Chapter 12 - Preparing for a Big Adventure

 As they ate their last evening meal before the journey ahead of them, Rebekah was still confused about why they were going to Bethlehem.  “Father, I thought we were supposed to be counted in our homeland.  Isn’t that here in Nain, where we have our olive groves?” asked Rebekah. She knew that when a Roman census took place, citizens were asked to return to the place where they owned land, in order to be counted. Rebekah had never been to Bethlehem before so it didn’t make any sense to her that they would have to travel so far.

“I know it seems odd to you,” her father replied, “but Jewish custom allows us to return to the home of our ancestors for a census, and the Roman rulers have agreed to our request.  You know what house we belong to, right?”


“Yes, Father.  We’re from the house of David.” Rebekah answered. “But David was a great king.  Why aren’t we going to Jerusalem for the census? Surely that’s where David lived.”


Daniel liked how curious his daughter was. “David set up Jerusalem as his home when he was the king, but he was born elsewhere.” he said.


“Bethlehem! David was born in Bethlehem!” Rebekah exclaimed.  Now she understood why they had to make the journey to Bethlehem.  It was the first home of David.


“Yes he was, Rebekah.” Daniel said. “And a few days from now you will see it, too. Now let’s finish getting your things ready for the journey, and get a good night’s sleep. We have to get started in the morning if we’re going to make it to Bethlehem on schedule.”


Rebekah and her mother cleaned up after the meal, while Imhotep searched for morsels that may have been dropped.  He found a few olives, but sniffed at them once, and turned away quickly. He had gotten quite a taste for the dried fish that he was given on special occasions.  Daniel went outside and helped load up the cart he would be taking on the trip.  He and his brothers had decided their families would travel separately to Bethlehem based on what they were taking and how many members there were in each of their households.



After a good night’s sleep, Daniel, Esther and Rebekah loaded a donkey with a small travel pack and all of the food they necessary for the trip. Daniel also decided to take a cart full of olive oil, grain and olives to trade, since there would be many people coming to Bethlehem from all over the region. Imhotep was already waiting for them in the cart.  He seemed eager to begin their travels and he meowed impatiently.


“Are you excited for our big adventure, Imhotep?” Rebekah asked her new best friend as she climbed into the cart beside him. Imhotep let out another meow, crawling onto her lap and curling up, finding a comfortable spot to rest.


“On to Bethlehem!” Daniel eagerly proclaimed, patting the ox on its side to set it in motion, while leading the donkey by its bridle as he walked beside the trundling cart.


Next: The Journey Begins

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chapter 21 - A Disappointing Surprise

Image
  After Mary and Joseph disappeared into the crowd, Daniel gathered with Esther and Rebekah to make plans for the rest of the day. His brothers had most likely arrived in Bethlehem by this time, and they had said that they would arrange for lodging. Daniel asked Esther to take Rebekah and connect with their other family members while he would take the cart full of goods to the market area to trade. Rebekah scooped up Imhotep, fearing that her cat would easily get lost in the crowds if left to move about on his own. Imhotep squirmed a bit at first, but as the noise of the crowds increased, he seemed to settle in. The trio went from building to building, until they finally met up with the rest of their family from Nain, who had arrived two days earlier. “It’s great to see you all!” Esther said to her family members gathered in the packed courtyard outside of a small inn. “The journey took us a little longer than we thought.  Our donkey was quite stubborn in the early days of the trip, sl
Read more

Chapter 24 - A Gift for a King

Image
  “Did you say the Messiah has been born in Bethlehem?” Daniel asked the excited shepherds. “Yes! Yes!” the shepherds quickly responded. “The angel said we would find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. We must go and see this thing that has happened.” The shepherds who had been sleeping swiftly threw on their robes and grabbed their staffs. “Father, can we go with them to see the Messiah?” Rebekah asked. “Of course!” he replied. “Our people have been waiting for thousands of years for the Messiah to come. I certainly don’t want to wait another minute more!” Daniel and Esther strapped on their sandals as Rebekah did the same. Imhotep was circling near Rebekah’s feet, so she picked him up and rushed out of the tent, along with her parents, to join the shepherds and head toward Bethlehem. One of the shepherds had a small oil lamp, which helped to light their way. They walked as quickly as they could, and soon they could see the faint glow of evening fires lighting up Bethle
Read more

Chapter 23 - An Amazing Evening

Image
  The shepherds gave Daniel directions about where to find the field where they were watching their sheep. Daniel and his family watched their new friends leave and head back out to the fields where the sheep were grazing. Daniel, Esther and Rebekah, along with Imhotep, had a little more trading to do before they went to join the shepherds and accept their hospitality. Esther was able to convince Daniel to trade for some beautiful bolts of cloth that she found among one of the many traders’ items. Rebekah was treated to some figs and apricots, and a small portion of dried fish was purchased for Imhotep to enjoy. While Esther and Rebekah climbed into their cart, Imhotep curled up in the soft wool and was quickly purring loudly as he napped.  Daniel led the donkey and the ox-drawn cart out of Bethlehem and into the countryside.  It only took them about a half an hour to arrive at the shepherds’ field. There were several shepherds out in the field.  The ones who had met Daniel in Bethlehe
Read more