"None Shines More Brightly"

By John Fuja

In Judea, during the reign of the madman King Herod the Great, magi from the east traveled to Jerusalem in search of a "Child of Promise." Since the star they were following no longer appeared in the heavens, they sought Herod's counsel in locating the child.

What then ensues is an intriguing but horrifying story of genocide and sibling rivalry for Herod's throne. All the resulting malevolence is instigated by Herodias, the wicked, demon-possessed daughter-in-law of the king, who, as Satan's pawn, implements a way to bring about the demise of John the Baptist, the precursor of the Messiah, in an attempt to forestall Jesus's ministry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514438299

John Fuja

This is Fuja’s final novel in a trilogy on the life of Christ. “From Carpenter to King” was preceded by “None Shines More Brightly, which dealt with the boyhood of Jesus through the beginning of his public life, and “Favored” covering the events leading up to the birth of Jesus. Like Fuja’s two prior novels “From Carpenter to King” is rich with Jewish culture and tradition. It presents a unique perspective into the lives of the individuals who were most affected by Jesus’ ministry.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

B althazar stood atop a ziggurat in Central Persia and gazed up in wonderment at the celestial canopy above him. A new star had appeared in the southwestern sky that he, heretofore, had never seen. The unusual star had a comet-like tail that was perpendicular to the Earth. The Zoroastrian, priest/astrologer, stood there looking at the phenomenon until the first light of the predawn sky obliterated the moon and the starry hosts.

After entering the building, the astrologer pulled out all of the charts of the firmament, some of which were centuries old. Nowhere in the huge stack of ancient vellum could he find any indication of a star like the one he had seen; it had never been charted before.

The following night, the Persian took a bowlful of water and a handful of pebbles and set them on the altar of the shrine atop the ziggurat. Balthazar waited until the ripples on the water settled, and the reflection of the heavenly hosts appeared in all of their brilliance on the water’s surface. The priest/astrologer chanted. He then tossed the pebbles into the bowl. When the water settled again, he began his art of divination.

Balthazar was amazed at what he was able to read from the position of the pebbles and their relationship to the reflection of the celestial bodies on the water’s surface. The Persian went to the parapet of the ziggurat and looked up at the nighttime sky once again, staring at the wondrous star.

The Persian had no way of knowing that the Almighty God of the Children of Israel was using a pagan astrologer and the forbidden art of divination to fulfill his will. After all, Jewish rabbis always taught their young students that the God of Father Abraham could do anything.

As Balthazar descended the winding staircase on the outside of the ziggurat, the enthusiastic seer made a decision. The next day, he would go to the local synagogue where the Jews that still remained from the great Diaspora met. The Persian would speak with the chief rabbi to see if the predictions of the ancient Jewish prophets that he had heard about agreed with what he had divined.

In Northern and Southern Persia, several other priest/astrologers through their stargazing and divination reached the same conclusion as Balthazar. After watching the celestial wonder for several nights, Kaspar, who lived in Northwestern Persia, decided that he would follow the star to see if what he divined in the gravel patterns could possibly be true.

Leaving the rooftop, Kaspar called for his chief steward, Shamahzer. He told him to go and purchase a cask of the purest myrrh he could find as well as provisions for a journey that could last for several months. Kaspar also told the man to select ten of his most reliable slaves to accompany them on their journey.

Two days later, Kaspar climbed up onto the ornately decorated canopy-covered seat upon his camel and started on his pilgrimage, heading in the direction of the brilliant star. The chiming sounds from hundreds of tiny bells, attached to the camel’s reins, filled the air when the ship of the desert swayed as it moved. Shamahzer accompanied his master, riding bareback on another camel laden with provisions. The slaves that walked in front of them carried poles and tenting materials as well as broadswords, just in case roving groups of bandits tried to terminate their journey before they reached their destination.

Two days before Kaspar left to follow the star, Melchior and two other Astrologers from far Southeastern Persia decided they too would follow the celestial wonder. They agreed with Melchior when he said, "Of all the stars he had ever seen, none shines more brightly in the heavens than this new star."

