Isaac had learned that this village had existed long before Abraham had come to this land. It then had been called Ephratha. And he nearly had memorized all the stories about Abraham and the other patriarchs. One day not long ago, he had visited the nearby site where Jacob’s wife Rachel was buried.

For Isaac, there was much for which this little town could be proud. But the greatest thing was what the prophet Micah had foretold, namely, that this was where the Messiah would be born. This little village was to be the birthplace of the one who would follow in David’s footsteps to be the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Isaac’s people. And this ‘anointed one’ would deliver this land from its oppressors and return it to its former glory.

Son. Isaac’s reverie was shattered by the sound of a man’s voice behind him. Son, the inn keeper said you could get some water for my wife and me.

Startled that he had not heard anyone approach, Isaac swung around, nearly bumping into the huge man. Quickly gathering himself, Isaac inquired what the man was seeking.

Water, the man repeated in a weary voice. Would it be possible to get some water? The inn keeper said we could spend the night here in the animal shed and that you could get us some water. The man paused. We have traveled a long way and are weary. Our water bag is empty and we have not had anything to drink for some time. We also desire to wash before we eat. The man again paused, this time to look back at the young woman who leaned wearily against a heavily laded donkey. And my wife is near her time.

Isaac’s attention swung to the young woman. She appeared to be about his age. She seemed completely exhausted. And she definitely was with child.

It was not long before dusk became darkness; it was time for sleep. But Isaac, curled up in his ragged cloak against the night’s chill, could not sleep despite being extremely weary. From his bed of straw at the far side of the shed, he stared at the feeble light that flickered across the darkness of the shed’s beamed and thatched ceiling, cast there by an oil lamp that sat on the dirt floor near the shed’s entrance. That was where the man and his wife had made their place of rest. It was a bit curious to Isaac that the lamp was still lit. As he pondered this, he could hear, despite the sounds of the animals, the soft, reassuring voice of the man who apparently was speaking to the young woman. And Isaac also could make out soft moans mixed with brief cries as if of pain. Thinking these sounds were from the woman, he wondered if she was having a problem of some sort. He recalled how she had walked with obvious difficulty when following her husband into the shed; and how she quickly had laid down on the straw that was intended for bedding animals. That had been a curiosity to Isaac because it normally was the woman who did the unpacking and the other preparations for a nighttime stay. Instead, the man had done the work. As Isaac mulled this over, he thought about the man saying that his wife was near her time of delivery. Isaac wondered if that was happening now, here in this place of animals. Having witnessed animals giving birth, he was somewhat aware of the difficulties involved. After a few more moments of wondering, he decided that was exactly what must be happening.

Then he heard a muffled cry. Then nothing. Silence.

For what seemed to Isaac to be a long time, he continued to watch the lamp’s guttering light probe with furtive fingers the shed’s dark recesses. Periodically holding his breath, he listened for sounds of the man and woman. Since that brief cry there had been none. He decided they must have fallen asleep. All was silent. Even the animals no longer were moving and shifting about as if wanting not to disturb the new born child whom Isaac imagined to be asleep next to its mother.

Mother. The word brought on thoughts of his own mother. He felt an urge to try to recall how she had looked, how her arms felt when she had held him. But try as he might, he could not bring back that image nor that feeling. A tear began to well, only to be brushed away before it could lead to a sob. Brusquely, he pushed the thoughts aside, forcing his mind onto other things, things that had occurred earlier in the night.

He thought about the brightness of the night sky when, just before settling down for sleep, he had gone to the well to bring more water for the man and woman. The stars then had seemed to have a shine and sparkle he never before had seen. He remembered how he had hesitated when the man had come to him, asking for more water. But his hesitation had only been for a moment because the man had appeared to be extremely worried. And when Isaac had hurried to the well, the village had been quiet, the road empty. Having expected the way would be dark, he had been surprised that the night was bright enough to overcome even the lack of the moon.

As he wondered about these things, he finally began to slip into sleep.

Chapter 2

Waking with a start, Isaac’s senses were intently alert to a noise at the entrance to the shed. It was the shuffling of people. A tinge of fear caused him to shiver as he wondered who could be coming into the shed at this hour. And what they might want. The questions quickly were forgotten because, in that instant, Isaac bolted for the entrance.

There, silhouetted against the bright night sky, their faces faintly etched by the dim light of the lamp that sat on the floor, stood several large, bearded men peering in at the man and woman and the baby.

Isaac’s initial alarm quickly turned to a smile at the seeming confusion and discomfort of the men. They were men he knew, shepherds from the nearby Migdal Eder. In his mind, they were not a threat. But he could not understand why they were here.

When the shepherds noticed Isaac, they, in hushed voices, began offering mumbled explanations for their curious behavior—about why they had come into town at this unusual hour, about how they knew where to find what or whom they were seeking. To Isaac, the explanations were a jumble. For a moment, he imagined that the men had drunk too much wine, what with all their babbling about music in the night sky and visions and strange proclamations of a baby born in a stable here in David’s town, a baby who was the promised Messiah.

