Ishiata: Temple Slave

By Christine A. Cornell

"Ishiata" is a captivating biblical fiction novel that delves into the life of Ishiata, a resilient slave girl laboring within the hallowed walls of the temple in Jerusalem. Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous events leading up to the Crucifixion, Ishiata's narrative weaves a compelling tale around the enigmatic figure who spoke to Peter in the temple courtyard. Through a richly evocative prose and meticulous historic detail, the novel immerses readers in Ishiata's world, offering a poignant exploration of faith, courage, and the indomitable human spirit in the face of adversity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 29, 2024
• ISBN: 9798385015818

Christine A. Cornell

I have been walking with the Lord Jesus Christ since February 1976. From September 1978 through May 1982 I attended a liberal arts college and received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. I have dreamed of becoming an author since I was nine years old. That dream wasn’t submitted to the Lord until a few years ago when the slave girl on the night before the crucifixion came to life for me. -Christine Cornell

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Copyright © 2024 Christine A. Cornell.

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Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Interior image credit: Bread Image by brgfx on Freepik

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1580-1 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1581-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023924635

WestBow Press rev. date: 04/27/2024

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Introduction

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This is an account of the days leading up to the crucifixion through the eyes of slave girl named Ishita. She is a fictional character who only appears in the scriptures as a slave girl who spoke to Peter in the temple courts. I have made some conjectures on how she lived as a servant for the temple. To create the crisis of being sold into slavery, I created a servant of Herods, named Alexander. It is more likely she would have been constricted by the king as he had absolute power. Nicodemus also occurred in scripture only three times, his visit to Jesus at night, his defense of Jesus rights as the accused, and his assistance with the burial of Jesus. The rest of the actions of Nicodemus is fiction. I believe he came to believe in Christ as the Messiah but there is no supporting information I could find. His position in the temple could have been dangerous. I believe he would have had to leave the Sanhedrin because of his conversion. The use of the jar oven is also a guess. Historically, Ishiata could have used a flat oven or another type of oven. The process of making so much bread would have been difficult. I assumed people brought grain offering which were converted into unleavened bread by servants although there could have been cake offering directly from the people. There were three festivals using unleavened bread: Passover, First fruits, and Harvest. This would have kept the servant girls continually busy.

My hope is that this presentation will give believers more confidence in what they profess. I also hope many who read this come to faith in Jesus Christ as the complete sacrifice for sin.

Chapter 1

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A mother and daughter walked through the marketplace in the city of Bethsaida. Dina, the mother, was gathering herbs and spices from the merchants. Ishiata, the daughter, carried the flour for the bread that day. After they returned home, Dina prepared the goat for roasting. Dina called to Ishiata to get a jar of water from the well. This is the best time of day because there are no shepherds at the well, said Dina.

Yes mama, said Ishiata as she took the jar. It was hot in the afternoon sun but there was a breeze, so the heat was not oppressive. Ishiata drew the bucket from the well and pored the water into the jar. She saw a flock of sheep coming down from the hills outside the village. She hurried home because she did not want to be found alone at the well by the shepherds. She had seen a young woman at the well by herself on day. That woman was not watching for the shepherds coming down the hill to water their sheep. The shepherds took the young woman’s jar and demanded that she water their sheep. She was working hard to obey when the men began hugging and caressing her. The men called her temptress and a loose woman. The woman ran home without the jar. Her father came out of the house and dragged her inside. Ishiata had heard the girl was to be married in a few weeks. The wedding never took place and the young girl disappeared from the village.

It is not right for a young woman to be by the well alone, one old woman said.

"You should come when the other women of the village