Riding their Arabian stallions, the retinue of twelve began to head northwest. Unlike Kaspar, they only traveled under the starry canopy of night and encamped during the day. The three astrologers wanted to be certain they weren’t straying from the star. The cold nighttime desert air stung their exposed skin as they traveled. The tracks of their horse’s hoofs were instantly covered as the wind blew the shifting, drifting sand over their tracks as they followed their heavenly guide. Their group was the furthest from their still unknown destination.

In his saddlebag, Melchior carried a cask of the finest frankincense. Fifteen days into the grueling journey, two of his fellow priest/astrologers left their gifts with Melchior and returned to Southeastern Persia. They were quite elderly and didn’t have the stamina to complete the strenuous, long journey. Only four separate sets of hoof prints disturbed the smooth surface of the sandy desert’s floor each night.

CHAPTER 1

J oseph awoke; he felt something moving at the top of his head. One of the goats that shared the stable with the carpenter and his family was nibbling at the hay where his head lay. He then looked down at the babe that lay between him and his wife. Joseph gently rolled away from the duo so he wouldn’t disturb their sleep. When he stood, he quietly shooed the goat back into its pen. His delicately beautiful wife had just given birth last night; she needed rest after the grueling ordeal. The young man loved the way Mary’s lovely, deep auburn hair flared out around her head as she slept.

It was rather chilly in the cave where they were lodging. So the young carpenter gently tucked the goatskin comforter a little tighter around his petite wife and her son. Grabbing a bucket, Joseph headed toward the gate of the stable. He would go and fetch some water, and then register with the census taker. The deputy at the entrance of the city allowed him and his wife to enter without registering for the census the other night because Mary was in the throes of labor.

When the nineteen-year-old carpenter opened the gate, he was surprised to see that the sheet of leather he had hung over the entrance of the cave, to keep out the wind and the cold, was shredded to ribbons. There had been a strong wind last night, but he still couldn’t figure out how the cowhide could have been torn the way it was. Little did he know that the culprit who tried to claw her way through the leather curtain lay dead in the gulch at the base of the hillside where the cave was located.

Joseph moved the ribbon-like pieces to the side and stepped out into the cold morning air. The young man was amazed by what he saw. The strong wind had obviously stopped last night shortly after he had fallen asleep. The sky had been clear, and the night was very cold. That’s why the landscape now looked as if it was covered with glistening iridescent crystals. The predawn light caused the heavy layer of frost shrouding the Earth to glow a shade of pink that matched the color of the early morning sky. Wait until Mary sees this, Joseph thought as he headed toward the town gate. It was so cold that he could see his own breath. He wouldn’t even remember to tell his wife about the wonder he had just seen, for his day would be filled with pain and confusion.

After registering with the census taker and filling his bucket with water, Joseph headed back to the cave. When he reached the narrow ridge that formed the path leading to the stable, the carpenter saw two bodies in the gorge below. He immediately noticed that one of the corpses was that of the deputy who had told him of the location of the cave; the other belonged to a very old, heavily wrinkled woman, dressed in exceptionally filthy clothing. He didn’t know the old hag was the possessed witch that was constantly being driven away from his hometown of Nazareth. At Satan’s command, the sorceress had followed Joseph and his family to Bethlehem the other night in an effort to kill the trio while they slept.

Placing the bucket of water at the gate of the cave, Joseph then made his way down to the two bodies to see if they were still alive. As he carefully moved down the steep, frost-covered gorge, he slipped and lost his footing and fell several feet. Joseph struck his knee on one of the rock formations with such force that his teeth chattered. He broke his kneecap. The pain was excruciating; it exploded through his entire body. He sat where he was for a few moments, hoping the sharp pain would subside. It didn’t. The young man painfully raised himself up and stood on his good leg. Using the boulders to steady himself, he made his way down to the two bodies. His knee continually throbbed with pain. Both the soldier and the hag were dead.

