1 It was quite the collection of people going up to Jerusalem that morning. There were merchants like me. Then there were a few families who just wanted the security of Herod s protection. Fortunately, there were no little ones running around for this trip. All in all, maybe a couple of dozen people. We stood in front of the winter palace. It was south of the city, and it was built high enough to look down on New Jericho, which sat in the middle of a wide plain. Abigail was in line with me. We were close, arms around the other s waist, warming each other, saying nothing. Her head rested on my shoulder. Then she looked up at me with her bright dancing grey eyes. Tell me again, Keefay, why our city is called New Jericho. Well, I said with some self-importance, the 5
The Road: The Untold Story of The Good Samaritan original Jericho that Joshua conquered is way over there, I explained, pointing to a location several miles away. And it was important to conquer Jericho first because the Israelites needed the water from the spring, she continued. I thought I was supposed to be teaching you. I said. There was merriment in her eyes. I pay attention, she teased back. Well, since you pay such good attention, you know that Jericho was the important military objective because without water, the Israelites couldn t survive. And that s why it was the first city in the long campaign 9 to secure the land God gave to Abraham, 10 she said, finishing my sentence for me. You know me so well. You love the story, she said. I did love the story. And the place. As a boy, I d run over to what was left of the old ruins and 9 This military objective isn t explained in the Bible. You only discover it when examining an atlas of that time period showing the caravan trade routes. See the NIV Atlas of The Bible and other atlases for more information. 10 Says Joshua 1:4 NIV, Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates--all the Hittite country--to the Great Sea on the west. 6
explore. How do you describe the excitement of standing where a miracle took place? There at those old ruins was a place where God had acted on behalf of Israel. It was so exciting to me that early one morning, I skipped my chores and ran to the old ruins. Grabbing a big stick for a sword, I stood before what looked like the gates of the city. Silently I walked all the way around Old Jericho, just like Joshua s army. Inside, my heart beat with excitement. I did that for six days in a row. Then on the seventh day, I did exactly what Joshua s army had done. I walked around the entire city seven times. Blowing a horn I had brought with me, I screamed a warrior s shout. And with my imaginary sword in hand, I ran straight into Jericho pretending that the walls were falling as I battled my way in. I fought and fought and fought until my father found me and dragged me home to do the chores I had avoided for days. 11 I remembered how Joshua had put a curse on anyone who would even attempt to rebuild Jericho. Joshua s words were so majestic and powerful. I 11 Once the Israelites crossed the Jordan under Joshua s command, God s supernatural provision of manna ended. From that point forward, they lived off the land. 7
The Road: The Untold Story of The Good Samaritan loved repeating them, especially when I held up my imaginary sword before the entire Israelite army. Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay it s foundations; at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates. 12 Joshua s curse was taken seriously. Even though the battle had taken place centuries before, the merchants didn t want to risk what might happen if they disobeyed Joshua s warning. So to be safe, they rebuilt New Jericho a few miles over. This area has so much history, I said to Abigail. And you love history. I love history. And there was so much of it here, especially behind me, since the winter palace had once belonged to Cleopatra. It was my father who had taught me this sad piece of living history, which many in our valley still remembered. It involved Caesar Augustus, Caesar s best friend the Roman general Marc Antony, King Herod, and Cleopatra. Shortly after Herod had been made King by 12 Joshua 6:26 8
unanimous vote of the Roman senate, Antony later took the area away from him, including our orange groves, and gave it to Cleopatra. For nearly five years Cleopatra ruled the entire Jordan Valley with Herod having to rent his homes from her! Meanwhile, the storytellers around the campfire told how Antony was having an affair with Cleopatra. Some said that when Antony was away on business, Cleopatra, hungry for more power, tried to seduce Herod, but that Herod had wisely declined. Eventually, Antony and Cleopatra rebelled against Rome to set up their own kingdom 13 causing Caesar Augustus to dispatch the Roman navy to fight them at Actium, off the coast of Greece by the Ionian Sea. It was a fierce battle with 5000 men dying that day. Seeing that defeat was inevitable, Cleopatra and 60 of her warships deserted Antony and fled back to Egypt. Marc Antony, making a fool of himself over Cleopatra, then deserted his men, and followed her. And Herod? Well, my father used to tell me, the old fox had picked the wrong side by backing Antony and 13 The tragic story, filled with practical leadership lessons for today, can be found in Plutarch s Lives. 9
