ADVENTURES THROUGH TIME (2025 Edition) by Michel Poulin - HTML preview

CHAPTER 10 - CRUCIFIXION

19:08 (Jerusalem Time)

Sunday, September 14, 31 C.E.

(11th of Tishri, year 3791 of the Hebrew calendar) Valley of Kidron, northeastern outskirts of Jerusalem, Judea

Miriam of Magdala, sitting near Yeshua around a small campfire with a dozen other disciples, raised her head nervously when a shout from a disciple on watch duty was heard in the growing darkness.

“Halt! Who goes there?”

A number of male followers started to rise, walking staffs or rocks in their hands, but Yeshua’s soft voice made them sit back.

“Do not be alarmed, my friends: an old friend of mine is back. Miriam, you may want to greet her.”

“Her?”

Understanding and joy then came to Miriam. Jumping on her feet, she ran towards where the sentry had been heard. She soon saw his silhouette, along with that of a much taller person wearing a hooded robe and holding a long walking staff. Miriam ran to the newcomer and gave her a warm hug.

“Nava! I am so happy to see you again.”

“And I am also happy to see you, Miriam. I was afraid of not being able to join with you and Yeshua before you entered Jerusalem.”

“You are just in time: we will enter through the Damascus Gate tomorrow morning. Come and meet Yeshua, my friend.”

Both women walked to the campfire, where a dozen followers and disciples looked up with curiosity at the tall newcomer. Yeshua got on his feet and went to Nava, kissing her on the cheek.

“Welcome back with us, Nava. Are you hungry or thirsty?”

“I am fine, thank you, Yeshua. I am sorry for all those months away from you.”

“It was not your fault if I insisted on traveling only with male disciples for safety reasons, Nava, although I strongly suspect that I would have been safer with you than with a dozen of my male disciples.”

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“You must be joking, Master!” interjected Shimon ‘The Rock’. “How could one feel safe because of a woman?”

“A few seconds in combat against Nava would probably show you why, Shimon.” replied Yeshua in an amused tone. “Don’t forget that she was an Amazon warrior once.” Yeshua then turned to face his elder brother Yaaqov, sitting near the fire, pointing him to Nava.

“You may remember my brother Yaaqov, even after all those years, friend.”

“I do, although he was only nine years old when I saw him last. Shelama, Yaaqov.”

“Shelama, Nava.” replied cautiously Yaaqov. He was much more conservative than Yeshua about relations with women, especially foreign ones. Yeshua ignored his cold attitude towards Nava and looked back at the tall woman.

“We have to talk in private, my friend. Please follow me.” Leading Nava away from the campfires and the huts and tents of his followers, Yeshua finally stopped behind a tree and faced her.

“God told me about you while I was on Mount Hermon, Nava.” Nancy stiffened immediately: this could very well spell disaster for her mission. She didn’t reply, waiting instead for Yeshua to continue, which he did in a low voice.

“You were chosen by God and given powers by Him to promote his words. He also told me that you were once Sarai, wife of the great patriarch Abraham, and that you are timeless. I am the one who should kneel in front of you, not you in front of me.” Yeshua then kneeled in front of Nancy, who quickly forced him back on his feet.

“Don’t say that, Yeshua, please! Yes, I was chosen by Him but so were you. A lot is resting on your shoulders, Yeshua, and you must fulfill your destiny by yourself. I am here simply to witness it. Whatever happens, know that He is with you. As for me, I will ask you not to say anything about what you just told me to your followers, even to young Miriam. Any such slip could change things in catastrophic ways.”

“I understand, Nava. Still, it is a great honor to have you by my side.”

“Don’t forget that I am here strictly to observe, not to act. Don’t expect me to wield a flaming sword and sweep the Romans out of Jerusalem in the name of God.”

“How unfortunate: that would have been a grand spectacle indeed.”

“Indeed! Let’s go back to the campfire: young Miriam must be missing you already.”

Yeshua smiled in amusement.

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“Is there something you don’t know, Nava?”

“Plenty, actually. Come, I have my musical instruments with me. Your followers should appreciate some distraction.”

When they entered Jerusalem in the early morning, a trio of probes was in position overhead to supplement the video recordings from Nancy’s headband hidden cameras. Walking with the other women at the rear of the crowd of 150 followers and disciples, Nancy felt an overpowering emotion when Yeshua, riding on an ass, entered the holy city through the Damascus Gate, to the acclaims of hundreds of Jews. By now Yeshua was a well-known and highly popular rabbi in Palestine, famous for his miraculous healings and his stinging rebukes to the high priesthood class. Nancy knew however that his popularity was unfortunately going to be one of the causes of his incoming downfall. Staying as anonymous as she could despite her height, she followed the others to the bathing establishments south of the great temple, where the group split into men and women in order to do their ritual bathing before they could enter the temple. Yeshua reformed his group once they had exited the bathhouses, then led his followers up the stairs of the temple mount, entering through the Huldah Gates. Once inside the outer courtyard, known as the

Court of Gentiles, Yeshua’s

happy smile at the thought of

leading his disciples into the

sacred temple faded at the

sight of a mass of animals,

mostly sheep and goats,

roaming the far end of the

outer courtyard, ready to be

sold by numerous Levite

priests to pilgrims as

sacrificial offerings. The booths of moneychangers and other vendors also were visible in the courtyard. Yeshua entered in a mighty rage and threw his walking staff on the ground.

“WHO DARED DESECRATE LIKE THIS THE TEMPLE OF GOD? HOW COULD ONE LET THE TEMPLE’S COURTYARD BE USED FOR TRADING? GOD

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WILL PUNISH THOSE RESPONSIBLE, MARK MY WORDS! LET US GO TO

BETHANY!”

He then stormed out of the courtyard, leaving his disciples confused and disappointed. Young Miriam of Magdala in particular was smitten.

“But I wanted so much to pray at the temple today. What shall we do now, Nava?”

“Follow Yeshua, I suppose. We will have ample opportunity to visit the temple again in the days to come.”

Leaving Jerusalem via the Essenians’ Gate, Yeshua and his followers walked east-southeast for two kilometers, to arrive at a small village built along a wide central street. Going to a large, two-story house, Yeshua and his brother Yaaqov were greeted effusively by two elder women, attracting a whispered question from Miriam to Nancy.

“Who are those two women, Nava?”

“Two sisters named Martha and Miriam who are distant relatives of Yeshua. I met them before. They live here with their brother, Eleazar.”

“What is Yeshua going to do? There are way too many of us to fit into that house. Besides, trying to feed the lot of us would quickly ruin about anybody.”

“Well, I guess that Yeshua and his closest male disciples will stay in the house, while the others will have to camp in huts. I do have a small tent. You are welcomed to share it with me if you want.”

“Nava, you are a real friend. I accept. Uh, what about food? I have some money but it won’t last that long.”

“I will do like I always did, Miriam: I will sing and play music to earn money, which I will use to buy food. I could also dance to accompany my music.”

“Isn’t that the way of sinners, Nava? Yeshua admonished me often enough for dancing in front of strangers in the past.”

“Not if I am clothed modestly and perform for honorable families. Besides, who would covet an old hag like me?”

Miriam looked critically at her tall friend. Despite the pockets under Nava’s eyes, her wrinkles and her gray hair, she still moved with the agility and speed of a young woman. Miriam had also seen Nava naked at the baths: her body was still that of a young, very fit woman, with breasts still firm and shapely.

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“Many young women would envy your body, Nava. How old are you supposed to be?”

“I am 52.”

Miriam laughed loudly at that.

“Nava, you will never convince me of that. For one thing, those big breasts of yours are still round and firm, instead of being flat like those of other old women. Don’t deny it: I have seen you at the baths. What is your secret for staying young like this?” Nancy thought furiously for an answer. Young Miriam was no fool, far from it, and there was only so much she could do to alter her body in order to appear older.

“God must have graced me, Miriam. Come, let’s pitch our tent before the best spots are taken.”