Joseph knew that he couldn’t carry either of the corpses out of the gorge; he could barely walk. When the young man finally made his way back to the stable, he found that his wife was awake. When Mary saw his skinned, bloody knee she panicked. Joseph what happened to you? she asked as she brought her hands to her face in concern.

While his wife cleansed and bound his injured knee, the carpenter told her about the bodies he had found in the gorge. He said he was going back to the town gate to inform the Roman soldiers stationed there about their commanding officer, and the other body he had found. How can you go? You can barely walk! His fifteen-year-old wife said. Just then, her newborn began to stir.

While you feed the baby, I’ll go. Don’t worry, Mary! I’ll be back in no time. I can use my staff as support. I just can’t leave the bodies where they are and watch them become food for the birds and animals. Everyone deserves a proper burial.

Mary agreed with her husband, but she was leery about him walking down the steep pathways with his injured knee. Joseph kissed his wife on her cheek and assured her that he would be very careful. When his wife picked up her son, Joseph gently rubbed the baby’s head and tenderly kissed his forehead. As Mary prepared to nurse her baby, her husband took hold of his staff and headed toward the town gate.

When the carpenter finally reached the soldiers and told them about their commander, they looked at him suspiciously. One of them restrained Joseph and led him into the gate tower. Four of the others headed toward the gorge where the bodies lay. Joseph was forced to stand while the soldier interrogated him. He answered each of the questions honestly. After he did, the soldier asked him the same questions over and over again eager to trip up the young man.

Joseph’s body began to tremble from standing on his injured leg for over an hour. His inquisitor took it as a sign of nervous guilt. He thought he was making progress. To expedite a confession, the soldier told the young carpenter he was to stand only on his injured leg with his good knee lifted toward his chest. As Joseph did, the soldier tossed the carpenter’s staff at him. He said, You can use this if you like. His interrogator laughed as the young man lost his balance and fell to the ground, further injuring his knee. He knew the carpenter couldn’t catch the walking stick with his arms bound behind him. Joseph cried out from the searing pain.

Just as the carpenter fell, one of the soldiers from the reconnaissance team returned to the tower and whispered into the inquisitor’s ear. This Jew is innocent. It appears the old hag was responsible for Deputy Hasid’s death. She tore at him until he must have bled to death. Large chunks of the commander’s flesh still clung to the hideous hag’s long claw-like nails.

Without an apology, Joseph’s interrogator unbound the carpenter’s hands and told him he was free to go. He didn’t even have the decency to help the struggling man to his feet.

The carpenter painfully headed back toward the stable. His knee was so swollen that it rubbed against his other knee as he limped along. He prayed to his God to give him enough stamina to make it back to his wife and her son. The Lord did.

CHAPTER 2

M ary finished nursing her baby son and then placed him in the manger. She was very pensive. As she paced back and forth she thought, Joseph should have been back hours ago. It had been quite some time since she saw the soldiers retrieve the body of Deputy Hasid from the gulch. She wondered where her husband could be as she prayed for Joseph’s safe return.

Finally, Mary could hear someone approaching the cave. She knew it was Joseph when she heard his muffled groans as he came near. Mary ran to him and tried to help him as he struggled to walk. In loving concern she asked, Where were you for so long. All sorts of things kept running through my mind. Did they hurt you, my love? Mary knew full well how cruel Roman soldiers could be toward Jews.

Joseph didn’t want to upset his wife. He was a man. Seeking her sympathy couldn’t reverse what had been done to him, so he told her that it just took him longer because he had to hobble. Joseph felt badly because the soldiers just left the old sorceress’s body where it was. He told his wife that after he rested, he would go down and at least cover the old woman’s remains with stones.

No, you won’t! Mary said commandingly. Do you want to injure your other knee as well? God understands! His wife sounded just like her bossy Aunt Tamar when she disagreed with her husband, Azor. Joseph laughed in spite of his pain.

