The Return of the Galilean: A Novel

By John Clark Smith

In a fragmented, divisive, and secular world, a follower of John the Baptist miraculously appears to continue the mission he had pursued in the ancient world. As his journey unfolds, he visits many of the world's leaders to warn them of a coming transformation. Though they ignore him, the popularity of his message grows. At the same time, a young woman starts her own mission through inspirational speeches, railing against the leaders of our society and their lack of spiritual life. The two join together to bring on the coming transformation, but numerous enemies attack them and try to prevent their work.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Release date: Jan 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9781666754414

John Clark Smith

John Clark Smith graduated from Syracuse University, Duke University and the University of Toronto. Since 2016, he has released Taking Action, a collection of his published short stories, the novella Orange Dawn around the theme of climate change, and recently a long philosophical poem, “Reality.” Prior to 2016, his studies of Origen of Alexandria and Charles Peirce were released, as well as several scholarly articles.

Book preview

The Return of the Galilean

A Novel

by

John Clark Smith

THE RETURN OF THE GALILEAN

A Novel

Copyright ©

2023

John Clark Smith. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers,

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Resource Publications

An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers

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8

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paperback isbn: 978-1-6667-5439-1

hardcover isbn: 978-1-6667-5440-7

ebook isbn: 978-1-6667-5441-4

Table of Contents

Title Page

Part I: The Galilean

1

2

3

4

5

Part II: Elli, Gabriella, and Philip

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

*

15

16

Part III: Jerusalem

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

—

Isaiah 56:7

(Jewish Publication Society Bible)

At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices.

—

Luke 13:1

(New Revised Standard Version Updated

2021

)

This man is one of them. But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter: Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.

—

Mark 14:69–70

(New Revised Standard Version Updated

2021

)

And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind…And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, Are not all these who speak Galileans?

—

Acts 2:2, 6–7

(New Revised Standard Version Updated

2021

)

A certain Galilean, whose name was Judas, prevailed with his countrymen to revolt, and said they were cowards if they would endure to pay a tax to the Romans and would after God submit to mortal men as their lords. This man was a teacher of a peculiar sect of his own and was not at all like the rest of their leaders.

—

Josephus

, War of the Jews, Book

2

, Chapter

8

, Section

1

But of the fourth sect, Judas the Galilean was the author. These men say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord. They also do not value dying any kinds of death.

—

Josephus

, Antiquities of the Jews, Book

18

, Chapter

1

, Sections

6

Part I: The Galilean

1

His quiet and contemplative vigil outside the Kabbalah Center in Safed, Israel, went unnoticed for a few days. People walked by and looked at him as someone who was simply relaxing. Tourists asked for directions. On a rare occasion someone spoke to him and mentioned the variety of birds that would invariably make their short visits near or hover above him. Others might also ask him who he was, and he would say,

I’m a Galilean.

He was a Galilean, but he was not from modern Galilee. He belonged to an ancient group of first century rebels who tried to defeat the Romans and return Palestine to a spiritual Kingdom with God as King. But no one pressed him or at first wondered or cared who he was or why he was there. They seemed unsurprised to see such a man on the curb.

But after a week, locals walking in those streets realized that he was not only resting. A few stopped longer to chat with him and ask him if he was a Kabbalist. He replied that he had perused and contemplated their books, but he knew much less about Kabbalah than the men inside and recommended they seek their answers inside. He was hoping one of the teachers would come out to speak to him. When asked why he did not enter the Center and talk to them inside, he said,

I have no time to study. I seek people to accompany me on a journey to Jerusalem to establish the Kingdom of God and to prepare for judgment, and I thought this would be a good place to start. I have communicated this to them. Who better than those who know the deep things of the Lord?

This answer was unusual enough to prevent further conversation and to keep most people at a distance. This poor man, they thought, needs treatment.

On the first day of his third week outside the Kabbalah Center, two women joined him: One, who had previously walked by him several times without a word, was bent from carrying a heavy bag. Now she sat down beside him, pushed her bag behind her, put her arm around his shoulders and told him she would stay as long as necessary.

This is no place for a man like you, she whispered. But don’t worry. We’ll have plenty to eat. My bag’s filled with roots and herbs and there’s a soup kitchen nearby. My children have deserted me, so I won’t leave you. They say I’m a burden and deserve whatever happens to me. I’m tired of hearing them complain about me.

What have you done? he inquired. Have you hurt them?

Oh no, she said. I’m a gentle woman. It’s an old story. They want my money.