The next two days went by quickly for Nava and Miriam, with Nava having no trouble finding customers for her performances amongst the numerous Jewish pilgrims filling Jerusalem for the incoming feast of Sukkoth. Many of those pilgrims were from outside Palestine and quite a few were very wealthy and ready to pay for entertainment. One such rich pilgrim was a wine merchant from Cyprus named Yosef who happened to have met Yeshua seven years earlier. Miriam was delighted to learn about this and ended up talking at length with Yosef while Nava kept playing and singing. Both women returned late that day to Bethany, to find Yeshua and his closest male disciples apparently plotting some action in Jerusalem in the coming days. When she tried to inquire about what they were planning, the male disciples told Miriam that it was no woman’s business. Fuming, Miriam returned to Nava’s tent to rant and rave about the men’s stupid superiority complex over women. Nava grinned while listening to her complaints.

“Miriam, I have been clashing with men over that subject all of my life. What I have learned from that is that men will never learn to appreciate us for our true value. So, just let them go and stumble around while we pick up the pieces behind them. This said, how would you like to go pray at the temple in two days, on Sukkoth? Yaakov, son of Halphayah, is willing to escort us and vouch for us at the temple’s entrance.”

“That would be marvelous. Thanks, Nava!”

“The pleasure is mine, Miriam.” replied Nancy. What she did not tell her was that there was a very specific reason for her to want to be in the temple that day. Her mission was now approaching its climax.

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10:47 (Jerusalem Time)

Thursday, September 18, 31 C.E.

(15th of Tishri, Sukkoth day, year 3791 of the Hebrew calendar) Outer courtyard, Great Temple of Jerusalem

Immediately after having given his offering to the priests at the sacrificial altar and having performed a few prayers, Yaakov, a young man with gentle manners, excused himself with Nava and Miriam and left the inner courtyard. Miriam was a bit intrigued by his haste but followed Nancy out of the women’s courtyard of the temple. They then walked slowly around the outer courtyard, staying near the Holy of Holies and watching the pilgrims come and go. Miriam got suddenly excited when she spotted Yeshua, surrounded by male disciples, as he was making his way towards the area occupied by the vendors in the temple. She would have gone after him if Nancy had not firmly held her arm, attracting a protest from Miriam.

“What are you doing, Nava? Let me go! Yeshua is over there.”

“I know, Miriam, but you don’t want to be close to his group right now. Just watch from a distance.”

Confused and still a bit upset at Nava, Miriam nonetheless stayed with her and watched Yeshua and his group as they mingled with the vendors. Then, on a shout from Yeshua, his male disciples and over a hundred other men attacked the vendors, knocking down their tables, thrashing their boots and creating a stampede amongst the animals on sale. Some vendors tried to resist but were quickly overwhelmed and chased away. The temple’s police, completely taken by surprise, was too slow to react and Yeshua and his followers were all out of the temple before they could be caught. Miriam, her eyes sparkling with pride for her husband, was now all excited.

“Did you see what Yeshua did, Nava? He taught a lesson to those arrogant temple priests who would turn the sacred temple into a vulgar market.” Nancy’s hand then came firmly on her mouth.

“Quiet, Miriam! Do you want the temple’s police to arrest us for complicity? Yeshua may effectively have humiliated the High Priest and his greedy associates but he also just made himself a mortal enemy. Look over there, at that window.” Miriam looked at the window pointed at discreetly by Nancy and saw a man dressed in a rich robe and wearing a huge turban standing at the window, apparently angry.

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“Caiaphas, the High Priest. What do we do now?”

“We get the hell out of here before the police starts asking questions.” As they were making their way towards the exit, they saw four Levite priests drag away the body of an obviously dead vendor. Miriam watched them for a moment, horror on her face.

“Yeshua could not have killed that man.”

“No, and neither any of his true disciples. It was the work of one of the thugs who have been following him while hoping for a chance to create mayhem. The High Priest can now pin murder on top of the accusations of sedition, vandalism and profanation to be put on Yeshua’s shoulders. Come, let’s go back to Bethany.”

Arriving an hour later at the house of Martha and Miriam, they found a jubilant Yeshua and his disciples celebrating their actions at the temple. Miriam of Magdala went straight to Yeshua and embraced him tightly while looking up in his eyes.

“Yeshua, what you did was magnificent but it was also dangerous. The High Priest will do everything now to get rid of you. You should not stay here.” Smiling gently to her, Yeshua grabbed her shoulders and made her step back.

“Do not worry, Miriam: the people of Jerusalem are with me on this. Caiaphas’ decision to put vendors in the temple’s courtyard is despised by nearly everybody, including the Sanhedrin.”

“Maybe, but he is very jealous of his powers and privileges. He will not forget you.”

“We will see, Miriam. For the moment, let’s rejoice at our success.” Only half convinced, Miriam returned to Nancy, who had been watching from a distance.

“I fear that you are right, Nava. Caiaphas has a number of ways to get rid of Yeshua, including enlisting the help of the Romans. What should we do now?”

“Wait and hope that cooler heads will prevail. Stay with Yeshua while I help poor Martha feed all these people.”

It took only a few days for the initial euphoria to evaporate and to be replaced by the grim acknowledgement that Jerusalem was now too dangerous for Yeshua and his nearest disciples to go into the city. Apart from the temple’s police, bands of young Levite thugs roamed the streets, ready to grab and stone Yeshua if he dared show up. Some of those thugs also went outside the city, looking actively for Yeshua and his

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disciples. Some of the disciples, intimidated and scared, left to return to Galilee, while others made themselves discreet and moved away from Bethany. Not Miriam of Magdala, though, who was as faithful to Yeshua as ever. She spent more and more nights alone with him, comforting him and keeping him company in this time of need. On his part, while outwardly still confident, Yeshua realized how vulnerable he was now while staying near Jerusalem. His practice of holy feasts with his disciples continued but became a somber, more discreet affair. The one thing he indulged into was to go occasionally to the nearby Mount of Olives, where the priests of the Sanhedrin and pilgrims hostile to Caiaphas’ policies gathered at a place called ‘the Chanute’ to debate the actions of the High Priest and what to do about them. There, Yeshua delighted into entering the debate, arguing points of religious law and reveling in controversy. Those debates invariably attracted crowds of listeners, along with the attention of the agents of the High Priest.

On the urgings of many, including Miriam of Magdala, Yeshua started traveling around instead of staying all the time in Bethany, where he was becoming an easy target for his enemies. He used those travels to preach to Judeans living in small villages, practicing his custom of holy feasts and healing the sick. The months went by and winter set in as he roamed the hills around Jerusalem, spreading his gospel and still participating from time to time in the debates at the Chanute, on the Mount of Olives. In the meantime, Miriam of Magdala stayed with Nancy in Bethany, helping to run the house of the two sisters and of their brother Eleazar. With most of the disciples now dispersed, Miriam and Nancy had been given a room on the upper floor of the big house, where they could spend the winter more comfortably than in Nancy’s small tent. Nancy, occasionally accompanied by Miriam, still went out nearly daily to Jerusalem to sing and play for wealthy residents while Miriam discreetly preached Yeshua’s teachings to the women of Jerusalem. The money earned by Nava in turn helped support the still heavy expenses incurred by Martha and Miriam in running their household. In this, Nancy was careful not to become too notorious: the last thing she wanted was to be mentioned by name in some of the future gospels. She knew that she would be helped in this by the tendency of Yeshua’s male disciples to dismiss the women around him as mere followers and to refuse to acknowledge them as true disciples. If anything, the closeness of Miriam of Magdala to Yeshua and the intimate times they spent together,

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while normal for a married couple, grated on many of the male disciples and also helped deflect the spotlight away from Nancy, who was too happy to let things go as they were.

The sudden death of Eleazar, the elderly brother of Martha and Miriam of Bethany, shook a number of events into motion. Yeshua was away at the time, something that embittered Martha and Miriam to no small degree as they grieved for their brother. Nancy, having witnessed the illness and quick death of Eleazar and realizing how important historically that event would be, became even more discreet. From what she knew of Yeshua by now, she doubted that he had the power of resurrecting Eleazar, as the Bible would claim later. Having secretly checked Eleazar’s body, she also knew that he was truly dead and not merely in a death-like coma. Unless Nancy had totally misjudged Yeshua, that left only a divine or supernatural intervention as a way to resurrect the old man.