Usually, vultures or other carrion eaters devour a corpse. The old hag’s remains, however, just rotted away untouched. Every bird or animal that came near her corpse could sense the evil that once dwelled within it. They knew her remains were so toxic that they would even kill a vulture, the notorious devourer of the most rancid of substances. All forms of wildlife somehow knew that her remains were extremely toxic too, so they avoided her corpse as well.

Since Joseph couldn’t travel, he and his family remained in the cave. Eight days after the baby’s birth, Joseph, with his staff for support, carried Mary’s son to the synagogue. His wife walked along beside them. Mary was not allowed to enter the building proper. She had to stand behind an iron grille work that restricted the woman from entering the main meeting room.

The rabbi sat at a low table with a scroll of parchment before him. Joseph laid Mary’s son on the table. His huge, trembling hands clumsily undid the swaddling clothes from Mary’s son. The baby lay naked before him. Joseph reached for the flint knife that lay on the table as the rabbi asked, By what name shall this son of Abraham be called?

Joseph took hold of the knife. As he lowered his shaking hands toward the baby, the young father said, He shall be called, The Lord Saves. Yeshua shall be his name. (The English equivalent of that Hebrew name is Jesus.) Mary’s heart panged as her little Yeshua cried as Joseph circumcised her son, and the first drops of his blood were shed. The rabbi entered the baby’s name to the list of the Sons of Abraham, and then congratulated the smiling but still very nervous young father. And so the badly limping carpenter and his family left the synagogue.

As the trio walked through the heart of the small town of Bethlehem, Mary felt someone take hold of her shoulder from behind. The young mother gasped from fright. Joseph abruptly turned to see who was accosting his wife. As he did, a slight moan escaped his lips from the stinging pain in his knee.

The elderly man who touched Joseph’s wife said, Mary, it’s Zechariah, your cousin Elizabeth’s husband. How good is the Holy One! My wife said she thought that you and your betrothed would be here to register, and that I should try and locate you. How provident is the Holy One! I didn’t even have to search for you. After introducing Joseph as her husband, Mary asked Zechariah how his wife, his son, and her aunt and uncle were. The elderly man told her they all were well. His in-laws just headed for their Nazareth home two days ago.

Zechariah didn’t comment on the fact that he was surprised to see that Mary was married and had a son. Six months ago while Mary still visited with him and his wife, she was only engaged. During the course of the conversation that followed, Zechariah told the young couple he had just come to Bethlehem to lay claim to a small home his deceased relative had owned there in the city. (Jewish tradition gave the right of first acquisition to the nearest living relative.) So I chose to take possession of the house, the priest of the Temple said.

As they continued to converse, Zechariah learned Joseph had injured his knee. He offered the vacant home to the young couple. Joseph, please allow the Holy One to bless me by staying in my empty house until you are well enough to travel, however long that might be. We’re all relatives! Joseph agreed only if Zechariah would allow him to pay for their lodging.

My dear gallant cousin, would you deprive me a blessing on my head by charging you rent for a house I don’t intend to rent for a while yet? Furthermore, it would be a blessing on my wife’s head as well since she’s yearning to see Mary. Elizabeth will be within walking distance of you now. And you know in just thirty-two days you both will have to go to Jerusalem for the child’s presentation, and Mary’s purification. It’s a much shorter distance from Bethlehem to Jerusalem then it is from way up north in Nazareth.

Joseph graciously accepted Zechariah’s offer. That same day, the elderly man helped the couple move into the home he acquired. He stayed with them a few days and then left to tell his wife the good news that her cousin Mary and her family were staying in the house he took possession of.

Two weeks after Zechariah’s departure, he returned along with his elderly wife and their son John to visit Mary and her family. (Mary, during the very early stage of her pregnancy, had gone to visit Elizabeth. The Holy Spirit had revealed to the elderly woman that Mary bore the Messiah, but Mary had cautioned her cousin not to tell anyone what was revealed to her.) Elizabeth warmly greeted the younger couple and then anxiously asked to see Mary’s baby.