Do you know my journey?

She nodded.

Then you’re welcome to join me, he replied.

On the same day, in the late afternoon, another woman, with a bruise on the side of her face and right arm in a sling, on her way back to a woman’s shelter, sat down to rest on the other side of him. Against the advice of the counselors, she had left the shelter and returned to her husband. The husband was angry she had gone to the shelter and abused her again.

How are you now? the Galilean asked her.

I’m alone, she replied. But I’m free.

He explained his journey to her.

May I join you? she asked.

He welcomed her.

Each day from then on, when he returned at dawn to his spot before the Center, these two women, one homeless, Yeshiva, the other abused, Paula, were already present. They both had spent the night at the woman’s shelter.

The police visited him twice on their own, once on patrol and once called by the Center. They decided he was a harmless dreamer. In the fourth week they returned, again from a request of the Center, this time with a mental health specialist. The specialist called him an idealist and dreamer, but judged him harmless and lucid, the same conclusion as the police psychologist.

By this point, he had become a curiosity to the locals but not yet to the media. Small crowds of people, whose number changed hourly, would gather for a look, as if there had been an accident. Their curiosity resulted mostly from the presence of so many birds. Unfortunately, his reason for being there, his mission, did not yet seem to arouse the curiosity of the people inside the Center.

*

During the fourth week, one day at noon, a limousine stopped. The window of the limousine opened and a commanding female voice from inside called out to him, as if she had thought about his vigil for some time:

Why do you cause this disturbance and attract such attention? Haven’t the police told you to leave? You place the street and the Center in danger.

The police have come and gone, he replied quietly. I’m simply waiting for the men of wisdom within to talk to me.

Of course you are, you foolish man, she replied. But they think you’re making a spectacle in front of their hallowed and mystic palace of wisdom.

But I make no protest, I harm no person, and I make no noise. The police find no fault in my actions. I know there are people inside who will help me.

Why talk to them? They’re just a bunch of beards and intellectuals studying esoteric words with little bearing on your world. I can take you to those who can help you.

I disagree. Their work is important. They seek wisdom and I seek wise people to join me in my work. Can you help me?

What kind of wisdom? Wisdom of the world or wisdom about divine matters?

He laughed.

Perhaps wisdom is not the right word. I seek those who can see both within and beyond the world and are ready for a new relationship with God.

A laugh came from within the car.

Ah, so you’re a fanatic, a zealot. In this world, my poor ignorant friend, wisdom itself is seeking anyone who will listen.

She then stepped out of the car. Her appearance for a moment startled him. Dressed in colorful and eye-catching clothes, as if ready to attend some important and stylish event, with jewelry on her arms and neck and every hair carefully placed above her sunglasses, her presence glittering in the sunlight, she slowly walked toward where he sat as if she was modeling her clothes. Her visage moved in and out of his sight because of the glare from her jewelry.

I’m Ruth, she said, gently grabbing his arm, come with me, my confused fellow. I’ll take you to a group who’ll appreciate your quest and give you safety. Here, there’s only martyrdom.

I thank you, he said, removing her hand, but I’ll wait until one of these most revered mystics inside wants to join me.

She gestured to her driver to drive off and park the car on a nearby street. Two men, her bodyguards, walked over and stood on each side of her. She sat down beside Yeshiva and Paula. Several people in the crowd recognized her. She was Ruth Tillman, a famous Israeli movie star known not only for her movie career but also for her charitable work for several causes.

A teacher, a senior member of the Center staff, along with a younger student, came outside, worried not only about this troublemaker—as the staff members were labeling him—but also about the security risk.

A television station sent a team down to cover the protest, as they called it, but, in truth, to film Miss Tillman.

Not long after Ruth sat down, more people, police, media, and then, a group of soldiers arrived. The presence of a famous actress was creating a small sensation, not only because it was unusual to see any famous person perch herself for so long on a curbside or because the birds delighted everyone, but because the officials feared it might invite a terrorist episode. The police had visited him and deemed him harmless, but that judgment happened when he did not have a such a large crowd observing him. Now they were considering moving him away for his safety. After all, something similar had happened not too long ago in Nazareth.

A considerable group were also waiting to see what the Center would do with him. They all knew his mission. He had freely told anyone who asked.

The police approached the Center staff and demanded that they bring him and the women inside. They also explained to Miss Tillman that her bodyguards were insufficient to keep her from the kind of danger possible in this scenario.