Yeshua showed up in Bethany four days after Eleazar’s death, as numerous mourners were still in the small village, gathered near the cave which contained the body of the old man. Nancy watched carefully as Yeshua was told of his friend’s death and wept in grief before going to the tomb. Martha and Miriam, after initially refusing to greet back Yeshua out of grief and bitterness, met him in front of the cave and exchanged hugs with him. Yeshua, still crying, then ordered a group of men to roll away the stone which covered the entrance of the cave. They did so after some hesitation and over the objections of Martha. Once the cave was opened, Yeshua shouted out loud.

“ELEAZAR, COME ON OUTSIDE!”

At first, nothing happened. Then noises came from inside the tomb, noises of someone or something moving. Gasps followed by a deathly silence greeted the appearance of Eleazar, wrapped in his white burial sheet. The old man staggered out of the cave and into the sunlight, his face pale, stopping finally a few paces in front of Yeshua. Nancy, having recorded the whole thing via the micro-cameras hidden in her headband, held her breath: this had all the makings of a true miracle. As far as she knew, only The One could accomplish this. She slowly walked away, stunned, as Martha and Miriam ran to their brother and hugged and kissed him.

Yeshua left Bethany again the next day, conscious that his spectacular miracle would without doubt attract the attraction of the authorities on to Bethany. Miriam of

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Magdala, as shaken as anyone by Eleazar’s resurrection, did however spend the night with Yeshua before he left. She was in tears after his departure in the early morning and went to Nancy for comfort.

“Nava, I have a bad feeling about all this. I fear that Yeshua has doomed himself by doing this resurrection. Some people are starting to call him a messiah and that is bound to provoke further the High Priest and maybe the Romans too.”

“You are too right about that, Miriam. However, there is little we can do now but let things run. You will have to be brave.”

Miriam then started crying again, consoled as best she could by an equally emotional Nancy.

“I don’t want to be brave. I just want Yeshua to be safe.”

“I…I want that too but he is now in the hands of God, Miriam.”

Three weeks later, young Miriam came to Nancy hesitantly and led her to an isolated corner of the house before speaking in a low voice.

“Nava, I need your advice on something.”

“Sure, anything you want. What is it?”

“I…I think that I’m pregnant. I am normally very regular and my periods were due over a week ago. They never came.”

Nancy’s mind went into high gear: Miriam had been seeing only one man since her marriage. The baby she was going to bear could kick a furious religious storm in the future if its existence came to light. She gently held Miriam by the shoulders and spoke softly in a near whisper.

“Miriam, you must not tell anyone about this: it could make you and your coming child targets of Yeshua’s enemies. The Romans would not hesitate to kill you if it meant snuffing out any possible focus for the followers of what they see as a troublemaker. Please, promise me.”

“I promise.” said Miriam in a subdued voice. “What will I do if… if something happens to Yeshua?”

Nancy then hugged Miriam and kissed her on the head.

“Then I will protect you and take care of you. You have my solemn word on this.”

Weeks later, in late February of 32 C.E., they saw a number of Yeshua’s followers and disciples starting to leave, many looking angry. Intrigued and worried,

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Miriam finally went to one disciple who was getting ready to leave Martha’s house and confronted him.

“Yudah, what is going on? Why are you and others leaving like this?” The man’s violent reaction surprised and scared her. Turning quickly to face her, he nearly shouted in her face while jabbing a finger hard in her chest.

“Because Yeshua is committing a sacrilege, that’s why! Since he’s your husband, why don’t you go to him and try to straighten him out?”

“Yeshua, committing sacrilege? But he would never do that.”

“Oh yeah? He offers bread and wine at meals while calling them his flesh and blood and you don’t call that a sacrilege?”

Miriam was stunned speechless for a moment. In the Hebrew religion, blood was the most sacred substance on Earth. The idea of drinking blood or eating human flesh would be totally abhorrent to any Jew.

“But…it must have been a figure of speech. Yeshua would never ask anyone to drink real blood.”

“Then go put some sense in him. I am not going to be associated with this new, sacrilegious rite of his.”

Yudah then shouldered his bag and stormed out of the house, leaving Miriam hurt and confused. She knew that Yeshua simply could not ask people to drink blood and must have spoken another of his parables, which were often hard to understand fully. She however also knew enough to realize that this latest turn of event would turn many against Yeshua and would provide the perfect pretext to the High Priest to push the Sanhedrin into approving the arrest of her husband. Miriam also realized that the High Priest would most likely make his move before the feast of Passover. She had to find Yeshua and talk to him.

19:16 (Jerusalem Time)

Wednesday, March 3, 32 C.E.

(3rd of Adar II, year 3791 of the Hebrew calendar) House of Shimon, Bethany

Yeshua had stopped with a few of his disciples at the house of a man he had earlier cured from leprosies and was conducting one of his ritual feasts. The house of Shimon was only a few minutes away by foot from Martha’s house but he did not dare

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go to it, as spies of the High Priest could be watching it. They were in the middle of the meal when a young woman entered the house and went directly to Yeshua. He and his disciples fell quiet, as they knew very well the woman: it was Miriam of Magdala, tears in her eyes and a small alabaster jar in her hands. Without a word, she first kissed Yeshua on the forehead, then smashed the alabaster jar and poured its content, an expensive perfumed ointment, on his head and massaged it into his hair. This alarmed quite a few disciples, who got on their feet.

“She is designating you as the messiah by anointing you, Master. She is going to attract bad attention to you.”

“She wasted a fortune in perfumed ointment at the same time. That money could have been better used to take care of the poor.”

Yeshua raised a hand to silence his disciples, then caressed Miriam’s lips.

“Leave her! Why are you making problems for her? She has done a fine deed with me. Because you always have the poor with yourselves, and whenever you want, you can always do them good, but me you do not always have. She acted with what she had; she undertook to myrrh my body for burial. Amen, I say to you, wherever the message is announced in the whole World, what she did will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

Yeshua then spoke softly to Miriam, who was now kneeling in front of him.

“I understand your distress, my sweet Miriam. I may be soon gone but I want you to have something to help remember me.”

Taking off the gold chain and Star of David pennant he was wearing around his neck, he then put it around her neck and kissed her forehead, whispering to her at the same time.

“May this gift from Nava bring protection to you and the small life growing inside you. I will never forget you, Miriam.”

Miriam touched the chain around her neck and, crying silently, got up and left the house.

17:21 (Jerusalem time)

Sunday, April 4, 32 C.E.

(6th of Nissan, year 3791 of the Hebrew calendar) Martha’s house, Bethany

Nancy and Miriam of Magdala were helping Martha and Miriam washing pots and utensils when Eleazar came in the kitchen, excited.

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“Martha, Miriam, your cousin Miriam of Nazareth is here.” On hearing that, the two sisters rushed out of the kitchen to greet their cousin, who was waiting in the lounge. Nancy and Miriam of Magdala followed them discreetly, staying a few paces behind while the three women and Eleazar exchanged hugs. It was Miriam of Nazareth who actually came to Nancy after noticing her tall silhouette.

“Nava, is that you?”

“It is, Miriam. It is good to see you, old friend.”

“And it is good to see you too, Nava. My god, it has been many months since we last met.”

“Two years, actually.” said Nancy. Miriam was now close to 46 and she looked her age, but she was still seemingly healthy. “I suppose that you came to see Yeshua?”

“Yes, I did. Where could I find him?”

“He is in Jerusalem, waiting for Passover at a friend’s house.”

“Could you lead me to him, my friend, please? I am afraid that his fame could attract danger to him.”

“You may be right, Miriam, and I will lead you to him, but in the morning. You need to rest after your long trip from Nazareth.”

“Nava is right, Miriam. Stay in our house and have supper with us.” said Eleazar. After a short hesitation, Miriam agreed to stay until tomorrow morning, bringing joy to her cousins. She was offered a place on a comfortable cushion and served a cup of wine by Eleazar, while Martha hurried back in the kitchen with Nancy to prepare supper. Yeshua’s mother then smiled gently at Miriam of Magdala, who was still standing timidly a few paces away.

“I have missed you as well, young Miriam. Come sit beside me, so that we could talk.”

The young Miriam sat near the old Miriam, unsure what to do or say. She decided however against telling her about her pregnancy, as Nava had urged.

“What would you like to talk about, Miriam?”

“You could tell me how your life with Yeshua is going. Does he still love you as much as before?’’