Isaac did not know how to react to all this, how to respond, what to say. But, at that instant, he realized he need do nothing at all because the men no longer were speaking to him but were on their knees before the now-awake man and woman and, in particular, the baby who was asleep on the straw in one of the animal feed boxes.

It was curious to Isaac that neither the baby’s father nor mother seemed at all startled or upset at the intrusion.

The shepherds uttered not a word, seeming to be dazed and filled with awe as they gazed at the child. And Isaac’s eyes, too, were drawn to the baby who was peacefully at rest, wrapped tightly in the swaddling band of cloth that was typical for all newborns of his people. His gaze lingered there for what seemed a very long time as if held by an invisible force, an aura. There was an indescribable something . . . .

Isaac was brought back to the present when the shepherds quietly rose and backed their way to the shed’s entrance. They had not uttered a word to the new family nor to Isaac since their jumbled attempts at explanation to him. But as they hurried away into the night, he heard them excitedly talking about their miraculous experience, about the music in the heavens, and about the coming of the Messiah.

Isaac, too, felt an unexplainable excitement. The night now was a blur for him. With the shepherds gone, he, wanting to not disturb the baby and the man and woman, quietly crept back to his bed of straw. There, unable to sleep, he tossed about, his young mind a jumble of confusing questions as he searched for some understanding of the shepherds’ behavior. But it all was far more than he could make sense of. Except that the word ‘Messiah’ kept coming back to him, each time interrupting his confusion with a feeling that something special had occurred. And with that feeling gradually settling him down, Isaac finally slept.

Morning broke into Isaac’s senses as the early light of dawn filtered through the shed’s entrance, and the animals began to stir. Having slept only for a short time, he was not ready to begin another day. But he knew his desires were not of anyone’s caring; he had his work to do, and that was that. Slowly, he rose and slipped on his cloak in preparation for the new day’s first trip to the well for water for the animals and for the new family.

As he quietly headed for the shed’s exit he saw that the people were awake. The man, who appeared to be arranging a cold morning meal, seemed not to notice Isaac’s approach. But the young woman, now holding the child at her shoulder, looked up at Isaac and smiled. It was a weary yet radiant smile.

Throughout the day, normally peaceful Bethlehem was a noisy hubbub of activity due to the milling crowd of people reporting to Herod’s minions who sat at tables set up in the market place. Because Isaac had not seen the father of the new baby since early morning, he assumed the man was among the crowd. The baby’s mother, however, stayed in the shed, tending her newborn. And as Isaac came and went about his chores, she smiled his way but said not a word.

When night came, Isaac fell asleep with no difficulty and slept without interruption, his mind no longer bothered by questions for which he could find no answers. In the reality of the day, the shepherds’ visit soon had become but a strange, fleeting dream, no longer a reasonable actuality. And the birth of a baby in this animal shed, though a definite reality, had been integrated quickly into the already abnormal pattern of young Isaac’s life.

The next morning, Isaac saw that the village’s visitors were departing. By the time the sun was at its highest, the crowd was nearly gone and the new family were preparing to depart the animal shed. To Isaac’s delight, they did not leave Bethlehem but took residence in a nearby small house that was owned by the inn keeper and mainly used for travelers.

That night, as Isaac stared into the darkness of the animal shed, he felt very much alone. The following morning, he, too, moved out of the shed, back into his small room in the inn. While being in his room was satisfying, it also felt strangely different from how it had been before. There seemed to be something missing. And something added. He could not say what any of this meant. It just was a feeling, one he did not mention to anyone because there was no one with whom to share it.

During the next few days, Isaac occasionally saw the baby’s father who, he learned, was doing carpentry work for the inn keeper as well as for others around the village in exchange for the lodging and for provisions. But Isaac did not see the baby nor the baby’s mother because the woman never was outside the house when he happened by. Isaac longed to see them, to once again witness the calm assurance of the mother’s smile and the newness of the child. He dreamed of touching the baby, of talking to him (he had learned that the baby was a boy). The attraction was not because the baby had been called the Messiah; in all the turmoil and weariness of his life Isaac had forgotten that aspect of that special night. Rather, the attraction was because Isaac desperately desired to belong to a family.

On the morning of the eighth day after the baby’s birth, Isaac was beside himself with excitement because he had been invited to the new family’s home. It was the day of the baby’s circumcision. Isaac knew that the ritual related to the covenant that God had made with Abraham, that the ‘cutting’ became for the boy the sign of that covenant. It also was the time when a boy-child received his name, usually that of his grandfather. But the baby’s father announced that the boy would be named Yeshua, meaning savior. This delighted Isaac because that was the name of the country’s ancient hero who had brought Isaac’s people into this land which God had promised to Abraham.

The days that followed were uneventful for Isaac. He was, however, happier than he ever could remember being because his relationship with the new family was growing closer and more involved. On some days, in between doing his own chores, he watched the man at his carpentry. On others, he spent his leisure moments sitting with the mother, watching the child. Unconsciously, he slipped into feeling that he actually was part of that family, that the man and woman somehow were the mother and father he