Miss Tillman refused to leave without some focus given to the plight of the two women as well as attention to the Galilean, whose message, as she interpreted it—without his permission and without acknowledging the true reason for his vigil—was the refusal of scholars to care about the needs of the world. She told the police that if they needed to arrest her, she would not resist. The other women copied her attitude. If necessary, she confidentially explained to the police, she would address the media cameras.

The police preferred to avoid that event. She could create a difficult situation by encouraging many to come to Safed to protest with her.

The police and army temporarily backed off and stood guard. They created a barrier of officers as a shield around the area—with the bystanders now outside the shield—blocked the passageways leading to the Center, preventing the crowd from growing, and watched for any suspicious act or hint of trouble. They were also encouraging the Center to help in some way so that the troublemaker would leave or go within the Center.

Sir, may we invite you inside? the Kabbalist teacher asked politely, several hundred watching in person, and many more on the television. Because of the crowds, authorities will soon remove you.

Do you know who I am? the Galilean asked.

Other than being a Galilean, no, none of us know who you are, the Kabbalist replied. Do you know who we are?

Are you not one of those, he calmly asked without looking at him, who know and study the mystic literature in detail, so that not even a letter of scripture escapes your research?

We are, sir, or at least we try, but much escapes us.

How true what you say! he said standing. You read, you study, you contemplate, but much escapes you. As Shakespeare said, Light seeking light doth light of light beguile."

What light do we not see? the Kabbalist asked curiously.

Though the teacher of the Kabbalah had appeared humble and open to his comments, he also realized that perhaps the Galilean could attract attention to the Center, invite people to register for courses, enrol in their school, become donors, or offer other support. He could lure customers while he debated the troublemaker. No doubt, he thought, the Galilean could easily be unmasked with a few direct questions.

The light within you, the Galilean answered. We may search the scripture for answers, but we must also know the light within us, the light of the spirit. I sat outside your gate in need of speaking to you, seeking companions, but you seemed afraid of the street, afraid of what or who was outside your building. You must do to yourself what you do to scripture: You must search for answers. In this we must all follow Hillel.

The mention of the ancient renowned teacher and leader was, based on their expressions, clearly unexpected—though there would have been little surprise if the Kabbalist knew the Galilean came from an era much closer to the time of Hillel.

There was a long pause before the Kabbalist replied.

Hillel? The Kabbalist queried. What has Hillel to do with this?

I can assure you, if he was alive, he and I would be sitting together on this curb, and he would be talking to you while I would listen, because, like you, he too had great knowledge of the scripture.

Hillel isn’t here, the Kabbalist said, his tone now becoming more defensive after these comments about Hillel. By what authority do you advise us and try to teach us how to behave?

No authority. I applaud your morals and your faith and love of scripture. But do you dismiss my words because of the person who speaks them? How can you be sure that the Lord has not approved them?

Because our authority is the Lord, the Kabbalist said firmly but with some pleasure, the Lord who speaks in scripture and in his most holy writings and commentaries. If you come inside, we can discuss this further and offer some inspiring texts.

Forgive me, the Galilean said, I don’t have time for lessons in scripture. That day has passed for me. I have a most urgent mission. ‘When clouds appear, wise men put on their cloaks.’ See the clouds and grab your cloaks. Take your wisdom to the streets and try to better your fellowman or come with me and help me bring your scripture, your texts, to life. Ready yourself for the days ahead. Join me.

While he was speaking, one of the reporters confidentially spoke to the student who had accompanied the Kabbalist:

Don’t you recognize this man? He’s the one who spoke in the Knesset recently, who sat on the steps of various holy places in Asia, who spoke out at the United States Congress, and government buildings throughout South America, Africa and Europe. There are images and videos of him on the Internet.

Then the reporter paused and whispered:

Some people have even claimed he’s the Messiah.

The student told the Kabbalist what he had heard from the reporter.

First a smile came on the lips of the Kabbalist and then together the student and he sniggered.

The student turned with an icy stare to the reporter and whispered in a sarcastic tone,

Really? The Messiah? Why then doesn’t he tell us, or better, show us?

Perhaps he expects you to know, the reporter answered. He himself hasn’t claimed he was the Messiah. Others think it.

The student smiled sardonically.

So you’re the one people say is the Messiah, are you? the Kabbalist announced, speaking quite loudly for everyone to hear. So where are your angels? Where are the fireworks, the great armies that will free us, the blessed Kingdom that will relieve us of so much misery and endless conflict?