“Yes,” said quietly young Miriam, “He still loves me a lot. I just fear that his preaching may get him killed soon. I wish that I could drag him away from Jerusalem, but he would never agree to that.”

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“He certainly can be hard-headed when he wants to.” agreed glumly old Miriam. “Tell me about his life lately.”

They talked together for nearly an hour, until supper was served. The conversation then became more general, with Martha, Miriam, Eleazar and Nava now participating. They ate, drank and spoke until late in the evening, when they separated to go to sleep.

Nancy and Miriam of Nazareth left early in the morning for Jerusalem, accompanied by Miriam of Magdala, who had pestered Nancy into coming along. Eleazar had at first insisted in escorting them, finding inappropriate that three women would travel alone, even on such a short journey. Nancy’s answer had been to swing and twist her heavy walking staff in a short fighting demonstration which had left the old man speechless.

“Eleazar, I was raised as a warrior and fought many battles. I killed over a hundred armed men in combat before I gave up war as a way of life. I may be old but I still can defend myself. Thank you for your concern, though.” Miriam of Magdala was still quietly chuckling when they departed Bethany.

“Nava, you are really something, you know. I still don’t believe that you are 52 years old, though.”

“It is all a question of good nutrition and careful exercising, my young friend. I still spend an hour a day practicing and working out.”

“But I never saw you do those exercises!”

“That’s because I go out in the wilderness to do them. You think that male disciples like Shimon ‘The Rock’ or his brother Andreas would approve if they would have seen me exercise?”

“Definitely not!”

The trio arrived forty minutes later at the Sion’s Gate of Jerusalem, guarded by armed auxiliaries of the Roman Army. Those auxiliaries were a ragtag mixture of Jews, Syrians, Persians and Greeks who, while still well trained, were more lightly armed than the standard Roman legionary. An elderly Roman centurion was actually supervising the changing of the guards at the gate when Nancy and the two Miriam showed up, mixed in a sparse crowd of merchants and pilgrims. Nancy suddenly threw the hood of her cape further over her head and turned her head away after having looked at the

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centurion. Miriam of Magdala saw that and whispered to her as they were approaching the soldiers.

“What is it, Nava?”

“That centurion: I met him years ago and this is not a good time for him to recognize me. Just keep walking normally and don’t speak.” Unfortunately for Nancy, her unusual height gave her away. The old centurion, glancing at the passing crowd, noticed the female silhouette sticking out by a full head over everybody else and stared at it, disbelief in his eyes.

“Hey you, woman, come here!”

Nancy, swearing quietly to herself, had no choice but to obey and approach the centurion after discreetly urging her companions to keep going. The centurion gently lowered her hood and stared at her face.

“Nauca, is that you?”

“It is I, Sartorius. I see that you survived all those years in the army in reasonable shape.”

“And you look well enough yourself. By Jupiter, I am so happy to see you again, Nauca. Do you live in Jerusalem?”

“No! I still travel around and offer my services as a musician. I have converted to Judaism and my name is now Nava.”

“Nava…Beautiful…a fitting name for a woman such as you. Could we see each other tonight? I would like so much to discuss all those past years we lived separately.” Nancy hesitated only for a short moment: she could not afford to turn Sartorius against her right now, even though the Roman would probably never hurt her short of a direct order from a superior.

“I would be pleased to do that, Sartorius. I was on my way to entertain a customer for the day but I could free myself for tonight. I suppose that you are quartered in the Antonia fortress.”

“Of course! I do rate a private room now, however. So, I can hope to see you for supper?”

“Make it after supper: my customer may ask for entertainment this evening. I will show at the Antonia after dark, though. I promise.”

“Excellent! Then have a good day, my friend.”

“The same to you, Sartorius.”

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Nancy discreetly sighed with relief as she passed the city gate and joined back with the two Miriam, who looked anxiously at her.

“Is everything alright, Nava?” asked the younger Miriam. Nancy smiled and nodded once.

“Yes! That was just an old friend who wanted to speak to me. I am going to visit him tonight at the Antonia fortress.”

“The Antonia? But that place is crawling with Romans. You shouldn’t go there: it’s too dangerous.” said the older Miriam.

“Don’t worry about me, Miriam. I will be just fine. Let’s go now to Yosef’s house. Yosef is a Cypriot wine merchant whom Yeshua nicknames Barnabas. He is a good, decent man who also happens to be quite wealthy. He is a follower of Yeshua as well.”

Walking slowly in deference to the older Miriam, Nancy took ten minutes to arrive at Yosef’s house, a big, two-story structure with a large central courtyard. A male servant introduced them into the reception lounge, where Yosef was discussing with Yeshua and fourteen of his closest disciples. A gentle smile appeared on Yeshua’s face at the sight of his mother. Getting up from the low couch he was using, he went to her and kissed her on both cheeks.

“Mother, it is good to see you after all these months. Come, let me present you to my host, Barnabas.”

Letting Yeshua and his mother with Barnabas, Nancy and the younger Miriam sat discreetly in a corner of the lounge, apart from the male disciples. Most of the latter were content to ignore the two women: contrary to Yeshua, who was uncommonly accommodating of women, they shared the generally low regard towards women common to the Jewish men of the time. Nancy quickly got bored of just waiting and listening to the others: inaction had never been her style. Excusing herself with Miriam of Magdala, she took her musical instruments and left the house to start walking around the city. She unconsciously went towards the old inn of Iram the Syrian, arriving in front of it in minutes. The inn had been miraculously spared by the rioters 26 years ago, but Iram himself had died a few years ago and his son Cheb had then taken over the establishment. Nancy had been received warmly when she had visited the inn three months ago, Iram’s family having kept a good souvenir of her despite the years of absence from Jerusalem. Nancy thus decided to spend her day in the inn, singing and

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playing music. She knew that Cheb would welcome her, especially since she was still able to attract a lot of customers.

The morning and afternoon passed quickly for Nancy, who managed to collect quite a few coins from her singing. Excusing herself with Cheb at the end of the afternoon with a promise to return the next day, Nancy then walked back to Barnabas’ house. She still didn’t know on which exact day Yeshua was going to be arrested, so she didn’t dare miss a supper there until events unfolded. She found Miriam of Magdala dozing off in the lounge while Yeshua and his disciples were still discussing with Barnabas some finer points of Jewish laws and traditions. Nancy discreetly lay besides Miriam and stayed there quietly until suppertime came. She then gently woke up Miriam so that both of them could help Barnabas’ wife serve the meal. Contrary to biblical misconceptions, Yeshua did take his meals with all of his disciples present, including the female ones. Nancy just wished that some of those misogynist preachers and churchmen she had met in the 21st Century could see her and Miriam now, sitting on each side of Yeshua and his mother after having helped serve the food. Unfortunately, the documentary film which was going to be produced from her mission recordings was going to be restricted to 34th century viewers and members of the Time Patrol. She realized too well what kind of storm the presentation of such a documentary would create in, say, 1941 ’B’ England.

Once the meal was over and it was apparent that Yeshua was not going to leave the house that night, Nancy excused herself again with Yeshua and left with her musical instruments. It took her about ten minutes through the dark, mostly deserted streets, to get to the Antonia fortress. Two auxiliaries challenged her as she got to the top of the wide stairs leading to the main gates.

“Halt! Who goes there?”

“My name is Nava. Centurion Sartorius is expecting me.” The two auxiliaries exchanged a knowing smile before one of them spoke to Nancy.

“Wait here! I will have Centurion Sartorius warned of your presence.” Going inside through the massive doors, one of the guards left for a few seconds before returning to his post.

“A servant will warn him, woman.”

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Nancy nodded and waited patiently for a few minutes, until Sartorius himself showed up, wearing a simple red tunic and sandals. He happily exchanged a hug with Nancy, his arms proving to be still strong despite his age.

“Nava, it is truly nice to have you here tonight. Come!”

He escorted her inside the fortress, crossing the large internal courtyard and going up a flight of stairs before introducing her inside a small room. Nancy looked around at the sparse furniture and at the arms and armor laid on a bench in a corner, then at Sartorius.

“Always the frugal, disciplined soldier, even after all those years? Did you ever go back to Rome, Sartorius?”