The Road: The Untold Story of The Good Samaritan Cleopatra. But before Caesar attacked Egypt to end their rebellion, Herod, being the bold fellow, took off his crown and sailed to Rhodes to meet with Caesar Augustus to find if he would be killed or kept as king. There he asked Caesar to evaluate him, not on whose friend he had been, but on how good a friend he had been. My father explained that even though Herod had sided with Antony, Caesar Augustus, admiring Herod s guts, courage, and long term value to the Roman Empire, gave New Jericho and the surrounding area back to him. Because of the grace he had received from Caesar Augustus, Herod became a loyal, lifelong supporter of Rome. Though I certainly didn t agree with all that Herod did, still, in all my life, I could never imagine being as bold as him. So, with New Jericho and the orange groves back in his territory, and with Rome s financial support, Herod began a massive building program. And the first thing he did was to remove every trace of Cleopatra s existence by remaking her palace into his new winter palace. Which is probably why, when all is said and done, New Jericho became the winter capitol. So now, there was this beautiful new fortress spanning both sides of another stream that flowed 10
down from the hills called the Wadi Qilt. It was magnificent. Standing with Abigail, I turned my head and looked around our valley. It was really something to live in an area that had so much history. I felt like every rock had its own story to tell. And today, I d be following behind Herod himself who had played such an important role in that history. I was excited and nervous. One dreams about talking with his king and what the king might say or think of him in response. I heard a noise behind me. Looking back, I watched the stable doors open. Out came a Legionnaire called a tubicen. 14 He carried a long horn about two cubits long, 15 called a tuba. Raising the horn to his lips, he sounded assembly. It was a piercing sound. Then came a reduced cohortes equitate, a combined unit of cavalry and infantry. We would proceed in one long column in a formation King Herod modeled after Caesar. 14 There were two types of Roman horns. One was the tuba as described here, and the other was called the cornu. Despite what you may think from watching old John Wayne movies about the American West, the U.S. Cavalry was not the first to have a bugler. 15 Based on the Roman cubit of 18. 11
The Road: The Untold Story of The Good Samaritan First came the Roman cavalry with their baggage behind them. Next came the Legionnaires, then King Herod and his private, hand-picked, guard, followed by more cavalry, the baggage (carried mostly by donkeys), and finally, us. I looked up and watched King Herod ride to his position in the column. Though older now, he still looked fit and regal on his horse. He even had a Roman sword tucked into his belt. One thing about Herod. He might have been Idumean, 16 and not a Jew like me, but when the time came, he wouldn t go down without a fight. A centurion rode back to our group and gave us the rules. While on the march, we were to stay back behind the column by about 50 yards. Those of us on foot, he advised, should watch carefully where we put our feet as he couldn t guarantee what might drop down. I got the picture. The centurion barked out a few more rules, then turned and galloped back to the head of the column. 16 One of the problems Israelites had with Herod being King, was that he wasn t Jewish. Born in approximately 73BC, Herod s father Antipater was an Idumean, while his mother was a princess from Nabatea (today part of Jordan). Herod could only have been considered Jewish if his mother had been Jewish. Herod s father was ultimately appointed Procurator of Judea and in 25BC, Herod was made Governor over Galilee. 12
The tubicen sounded the horn again and everyone snapped to attention. It was time to move out. Then the head centurion, raising his right arm, cried out, Legionnaires! Forrrrwarrrrd! And so the whole column began to move. It s not too late to change your mind, Abigail said, looking into my eyes. I have to go. I gave her one last hug and a slow kiss, and then we were off. I hadn t gone more than a few paces when I began wishing I was back home already. 13