The Kabbalist teacher shrugged his shoulders to the crowd, as if to say, ‘another fraud.’

Please stop pretending, for your safety, the Kabbalist continued. He assumed that the crowd would be as offended by the idea of him being the Messiah as the Kabbalist was. We have enough suffering and promises. Tell me this: Who do men say you really are?

I don’t know, the Galilean responded. It doesn’t matter. I’m not the Messiah or the Savior, and despite what you might have heard, I would never pretend to be. I have my work. I seek those who want to join me on my journey to Jerusalem. I am the man who prepares for judgment and seeks the Kingdom. That is my work; that is my mission.

He talks like Elli! someone in the crowd shouted.

The Kabbalist threw his hands up in the air, shaking his head at the same time.

Yes! Exactly. Thank you. Do you know who Elli is? She’s the latest online preacher! Or I should say, the latest fraud and fanatic who tries to speak with authority. She knows nothing about scripture. She just talks. See? They’re comparing you to a fraud, a fanatic, a rock star preacher. Not a great compliment, my friend.

On the contrary, the mention of the name of Elli Readig brightened his mind. Like many others, he had been following her on the Internet and the videos of her live appearances where she filled auditoriums all over the world with prophecies and warnings. Some found her speeches harsh and difficult to bear, but he, like many others, admired her courage and found her inspiring. He was anxious to meet her. Indeed, he knew he would meet her because he believed that she too was drawn to him.

Someone blared out,

Not true. Elli’s no fraud.

Elli knows these are times of great trial, the Galilean said. To compare myself to Elli is a compliment. Like Elli, I too announce the Kingdom and the Day of Judgment.

The crowd began conversing with each other about the statement from the Kabbalist, then from the man on the curb, and finally the comments about Elli. It was rare for them to hear talk of the Messiah, the Kingdom, and judgment on a street corner.

How can you speak of what men must do? the Kabbalist asked disdainfully. How do you know this? Do scripture or holy texts talk about the Kingdom and the Judgment together?

The Galilean did not wish to engage in a debate. His reluctance was not only because he was not a scholar. His scriptural knowledge certainly could not compare to the Kabbalists. But debating scripture was not his mission.

I haven’t your knowledge of scripture, he said, but in the Book of Deuteronomy it is written: `What does the Lord require of you? Fear your God, walk in all his ways, love him, serve the Lord God with all your heart and all your soul.’ And it is written in Leviticus: ‘Sanctify yourselves and be holy.’ The scripture doesn’t say we should first read scripture and then serve God. It says--

--stop! You dare quote scripture to us, the Kabbalist admonished. Have you any idea how much we serve the Lord by our study of the Word? You dare diminish the work of the Kabbalists! For hundreds of years, we’ve served the Word of the Lord!

The Kabbalist was prepared to continue his verbal attack when someone stopped him—with a knife.

2

At that moment, in retrospect surprising no one who lived in the volatile nation Israel had become, a man came up from behind the Kabbalist and held a knife to his throat. The crowd reacted together in a gasp, instinctively moved a few steps back, but remained calm.

Several police officers raised their weapons and pointed at the man. Other officers tried to circle around to apprehend him from behind, but the building blocked their passage.

I’ve heard enough! the man with the knife, sweating and nervous, said in a vicious tone, as if he had bottled it up for days. What have you or you or you or this Center ever done to stop the sufferings of my people? The other day I had my home plowed away and taken from me. I should give your people a taste of what we suffer, how we lose our land to make more settlements, how we lack water for our crops, how we lack the freedom to move around our country, how we lack full representation, and how we don’t receive a hundred other benefits that the occupiers have. Have any of you, any of you, lived inside a refugee camp?

Because the man was behind the Kabbalist, the Israeli marksmen could not be certain of a clear shot without injuring the Kabbalist. So they waited. They also waited because they recognized a desperate man seeking attention, not a murderer or a trained terrorist, and knew that several collaborators were recording the attack with phones, to post on the Internet.

Without hesitation, the Galilean immediately stood up, his hands raised with palms forward, showing he had no weapon, but creating another obstacle for the sightlines of the police, and walked straight toward the Kabbalist and the man with the knife. He stopped a few feet in front of them and stared intensely but not angrily at the man with the knife.

The Galilean held out his hand without saying a word, waiting for the man to place the knife in it. Then quietly and warmly he said words that only the Kabbalist and the attacker could hear.