“I did, about twenty years ago.” the Roman answered in a subdued voice. “I found a marvelous woman there and married her. We were happy for two years, then she died during labor, along with our first child.”

“I’m truly sorry to hear that, Sartorius. What happened then?”

“I spent a few more years in Rome, trying to forget my grief. I finally asked to be posted back East and was transferred to Syria, where I served for twelve years before being posted to Jerusalem. So, here I am now.”

“Here you are, lonely and waiting for retirement in this small room. You are a good man, Sartorius: you deserve much better than this.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Please, sit down while I get you a cup of wine.” She took the seat offered by him as he poured wine from a pitcher into two cups, then brought one cup to her. They knocked their cups together after he sat on a stool in front of her.

“To an old soldier.” said Nancy.

“To two old soldiers.” replied Sartorius. They drank in silence while looking at each other. Sartorius spoke then, smiling at his ex-lover.

“You look well indeed, Nava, even after all those years. Tell me about you, about your past years.”

Nancy obliged, spending a good half hour describing her activities in Palestine, or rather what they were supposed to have been, with Sartorius asking questions from time to time. She finally smiled warmly to him and put her cup away.

“Would you like me to dance for you, like in the old times?”

“I would love that very much, Nava.”

Sartorius watched her, mesmerized, as she got up and, undoing her belt first, took off her long tunic. She now wore her sandals, loincloth and a band of cloth wrapped around

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her chest which was the contemporary equivalent of a bra. Nancy, humming a soft tune, then started dancing slowly in front of Sartorius, who couldn’t take his eyes off her body.

“By Venus, your body is as beautiful and young as it was 26 years ago. How do you manage that?”

“Daily training and a careful diet, my dear. So, you like my body, still?” she said softly before shedding her chest wrapping and getting closer to Sartorius. The Roman swallowed hard. The loincloth was next to fall to the floor. After another minute of provocative dancing, Nancy then sat on Sartorius’ lap, facing him. She could feel his erection through his tunic.

“I see that I still have an effect on you. Let’s not waste time while it lasts.”

Sartorius proved to be a still vigorous lover and one who cared about his partner, contrary to most men of the Antiquity, who took their own pleasure for granted. He finally collapsed on top of Nancy after lasting as long as he could so that she could climax herself. They exchanged yet more kisses, with Sartorius playing some more with her breasts.

“You must have the most beautiful chest I ever saw, truly. You are fantastic.”

“You are not bad either, even compared to much younger men. I especially like your kindness. You still could find yourself a nice woman, you know. Such a man as you should not live alone.”

The Roman looked in her eyes with hope.

“I was actually hoping for you to be the woman in my life, Nava. I have loved you since that evening when you danced for our soldiers in the refectorium.” Nancy felt a bit of guilt as she gently caressed his hair: Sartorius was a nice enough man for this time period but giving him false hopes would not be right.

“Sartorius, I don’t want to hurt you, since I really like you, but I will never be able to settle down. I am too wild and love too much my freedom for that. I still could visit you during the next few nights, before I resume my trek. Would you like that?” Sartorius hid his deception as best he could: he had kind of anticipated that answer from her.

“Seeing you will always be a pleasure, Nava. Could you stay for a while longer?”

“Why not, my strong centurion?”

They thus lay together in bed for some time, caressing each other. Sartorius eventually experienced a second erection, prompting another love session. Nancy did have to use

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all her expertise though to make him last long enough for a climax. The Roman lay panting in bed when she got up with a big smile.

“I hope that the evening was pleasant enough, friend. I will show up again tomorrow night, if you are available.”

“I will be there for you, Nava.” replied Sartorius, smiling back. “My heartbeat should be back to normal by then.”

“Good! Have a good night, Sartorius.”

Dressing quickly, she kissed Sartorius one last time before leaving his room. On her way to the main gate she met a group of Roman officers conversing with a lean man dressed in a rich tunic and wearing a number of expensive rings. The Romans briefly stopped their conversation to look at her, but did not stop her. One of the officers then called the nobleman ‘Dominus’. Nancy, keeping a steady pace towards the main gate, then understood that she had just seen Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judea and the man who was going to condemn Yeshua to crucifixion. Pilate thankfully didn’t see the brief flash of hatred which appeared in her eyes then.

23:19 (Jerusalem Time)

Thursday, April 8, 32 C.E.

(10th of Nissan, year 3791 of the Hebrew calendar) Barnabas’ house, Jerusalem

The supper had been a somber, nearly gloomy affair that had upset Miriam of Magdala to no small degree. After predicting that one of his own disciples would betray him, to the dismay of all present, Yeshua had concluded the meal early and had left with a few disciples to go to the Mount of Olives. Nava had left to go on her own way at the same time, leaving Miriam by herself in the lounge. Consumed with dread, she had waited restlessly, often going on the flat roof of the house to look towards the Mount of Olives. Despite the warnings from both Barnabas and from Miriam of Nazareth that going out of the city at night was too dangerous for a lone woman, Miriam of Magdala was about to leave the house when Yudah ‘The Twin’, one of Yeshua’s closest disciples, stumbled inside the house. Miriam shouted in alarm for Barnabas to come quickly when she saw that Yudah was bleeding from a head wound.

“Come, Yudah, sit on these cushions. What happened to you?”

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“The Romans, along with some temple police, have arrested Yeshua at the Chanute an hour ago. Yudah Ish Kerioth betrayed the Master. Some of us were roughed up.”

“Oh God! Where did they take Yeshua?”

“I don’t know! I didn’t dare follow the soldiers afterwards.”

“But we have to help Yeshua. The Romans could kill him.”

“And what are we supposed to do, woman? We are not soldiers and we don’t even know where the Master is now.” nearly shouted Yudah in frustration. Barnabas, his servant and Miriam of Nazareth then ran into the lounge. Yudah repeated his story to them, making Miriam of Nazareth collapse on her knees from fear and grief. Miriam of Magdala grabbed Barnabas’ arm with the strength of despair.

“Barnabas, you are a Levite. Do you have any idea of where they would have taken Yeshua?”

“Uh, if there were some temple police present during the arrest, then the High Priest, Caiaphas, must be involved in this.”

Miriam’s reaction surprised all of them: at Barnabas’ words, she bolted out of the house and into the dark street.

“Miriam, where are you going? This is too dangerous. Come back!” shouted Barnabas, getting no reply.

Miriam of Magdala didn’t bother answering Barnabas as she ran down the street towards Caiaphas’ house: her mind was set on doing all she could to save Yeshua. All those male disciples who had sneered at her for being a woman had done little to protect Yeshua, leaving her no choice but to act by herself. She really could use Nava’s help now, but she had no idea where the Sarmatian was. Miriam slowed down as she approached the palace of the High Priest, finally hiding in a dark corner which gave her a good view of the luxurious complex, situated in the Southwest corner of the upper city. She didn’t dare get closer, as two guards were visible at the main entrance of the palace. Miriam thought furiously about her possible courses of action as she tried to catch her breath: they were actually extremely limited in numbers. Trying to break Yeshua away from his guard would be for her both futile and suicidal. She could however try to plea for Yeshua’s life, telling the High Priest that she could convince Yeshua to retire quietly to Galilee. Despite being Yeshua’s enemy, Caiaphas would probably not harm her: he had no quarrel with her personally and no motives to accuse her of anything apart from

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caring about her husband. The worst she risked was a good flogging for interfering in his affairs. If that could save Yeshua, it was a risk well worth taking. Breathing deeply to chase her fear away, Miriam stepped out of her corner, resolved to go see Caiaphas. A strong hand then covered her mouth, while she was pulled from behind back into the darkness. She tried to break away but her attacker was extremely strong and kept a tight grip on her. A voice she knew well then whispered in her right ear.

“Calm down, Miriam. It’s me, Nava.”

Immense relief then washed over Miriam. She turned around to face Nava, looking up at the tall Sarmatian.

“Thank God you are here, Nava. I really could use your help right now to save Yeshua.”

Nancy gave her friend a sad, resigned look.

“Miriam, Yeshua’s fate has already been decided. There is nothing we can do for him now. What you wanted to do was very brave but it was also pointless.”

“How could you give up so easily?” said Miriam with a peak of anger. “You are as cowardly as all those male disciples.”