The young mother took baby John from her cousin while Elizabeth went over to little Yeshua. She knelt before him and bowed low. Mary and Joseph understood. Zechariah didn’t think anything of his wife’s reverential act because Yeshua was lying upon the low earthen bed fast asleep.

Pick him up and hold him if you like, Mary said. Elizabeth looked at her cousin with questioning eyes. Mary knew what the elderly woman was thinking. Do I deserve to hold the long awaited Messiah in my arms? With trembling hands, Elizabeth reached for the baby and picked him up. Tears filled her eyes as she held the infant.

Who am I that you have blest me so, Lord, for you have allowed me to hold the salvation of Israel in my very arms? Elizabeth silently asked her God. No matter where Elizabeth placed her six-month old son, John, on the large earthen bed; he always rolled toward his younger cousin, Yeshua, and stared at him. The four adults were amused every time he did so. Only Mary, Joseph, and Elizabeth knew why the child prophet did what he did.

CHAPTER 3

T hirty-nine days had passed since Jesus had been born. Mary and her limping husband finally reached Jerusalem. Throughout the journey, Mary could see the pain on her husband’s face while he walked, but he never complained. Joseph had whittled himself a crutch for the journey. He insisted that he help carry their little one most of the way to the Holy City.

It was a rather warm night for the winter month of Shebat, so Joseph and his family spent the night outdoors on the Mount of Olives. That way, they avoided spending the night in the noisier inns within the city walls. The baby lay nestled between his parents and cooed like a dove. Little Yeshua laughed each time Joseph tickled him under his chin. The young carpenter was bursting with pride; he knew the baby was beginning to recognize him.

Mary smiled at the duo. She looked up at the wondrous firmament above her, staring at the Lord’s handiwork while she thanked him for blessing her so. What more could she ask for in life than to have such a precious son, and a truly loving pious husband. Their family unit seemed so natural; she sometimes forgot who Jesus actually was.

That night, Mary apologized to her son’s true father just in case she wasn’t properly acknowledging their son’s divine origin. She thought that she saw the stars glisten brighter when she finished her prayer. The young mother took it as a sign that her son’s Heavenly Father approved of the way she was raising their son.

The following day, Joseph and his family, using the bridge that spanned the Kidron Valley, passed through the Golden Gate and entered the fabulous temple compound. The morning air was rather crisp, so Mary held her son pressed tightly against her bosom with her veil draped over him to shield him from the cold. The minute they passed through the huge archway, the baby lifted his head and raised his arms, pushing away the veil covering him. Jesus strained his head forward as his eyes darted about. It was as if he knew where he was and wanted to see the place where the name of his true Father dwelled.

Joseph told Mary to enter through the gate that was called Beautiful and wait for him in the Court of Women. As she and the babe passed through the ornate bronze entryway to the temple, her husband went to the vendors located in the two-storied section within the Court of Gentiles known as the Royal Stoa. There he purchased two turtledoves—the prescribed sacrifice of the poor.

As Mary entered the sacred place and gazed at the marvelous edifice, a pious elderly man named Simeon approached her. The Spirit of the God of Israel was upon him and had directed him to go to the Temple that day. It was revealed to the old man that he would not experience death until he had seen the Anointed of the Lord, the Christ.

When Joseph returned to his family with two turtledoves, he was shocked to see Simeon holding Yeshua high above his head. The carpenter knew that aged man could barely walk, yet there he was dancing around as if he was a young agile mountain stag. He had lifted Mary’s son up above his head for all the worshipers of the God of Israel to see as he jubilantly danced around.

Fearing that the old man might drop his son, Joseph limped along as fast as he could to scold Simeon and command him to give the child back to his mother. When the carpenter neared the group and was about to admonish the old man, Joseph stopped dead in his tracks when he heard what Simeon was singing. As the aged man joyfully danced around, he broke into song:

"Lord, now I can die in peace;

For I have seen him, your Salvation, as you promised me I would.

And the eyes of people everywhere will see him.

For he is the light that will shine upon the nations.

He is the glory of your people Israel."

