Johann Quisumbing

An Adventure Story of Yeshua bar Yosef by JQuisumbing

The next day, they arrived at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee. Yeshua said his farewells to Yair and his family at the crossroads. The merchant and his wagons were heading north to Damascus. 

“Rabbi, look!” Yohanen said pointing. They were standing on a small knoll covered with yellowish grass looking towards the great lake. Yeshua looked down the shoreline about two miles, where the lake water feeds the Jordan. Twenty or so boats were beached or anchored just off shore. “My brother, Iakob, might be there.”

When they came close, they approached a group of fishermen around a fire sharing a noontime meal and swapping stories. Andraus recognized several of them from his village in Bethsaida. There were other fishermen that hailed from other parts of the sea. Two, in particular, were from Magdala and they were jokingly describing the rantings of a local witch woman.

“Oh, we saw her howling at the moon like a wild animal,” said one. That brought laughter.

“Well, I do not know about that,” said the other. “I have seen her talking to herself several times. But that is not the worst of it, I swear that there were different voices coming out of her mouth.”

As the conversation continued about this deranged woman. An image of her tortured self pleading for peace came clearly into his mind. 

“Rabbi? Ah, rabbi?…” It was Yohanen’s voice. Yeshua blinked, not catching what he said.

“I am sorry, Yohanen. I was deep in thought. What were you saying?”

“One of my abba’s boats is here and they are ready to leave for Bethsaida,” he said.

“Yohanen, you go on ahead on that boat and ask your abba for a place that I may lay my head.” He turned to Andraus and told him to talk to one of the fishermen from Magdala if they could ride with him.

“Rabbi, where will you go?” asked Yohanen

“To meet a witch.”

---

Andraus whistled and was waving his arms. He was some distance away. The villagers had told them that the witch was living some two miles from the village in a hovel at the end of a dried gulley. But they encountered three old gulleys, so they split up.  Yeshua was about to check out the third one when he heard Andraus’ signal. When he joined him, he pointed at footprints which were clearly made by a woman. 

“This gully seems to go a long way in,” he said.

“Come. Let us follow her prints.” 

The gully zigzagged between two hills for about half a mile. As they traced her steps, the sidewalls eventually rose above their heads. At times the gully narrowed  making them walk single file.

“Rabbi, is this really a good idea? She might be violent or even cast a spell at us?” 

“I think not. The villagers had said that they had no fear of being attacked by her. She seems to have skills with herb lores. Some had even gone to her for poultice and liniments, at least, during her lucid periods.”

“But still, Rabbi…”

“Do not be afraid, Andraus,” Yeshua said amusedly. He turned to face him. “Now, listen carefully. You will go ahead of me, for I want to first observe her and not reveal myself. Keep her talking and do not show your fear; stand your ground.”

The gulley opened up into a wide enclosed dead-end circle with eight feet tall walls. Strewn everywhere were river rocks, broken tree trunks and branches. At the top edge of one side was a stubby tree with thick exposed roots, some woven themselves in and out through the wall and some dangled down onto the gully floor. And built right under it is a makeshift hut of stone and dead branches. There was an entry port but no door. Instead, it was covered by a tattered curtain, the fabric color of which long faded away. 

“Come no closer!” said a deep voice. “What do you seek?”

“Are… are you whom the villagers call Te…  ta… Tzila?” stammered Andraus.

“Weee… have many names…” she cackled. The curtain parted and she slowly came out on all four limbs like a spider. Her hair was jet black and was frizzled out so much that only her jaw and mouth can be seen. “For weee are many…  hee hee hee!”

“Shalom, Tzila,” Andraus greeted.

“Peace!” she screeched contemptuously. She slowly stood on her feet. “What do you know of it?!” Then her voice changed to a softer teary feminine tone. “There is no peace in me. There have not been for a very long time…” she sobbed.

“Stop that sniveling!” snarled a masculine voice.

“Who are you?” asked Andraus.

“I am Yitzhak, the bold! I keep this wretch in line.”

“How many are you?”

Another voice spoke, “Oh, we are seven! Well, there is an eight but we keep her subdued, most times.” 

She turned away, but then the curve of her back became quite feminine. She tossed her head and turned again to face Andraus. This time her entire face is exposed. She seemed to be in her early forties but by her strewed hair, the bags under her eyes and the lines from the corners of her lips, she looked older. However, there was still beauty there and it was seductively looking at Andraus.

“Greetings, I am Rani,” she reaches out an alluring hand. “What is it that you seek? I truly hope that it is me.” As she said this, she took a step closer and was unlacing her front.” 

Yeshua stepped from his hiding place behind Andraus. “Hold!”

The woman’s eyes opened wide in recognition. She screamed in fear, but what came out from her mouth was not the voice of a woman but a cacophony of harsh voices. 

“What will you do to us, Son of…?”

“Stop!” He commanded. “Come out of her!”

The woman screamed and clutched the side of her head, then she collapsed onto the ground. Then her breathing steadied and her head came up as if trying to listen for something.

Yeshua then bent down to help her up. He said gently, “They are gone, Mariam of Magdala. You are free of them for good.”

Mariam looked up at him, “I… I have not heard… my name for so long.” Then tears started to flow freely and she sobbed like a little child. After a while, her eyes widened again in realization. She bowed her head at his feet and said, “I heard their thoughts. They called you the Son of Adonai.”

“You are the One!” exclaimed Andraus who too was going down on his knees. 

“Hold, Andraus.” He helped Mariam to her feet. “Mariam, go into your hut. Collect the things you will need.” She looked at him with surprise in her eyes, then rushed into her hut.

“Master, is she coming with us?”

“Mariam has no family and she has been chained in this place way too long. Now, Andraus. I must ask you not to make known what you have… ahem… discovered.”

“But why master? We have waited for so long. With all the things happening in our lives; the Romans, Herod, even our own leadership make it hard for us…”

“Andraus, I am not what you think. And my time has not yet come.”

Half an hour later, Mariam emerged from the hut and they almost did not recognize her. She was modestly veiled and she wore the cleanest garment she had. She carried a bundle and Yeshua noticed several herbal sprigs sticking out. 

“Well, those will come in handy,” he said, laughing a little. “Come! Andraus’ brother awaits.”

Footnotes: 

Character names – Adonai [God]; Yeshua [Jesus]; Yohanen [John]; Iacob [James]; Andraus [Andrew]; Mariam [Mary]

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