Miriam regretted those words as soon as she said them. Nava didn’t get angry, instead shaking her head slowly.

“Believe me, Miriam, I would not hesitate to slaughter the whole Roman garrison of Jerusalem if that was what it took to free Yeshua. However, as I already said, his fate is already decided and cannot be changed. His death will be a blow to both of us, but it will eventually put in motion important events and will bring hopes of a better life to many.”

“Nava, you are scaring me. Who are you really?”

“Someone chosen by God to promote his word. I am not what I claimed to be during all those years. Look at the palace now: Yeshua is being led out towards the palace of the previous High Priest, Annas.”

Miriam turned around and saw effectively a group of temple police leave Caiaphas’ palace, tightly escorting a chained Yeshua. Nancy’s grip on her tightened, warning her not to do anything.

“Caiaphas has made an alliance with the Roman procurator and King Herod Antipas in order to get rid of Yeshua. They consider him too dangerous to be simply expelled from Jerusalem.”

Miriam suddenly started to cry, prompting Nancy in hugging her.

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“Miriam, you will have to be brave and to have faith in me. The only thing we can do now is to support Yeshua in his last hours and to show our love to him.”

“I don’t want to live without him, Nava.” said Miriam between sobs.

“I understand, but you must live, if only for the sake of his coming child.”

“But he would grow up an orphan. Who will protect us anyway? His feckless male disciples? They are all jealous of me and will simply ignore me…at best.”

“I will protect and take care of you to the best of my abilities, Miriam, I swear. We will now return to Barnabas’ house. Please keep what I told you to yourself.”

“I…I will.”

Both of them, along with Miriam of Nazareth and Barnabas, spent a sleepless night, with Nancy helping to comfort both Miriams as best she could. Two probes were already following Yeshua since last night, which left Nancy free of her movements in those last dramatic hours. She was emotionally spent when morning came, with the two Miriams huddled besides her on the cushions of the lounge and praying constantly. Her telepathic talents, which made her feel all the sorrow and pain of the people around her, were now working to her disadvantage. At about seven O’clock, she gathered her courage and got ready to leave, prompting a question from Miriam of Magdala.

“Where are you going?”

“Outside the walls, to the Golgotha. We will be waiting for Yeshua there.” Horror filled the eyes of Miriam of Nazareth at those words.

“Nooo! My son is to be crucified by the Romans?”

Nancy nodded her head sadly, prompting near hysterical cries from the older Miriam. Her heart broken, Nancy helped the old woman to her feet and led her out of the house with the young Miriam and three other female disciples, named respectively Miriam, Joanna and Susanna. They proceeded very slowly, Nancy having to support the grieving mother of Yeshua most of the way.

They arrived at the foot of the small knoll called the Golgotha half an hour later. Miriam of Magdala shivered with horror at the sight of the numerous wooden beams planted vertically on the top of the place of execution: all Jews feared and despised this place, crucifixion being a most cruel and humiliating form of execution which would never be condoned under Jewish law. Young Yaakov, one of the disciples most favored by Yeshua and the son of the third Miriam present, joined them along the path to the knoll a

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short while later, hugging tearfully each of the female disciples, including Nancy. No other male disciple showed up, a fact that soured up mightily Miriam of Magdala. In contrast, two rabbis from the Sanhedrin, Yosef of Aramithea and Nicodemus, did join the group of disciples half an hour later. Both confirmed to the women the sentence of crucifixion passed on Yeshua by Pontius Pilate, as well as the participation of Caiaphas and Herod Antipas in the downfall of Yeshua. The group then waited despondently for another half hour, until about twenty Roman soldiers led by a centurion emerged from the city gate, escorting four men, three of which were carrying each a heavy patibulum, the wooden crossbeam to which a condemned would be nailed before it would be hoisted in place in a notch cut in each of the vertical beams. Sobs and whimpers came out of the female disciples when they recognized Yeshua as the prisoner without a patibulum. His robe was covered with blood and he was stumbling along the path, forcing two soldiers to help him along, being apparently too weak to walk by himself. The man preceding him and carrying a patibulum was actually a common Jew commandeered by the Romans to carry Yeshua’s load. Despite the tears filling her eyes, Nancy had no trouble recognizing the centurion in charge of the procession: it was Sartorius, his face impassive as he led the column up the path. He also recognized Nancy and slowed down as he was about to pass in front of her.

“Nava, what are you doing here?” he asked in Latin.

“I am a disciple of Yeshua, one of the men you are leading to their death. I need a last favor from you, Sartorius: don’t let Yeshua suffer long.” Sartorius hesitated for a moment, looking briefly at Yeshua, before answering Nancy.

“For you, I will do that. I am sorry for your friend.”

He then resumed his walk up the hill. A few of the disciples looked suspiciously at Nancy.

“What did you say to this Roman, Nava?” asked Susanna, as Yeshua was about to pass in front of them.

“I pleaded for him to be merciful.” said simply Nancy, her eyes (and hidden micro-cameras) locked on Yeshua. She held the hand of Miriam of Magdala, who was crying at the sight of the bloodied Yeshua. The latter looked at their group, his face showing pain and shock, before being pushed past them. Still holding Miriam’s hand, Nancy fell ten meters behind the procession, following it towards the summit of the knoll. The other disciples hesitated for a moment, then followed her. A Roman soldier blocked their path at the top, thirty meters away from the vertical beams.

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“Halt!” he ordered in Koine. “Nobody goes further.”

They had no choice but to obey him then. They watched from a distance as Yeshua was stripped naked and pushed to the ground on his back, then had long iron nails driven through his wrists and into the wooden patibulum. Most of the female disciples looked away as Yeshua screamed in pain and the noise of the hammer hitting the nails could be heard. Nancy forced herself to keep watching the whole cruel process, with Yeshua’s patibulum being hoisted and tied in place before a long nail was driven through Yeshua’s feet, making him scream again. Contrary to popular biblical descriptions, Yeshua did not tower over the Romans around his cross, his feet actually being only a mere meter off the ground. Yosef of Aramithea initiated a round of prayers with the disciples as Yeshua’s long agony started. Nancy stayed on her feet, towering over the two Roman soldiers facing her and her group. She saw Sartorius take a small sponge and pour some wine on it before planting it on a soldier’s javelin, then telling him to offer it to Yeshua. The condemned, exposed naked to the hot sun, avidly sucked on the sponge when it was presented to him. The alcohol helped dull his pain somewhat and he then resumed his silent contemplation of his mother and disciples.

Four hours later, with Nancy and the others still watching and with Yeshua apparently going to last many more hours, Sartorius gave a curt order to a soldier. The legionnaire approached Yeshua and, in a quick, practiced move, jabbed Yeshua once in the chest with his javelin. Yeshua didn’t scream, being already in deep shock from the loss of blood and constant pain. Nancy nodded in approval when Sartorius looked at her next. Now bleeding from the chest and losing his remaining strength rapidly, Yeshua tried to speak, managing only a weak whisper. Sartorius got close to him and listened for a while, then walked to Nancy and her group, stone-faced, and spoke to them in Koine.

“The condemned wishes to speak one last time to his family and friends. I will allow up to six people to approach him.”

Nancy translated his words into Aramaic, then looked at Miriam of Nazareth.

“You are his mother: you should decide who will hear his last words.” Miriam nodded tearfully, then looked around at the group of disciples.

“Miriam of Magdala, Yaakov and Miriam of Bethsaida, Joanna, you will come with me. Nava, you come as well, as you helped deliver him into this world.”

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Nancy, feeling most humble now, followed Miriam of Nazareth and the others towards Yeshua’s cross. Six Roman soldiers surrounded them as they stood in front of the dying man. Gathering his strength, Yeshua managed to speak strongly enough to be heard by the group.

“Mother, who I hold dearest, I put you in the care of Yaakov, my beloved disciple. Yaakov, promise me that you will help and protect my mother.”

“I promise, Master.” replied the young man in a strangled voice. Yeshua then looked at Miriam of Magdala.

“Miriam, my wife, your life is and will always be most precious to me. You will stay with Nava, who will guard and protect you. Trust her in everything, as she has been touched by God. To my disciples, I say that they should forgive my executioners and continue to preach peace and tolerance. Shimon ‘The Rock’ will lead you in my place. May God all protect you.”