The young couple marveled at Simeon’s words. After blessing the trio, he leaned forward and whispered into Mary’s ear, This child is destined to be rejected by many in Israel, and this will be their undoing. But to many others, he will be their greatest joy. And the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul too.

Joseph was concerned about what the old man had whispered to his wife; for as Simeon finished speaking, the carpenter could see the light that had gleamed so brilliantly in his wife’s beautiful eyes now seemed to dim a bit. He’d have to ask her what the prophet had whispered to her.

As the couple thanked Simeon for his blessing, Anna, an eighty-four year old prophetess who had been widowed only seven years after her marriage, came shuffling up to the little group. She was constantly at the temple worshiping day and night while she fasted and prayed. Simeon previously had shared the prophecy that the Holy Spirit had given him concerning the child with the elderly woman. When she saw Simeon dancing and heard his joyful canticle, she knew the baby he held was the Child of Promise

Anna raised her arms high above her head and loudly thanked and praised the God of Jacob. She went throughout the temple complex telling the worshipers about the child to whoever looked forward to the deliverance of God’s chosen people. The worshipers didn’t believe the old woman when she pointed to the limping carpenter as being the father of the Chosen One. Their Messiah, when he came, would be of noble birth, a son of David, their former historic beloved king who was the Apple of God’s Eye. He wouldn’t come from a family that was so impoverished that they couldn’t even purchase a lamb for the sacrifice required by the Law of Moses.

Mary went to the pool to be purified as the Law required while her husband entered the temple proper, carrying Yeshua in his arms. Joseph approached the Court of Priests to present the coins required as the redemption price for a firstborn son that was mandated by God, and the turtledoves for Mary’s purification. He was surprised to see that Elizabeth’s husband was the priest on duty.

Zechariah graciously accepted Joseph’s offerings and blessed the baby. He then sacrificed the doves in accordance with the prescribed ritual. As the carpenter was about to return to the inner court where only Jewish men were allowed to worship, Zechariah grabbed hold of his shoulder. He asked the young father to wait for a moment.

When the priest had finished with his next sacrifice, he told Joseph that Elizabeth and their son, John, knowing that it was Mary’s son’s presentation, had also come to Jerusalem. They were staying at a house in the upper city reserved for priests on temple duty. He gave Joseph directions and told him Elizabeth would be expecting them. When the carpenter would tell his wife about seeing her cousin again, she would be overjoyed.

Mary’s clothing was still damp from passing through the pool of the waters of purification. She barely towel dried her body before she dressed. The teenager was concerned that her husband had been standing far too long while holding her son. She noticed how badly he was limping. Mary was worried about his knee.

When his wife reached him, Joseph was reluctant to give the child back to his mother. He basked with pride, for he now felt a true filial relationship with the baby. For according to the Law of Moses, he had paid the purchase price for redeeming a firstborn son from the Lord. Yeshua now belonged to him too.

Mary finally convinced her husband to give the child to her. She could see the pain on Joseph’s face while he stood there with the added weight of her son. They then headed toward the wealthiest part of the city to the house where Elizabeth was temporarily lodging.

When Zechariah came home, he insisted that the trio stay until the following morning; so the young couple and Mary’s son spent the night with their host. The house they stayed in was just a short distance away from the monumental hillside palace of the madman, King Herod the Great.

Both of the couples once again found it very humorous, for wherever the babies were placed on the earthen bed, little John would roll toward Yeshua and just stare at him. In the morning, just as the sun rose and painted the sky in rose-colored hues, Joseph and his family left for Bethlehem.

That same morning, before Zechariah returned to the temple to commence his priestly duties, he said to his wife, You’ll never believe what the prophetess Anna was telling everyone in the temple compound yesterday. When Elizabeth asked what she had said, Zechariah replied, She was telling everyone Joseph’s son was the Messiah. Isn’t that incredible? Elizabeth said nothing. Zechariah thought it was very odd that his wife didn’t comment on the absurdity.

That evening as Zechariah left the temple, he saw the prophetess Anna walking behind a corpse in