Please give me the knife. Think of your family. Let us meet at the Muslim center in Nazareth. Bring your family. Trust me. There’s still time for all of us. All the people of this land will one day be united and will live as one. Israel will help you and your people.

The man hesitated, then handed him the knife and bolted into an alley beside the Center in what was clearly his backup plan. The police started down the alley after him, but he had slithered away and hid into one of the many nooks that the old town offered, into the home of someone ready to shield him.

The Galilean turned to the crowd and said in a strong voice, raising the knife in the air:

Remember what the Book of Isaiah says: ‘My house shall be for all peoples.’

The Kabbalist—his heart beating fast, his face red, sweat falling from his face, his arms shaking—slumped to his knees, closed his eyes, and began to pray. Others in the Center ran to comfort him.

Then he looked up at the figure of the Galilean.

For me this passage means, the Galilean continued to the crowd, let us not oppress others different from us. Are we all not people? Do we all not need land, water, food, and a home? Should not the house of Israel be the solace of the world?

At this statement, unexpectedly there was a great roar of affirmation from the crowd, relieved both that the incident had passed and that they were proud of their land.

We must aspire to the heart, the Galilean continued. Let Israel be an example of openness and compassion.

A reporter was taping the incident for the evening news. In a matter of hours, the Galilean became known in every place that the television could reach, more known than he already was by his visits to halls of power, where he was ignored as one among many who tried to disrupt proceedings (though later the media would call these visits bold ventures into the parliaments of the nations). On every television station, including those who supported the man with the knife, the media would portray the Galilean as a hero.

The media exposure from the knife episode was not part of his plan. He had come to the Center for one purpose. Long before this event, he had learned about the power and danger of the media. He could not prevent filming, but he declined any interviews with the media and decided that the only worthwhile use of the media was in taping real action, not in taping someone talking about real action. Elli, of course, was an exception. Her words, in his opinion, transcended action.

*

After this incident, the Kabbalist invited him and his three companions into the Center and led them to a room where they all sat with students.

A few of the students stared at him as if he was an unwelcome guest.

You are our guest, the Kabbalist said, still shaking. We thank you. Now please let me answer any questions you may have. Clearly I owe you much and will share my knowledge as best I can.

I ask, the Galilean said, "what do the mystic books, such as The Zohar, say about action?

"We are a contemplative and intellectual community. We don’t seek for ways to make social change or affect political decisions. Our goals, you might say, are transcendent and spiritual. We seek to find ways to guide the present generation of faith concerns. The Zohar or any other Kabbalist texts don’t invite us to action unless the other is in place."

Whatever approach the Kabbalist took, the Galilean probably would have agreed. He had not come to argue details about scripture or the mystic truths underlying The Zohar.

What did bother him, prior to the knife incident, was the arrogance of this Kabbalist. He had sensed in the Kabbalist and his colleagues a tinge of Pharisaic condescension and demeaning of others, and that was something he knew well and from which he could not turn away.

Please clarify, the Galilean calmly replied, why do you study?

To learn the mysteries within the scripture and within the Divine Being.

And by your studies, you will become closer to the Divine Being?

That is our hope.

How would you recognize it, should you experience or come close to the Divine Being?

This question confounded the Kabbalist. Suddenly he could not speak.

The students were watching and assumed that this guest, who had challenged their beloved teacher, had somehow made the Kabbalist mute.

The staff and some of the students angrily shouted at the Galilean,

What have you done? Who are you to question our teacher in this way? You have no right to interrupt our class. What do you know of the text?

Let us all be humble before the Word of God, the Galilean replied. Please be calm.

All but three from the Center continued to mock and encourage him to leave, calling him a magician, demon, or warlock. The Galilean’s companions—Ruth, Paula, and Yeshiva—stood beside him, worried that these students’ anger might escalate.

Three young students among the others, however, had said nothing, still amazed at what had happened to their teacher. The three surrounded him and began to question him further.

Why do you surround and stop me? the Galilean asked when he saw them. Return to your fellow students and learn from your teachers.

How did you make my teacher mute? one of the young men softly requested.

I did nothing. His own struggles created his suffering.

But you made him mute!

I’m incapable of making him mute.

But I saw what you did. No one can do that--

--I have told you why it happened. Why do you still worry about how it happened? Worry more about why it happened.

He could see that they were anxious for an explanation.

Let me explain, the Galilean said. "Two brothers were looking at the sun. The one brother said it was a god and the other brother said it was a big fiery rock.

"‘You’re mad,’ the first brother said. ‘Have you