Yeshua then lowered his head, exhausted by his efforts to speak. Sartorius, standing nearby, looked at Nancy.

“You must now go back with the others.”

“I understand. Thank you for your comprehension and compassion.” The group moved backed slowly to join the other disciples and the two Sanhedrin members. Miriam of Nazareth repeated what Yeshua had said for their benefit, then resumed her grieving watch. Half an hour later, Yeshua looked skyward and shouted with his last strength.

“MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” He then died after a last, incoherent scream. His followers collectively burst into tears, overtaken by grief. Yosef of Aramithea was the first to act afterwards, asking a soldier to speak to Sartorius. The Roman, recognizing him as a high-ranking Jewish priest, accepted readily and led him to his centurion. Yosef knew Koine and used it to plea with him.

“Yeshua of Nazareth is now dead. I beg of you the right to be able to bury him according to Jewish customs.”

“That decision is not mine to take, rabbi. I can however lead you to the procurator, to whom you will be able to present your request. The body will stay on the cross until a decision is taken.”

“Then I am ready to follow you, Centurion.”

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Sartorius then left his soldiers behind to guard the site when he walked away with old Yosef. Nancy and the others spent the next two hours in a sad vigil, oblivious of the hot sun. Sartorius and Yosef finally returned from the city. While Sartorius gave orders to his soldiers to lower Yeshua’s body, Yosef went to see the disciples.

“Pontius Pilate has agreed to release Yeshua’s body into my care. We must now hurry before sunset and the start of Sabbath if we want to bury him properly. I have a tomb that I had excavated some time ago for the future needs of my family. I am ready to offer a place in it, if it is agreeable to you.”

Miriam of Nazareth nodded slowly to him.

“Your kind offer is accepted, Yosef of Aramithea. May God thank you for this.”

“I have brought with me a linen sheet, to wrap Yeshua’s body. I will also provide you money to buy burial ointment, which will be applied after Sabbath. I will lead you to my family tomb now.”

“Then I will carry his body.” said spontaneously Nancy. “I am the strongest in our lot. Miriam of Magdala and another could wash and wrap his body once at the tomb.”

“I will help as well.” said Yosef. Miriam of Bethsaida also volunteered to help. By then, Yeshua’s body had been taken down by the Romans and the nails in his wrists were being pulled out with pliers. Sartorius soon came to the group of disciples.

“The body is now yours.”

After these terse words and a last, longing look at Nancy, he left with most of his soldiers, four of them staying behind to watch over the two other condemned men brought with Yeshua, who were still agonizing. The disciples slowly approached Yeshua’s naked body and formed a circle around it, making a last prayer to God. Taking her cape off, Nancy covered the body with it and, effortlessly, picked it up in her arms.

“Lead the way, Yosef of Aramithea.”

Following the city walls towards the South, the small procession walked slowly until it stopped in front of a cave whose entrance was blocked by a big, round stone. Yosef pointed at the heavy rock.

“This is my family tomb. I will need some help to roll the stone out of the way.” Nancy gently put down Yeshua’s body, then approached the round stone.

“Miriam, start washing Yeshua’s body while I move this.”

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Yosef was about to protest that one woman would not be able to push away the stone but was left speechless for a moment when Nancy rolled away the stone with a single push of one arm.

“By God, you are indeed the appropriate one to protect young Miriam, Nava.” Nancy didn’t reply to that and watched quietly as Miriam of Magdala and Miriam of Bethsaida washed Yeshua’s body, using water from the water pouches of the others, then wrapped it loosely in the linen sheet provided by Yosef. This time, Nancy let both Miriams and Yosef help her put the body inside the tomb, laying it in one of the small niches dug in the walls of the cave. They were back out, with Nancy pushing back the stone in place, when they saw four soldiers from the temple police head their way. Yosef glared at them with anger.

“That damn Caiaphas is not content to have Yeshua executed. Now he wants the body too?”

The four soldiers were soon close enough for Yosef to shout at them with contempt.

“What does your master want now? Handing a Jew to the Romans for crucifixion is not enough for him?”

The senior soldier gave the old man a warning look as he kept advancing on him.

“We were sent to prevent any followers of this man from removing his body and using it to foment further trouble. Now, step aside!”

“You really believe that any decent Jew would move a body during Sabbath? May God damn the High Priest and his thirst for power! You can tell him that he can forget any support from the Sanhedrin from now on. As for you and your men, pray that you leave this body in peace and don’t incur the wrath of God.” Shaken by Yosef’s warning, the Jewish soldier hesitated for a moment, then walked past the old man and stopped in front of Nancy, who still stood in front of the stone blocking the entrance.

“Move away, woman! We will now guard this tomb.”

She obeyed him readily enough, fighting the urge to smash the face of the soldier. However satisfying that would be, it would however create unnecessary trouble and thus possibly change history in some way. Returning with the others, she had a last, sad look at the tomb.

“Let’s go back to Barnabas’ house before sunset, friends.”

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They slowly walked back to Jerusalem, entering through the Zion Gate and going to Barnabas’ home, where the wine merchant anxiously inquired about what happened. Nancy let Yosef and Miriam of Nazareth speak with him and went to sit in a corner of the lounge with a despondent Miriam of Magdala. The young woman was like in a trance, her eyes fixing the wall in front of her without really seeing it. Nancy caressed her hair gently, trying her best to console her. Miriam responded by hugging her even more tightly. Nancy knew that, whatever happened from now on, she would never deny her protection and support to the young woman and her future child. She was already thinking furiously about what she could and could not do for her when a powerful voice echoed inside her head.

“A FEW SOULS DISPLACED THROUGH TIME WILL NOT MATTER, NATAI: I CAN EASILY REPLACE THEM. DO AS YOU SEE FIT.”

“Thank you, Great One.” whispered Nancy in French, an immense weight now off her shoulders. Miriam looked up at her, puzzled.

“What did you say, Nava?”

“Nothing, Miriam. Let’s honor Yeshua’s memory until we can go back to properly anoint him.”

Much later, when night had fallen and everybody in the house was sleeping, Nancy cautiously got up from her bedroll, careful not to wake Miriam besides her, and walked out of the small room allotted to them. Making sure first that nobody was in sight, she then jumped spacetime, reappearing high above the cave containing Yeshua’s body. The four temple police soldiers were plainly visible, one of them standing guard in front of the entrance while the three others slept nearby. Floating quietly down to the ground, behind the unsuspecting soldier, Nancy then carefully calculated her next jump and, in a crouched position, materialized inside the cave. Taking a miniature lamp hidden in a secret compartment of her belt, she switched it on and swept the beam around her. Yeshua’s body was still in place, wrapped in the linen sheet. Approaching it, she delicately uncovered his face and contemplated it, tears coming back to her eyes.

“If only I could have been permitted to save you, friend. You are too good a man to die like this.”

Yeshua’s face suddenly started glowing in the dark, making Nancy recoil from the surprise. Yeshua’s whole body soon glowed, with the brightness increasing steadily. Nancy was soon unable to look directly at the body, so blinding was the light now. After

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less than a minute, the light decreased in brightness, until the cave was dark again. Switching her light on again, Nancy was shocked to find the niche now empty, with no trace of Yeshua’s body or even of its linen wrapping. Incredulous, Nancy filmed the empty niche and the surrounding cave in detail, anxious to record any trace of what could have happened. She however had already a good idea of what had just happened. She finally jumped spacetime again, returning to Barnabas’ house. She lay back on her bedroll, besides Miriam, and silently thanked The One before going to sleep, emotionally exhausted.

 

06:49 (Jerusalem Time)

Sunday, April 11, 32 C.E.

(13th of Nissan, year 3791 of the Hebrew calendar) Yosef of Aramithea’s family tomb

Slopes south of Jerusalem

Miriam of Magdala, followed by Nancy and by Miriam of Bethsaida, hesitated and stopped as they were arriving at the tomb of Yeshua with supplies of ointment and linen wrappings: the temple police guards were nowhere in sight and the stone blocking the entrance had been rolled out of the way.

“Nava, somebody went into the tomb.”

“Wait here, I will check the place out.”

