JOY ALONG THE WAY: A LETTER FROM ANNA TO RACHEL

Jerusalem Nisan, 3790

Dear Rachel:

I hope this message reaches you in Bethsaida before you and your family start for Jerusalem for the Passover. I'm sending it by Daniel who is coming your way.

I would encourage you to come down by way of the Jordan Valley rather than through Samaria as you sometimes do.

It seems especially dangerous in Samaria these days. There are so many rocky places and brush-lined wadies for thieves and robbers to hide behind and spring on you quickly, especially if you don't come in a large caravan.

Not only are the Samaritans unfriendly, there are such sharp lines drawn even amongst our own people about this Nazarene from Galilee called Jesus. I wonder if he is the one I wrote to you about a long time ago? Remember? There was this lad found in the Temple, astonishing the priests with his knowledge of the Scriptures. That lad's name was also Jesus. And even longer ago than that there were those strange tales coming out of Bethlehem about a baby named Jesus that caused Herod to do awful things.

Have you kept my letters all these years? I've kept every one of yours. They are in a little olive wood chest Jonathan made, all carved with pomegranates and olive leaves.

Every day, now, when I go to the well to fill my water jars there are many women there who guardedly repeat things they've heard their husbands say. Marion says her husband, Eliniah, fears there might be trouble this year because High priest Caiaphas and his father-in-law Annas are jealous of this Nazarene's power with the people. Eliniah works at the prison here in Jerusalem and he says even the prisoners speak of coming trouble. One wonders how they know. I suppose new ones are thrown into jail every week and tell the others the latest news.

There is one prisoner in there called Barabbas. He is in for murder. He does not participate in a game they have going on in the jail. All the prisoners, so says Eliniah, know about the custom of releasing a prisoner every Passover and they bet their bread for one day on who they think might be released this year. No one bets it will be Barrabas. I wonder who does choose the one to be released. Do you suppose they cast lots, or just choose the one whose crime seems not so horrible?

Many of our people have already arrived here for the Passover. Olivet and the Kedron Valley are lit up at dusk with many campfires and there is a pleasant scent of woodsy smoke combined with the fig trees which are now in bloom. Some are even showing a little early fruit.

I suppose word has spread that perhaps something extraordinary is going to happen this year and they've come to see. I think it is hypocritical to come for that purpose rather than to solely celebrate our people's freedom from the yoke of the Egyptians so many years ago. Still, the many campfires on Mt. Olive and in the valley are pretty at early dusk. One can almost describe them as stars fallen from heaven in celebration of our Festival.

I sit on the roof and look at the fires and other lights n the city. Songs from the camps come drifting softly across the valley. Sometimes I can make out some of the words from the Scriptures, "How lovely is thy dwelling place . . . my soul longs. . . my heart sings . . ." It is peaceful in spite of the rumors and my heart does sing.

Don't bother to bring anything unless it be a gift for the Temple. We will purchase our paschal lamb and I will make the unleavened bread.

Shalom Anna

REJOICE!

~Jean Bell Mosley is an author and longtime columnist for the Southeast Missourian.