Despite Nancy’s request, Miriam was a mere two paces behind her when she cautiously looked inside. She thus saw at about the same time than her the young man, nearly a teenager, dressed in an immaculate white robe and sitting inside the tomb, near the niche which had contained Yeshua’s body. Miriam, her eyes wide, looked first at the young man, then at the empty niche.

“Where is Yeshua’s body?” she asked to nobody in particular. The young man answered her while smiling gently to her.

“You seek Yeshua of Nazareth? He has raised and is not here. Tell his disciples and Shimon ‘The Rock’ that he will go to them in Galilee. You will see him there.” Completely overwhelmed by this, the two Miriams fled in terror. Nancy, none too reassured either, still held her ground and detailed the young man. The stranger’s aura was extremely bright. She could not sense his thoughts either.

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“The One sent you, right?”

The stranger nodded his head once.

“As The One chose you, Nataï. He is not disappointed by your services.” Nancy knelt at those words and bowed her head.

“I will continue to serve him and to follow his guidance until death.”

“And then?”

“Then, I will be his forever.”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

On those enigmatic words, the stranger disappeared from the cave, leaving Nancy to ponder their conversation. Looking behind her, she saw that the two Miriams had run to an olive tree a hundred meters away and were hiding behind it. Getting to her feet, Nancy got out of the cave and calmly walked to them, attracting a remark from Miriam of Magdala when she got close to her.

“How could you be so calm about all this, Nava?”

“One should not be afraid of angels, Miriam. Come! You have good news to bring to the other disciples. We will leave for Galilee today.”

15:20 (Jerusalem Time)

Monday, April 19, 32 C.E.

(21st of Nissan, year 3791 of the Hebrew calendar) House of Shimon ‘The Rock’, Capernaum

Galilee

Miriam was positively fuming when she came back from the harbor, where she had gone to meet Shimon ‘The Rock’ and a number of other male disciples. Nancy watched her gravely as she stormed in the central courtyard of Shimon’s house, where they had been offered hospitality on their arrival from Jerusalem.

“I gather that they did not believe you, right?”

“WHAT ELSE COULD I EXPECT FROM THOSE THICK-HEADED MULES?” shouted Miriam. Her fury then turned into despair and tears. “After all those years of teaching from Yeshua, they haven’t learned a thing. They still won’t listen to the words of a woman, even one who had been nearer to Yeshua than any of them.” Salome, Judith and Miriam of Bethsaida kept quiet, pretending not to listen as Nancy got up and went to Miriam of Magdala to console her.

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“They will see soon enough that you told them the truth, Miriam.”

“And who will convince them of that?” she replied, bitter.

“I will!”

All the women present in the courtyard turned around as one and gasped at the sight of Yeshua, standing near the entrance of the courtyard and wearing a white robe. Miriam, transported with joy, was about to throw herself in his arms when Yeshua raised a hand in warning.

“Do not try to touch me, my beloved Miriam: what you see is my spirit, not my body. I came here to tell you not to be sad or give up hope for happiness. There are many good people worth living with, like Nava, your protector. Raise my child in the respect of God and in tolerance and peace.”

“Can’t I kiss you one last time, Yeshua?” pleaded Miriam, in tears.

“Maybe after you have given birth, then I shall visit you again in Nava’s domain. Nava, you will leave tonight with Miriam and lead her to safety, where none of my enemies can get to her. You have God’s support in this.”

“It will be done, Yeshua.” replied Nancy with difficulty, a big lump in her throat. Her micro-cameras were working now, something that would later help convince Farah and the others in the Time Patrol that she had not simply hallucinated. Miriam of Bethsaida passed out as Yeshua vanished into thin air. Miriam of Magdala crouched into a ball and started crying as Nancy and the others went to the unconscious woman to help her. It took them a few minutes and some cold water to reanimate her. Nancy then returned to Miriam of Magdala and crouched besides her. She did not say a word, simply gently holding her and caressing her hair until Miriam stopped crying. The young woman eventually looked up at Nancy, her eyes red and puffy.

“Where are we going tonight, Nava?”

“To my domain, as Yeshua said. Do not worry about the travel: it will be comfortable enough. Pack only the minimum.”

“Isn’t it far?”

“In a way, yes, but I have means to get there quickly. Don’t worry about that, friend.”

Their conversation was then interrupted by the arrival of Shimon and of the half dozen other disciples who had been fishing with him. The men looked both excited and scared.

“What the hell happened to you men?” asked Salome, Shimon’s wife. “Did a big fish try to swallow you?”

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“We saw someone in the harbor. We think it was the Master. He spoke to us.” answered Shimon. His wife eyed him with derision.

“After all these years with him, you still can’t tell if someone is Yeshua or not?”

“Will you listen to me, woman? That man didn’t look like the Master, but he spoke exactly like him. It was him, I swear!”

“Alright, we believe you, especially since the Master just visited us here.”

“WHAT?”

“You heard me, Shimon. He came to see young Miriam, whom you didn’t believe, and asked Nava to leave with her tonight.”

Suddenly acutely conscious that he was now looking like an ass, Shimon looked down apologetically at Miriam of Magdala.

“Uh, I am sorry for having laughed at you earlier on, Miriam. Where will you go?”

“Only Nava knows, Shimon.”

“Don’t ask, Shimon.” said Nancy as the big man looked at her. Shimon didn’t dare insist, in order not to look even more foolish, and went inside the house. Salome looked at the other men, still standing dumbfounded in the courtyard.

“So, did you catch any fish today or did you just have a leisurely cruise around the harbor? We have people to feed here, you know.”

Andreas lowered his head in embarrassment.

“We didn’t catch anything today, but the Master fed us with fish and bread at the harbor.”

“That’s a big help to us.” replied his wife, Judith in a sarcastic tone. Nancy then got on her feet with a sigh of exasperation.

“Alright, I will go buy a fat sheep at the market. You guys know how to skin and gut a sheep or will I have to do it myself?”

The six men cringed as the women around the courtyard looked at them critically.

21:09 (Jerusalem Time)

Hills east of Capernaum

“So, are we going to take a boat to go to your country, Nava?” asked Miriam of Magdala, dying with curiosity as Nancy led her eastward through the dark countryside.

“No need for a boat, Miriam: I have a horse.”

“In the middle of nowhere?”

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“Exactly. Pegasus!”

Miriam nearly jumped out of her skin when a brown horse appeared in front of them in a flash of white light. Nancy held her arm firmly so that Miriam wouldn’t run away.

“Do not be afraid: this is Pegasus, my fateful horse. He has been following me all these years. He will bring us to my domain.”

“But…but, how could it appear out of nowhere like this?”

“It would take long to explain. Just trust me, Miriam. I will help you get on its back.”

“But I never mounted a horse before.”

“That’s alright. Besides, this is a flying horse: no experience is required.”

“A flying horse? Are you drunk or are you laughing at me, Nava?”

“Neither. Just get on the horse.”

Nancy helped Miriam up, sitting her in the saddle. She then jumped on behind Miriam and placed the young woman’s hands of the pommel of the saddle.

“Hold on this tightly: I don’t want you to fall off while we are flying. Before we go, you need to know something: I am not from this world.”

“Where are you from, then? Heaven?”

“No, I am from the future...a very far future. We are going to travel over 3,300 years to the future, where you will be able to live in peace and comfort with your child.” Miriam looked at her with big eyes, totally overwhelmed.

“You…you are joking, right?”

“I was never more serious, Miriam. Another thing: this horse is not a real animal. Rather, it is a machine, a construct produced not by some magic but by a highly advanced science. Watch this!”

Pressing a hidden button, Nancy made a small instrument panel and a control stick emerge through small hatches from the back of her horse. Miriam gasped at that sight but didn’t try to jump off the horse. Nancy, her arms surrounding Miriam, grabbed the control stick and punched a few commands on the panel, before whispering in Miriam’s ear.

“Hold on tight, Miriam. We are about to take off.”

The young Jewish woman squealed with fear when Pegasus lifted off the ground and accelerated forward while climbing in the dark sky. She however held on to the saddle, helped in this without her knowledge by a small tractor beam generator under the saddle. Nancy then activated Pegasus’ time distorter and they were enveloped briefly in white

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light, emerging in a bright winter day sky over New Lake City. Miriam looked down with awe at the futuristic city below her, then shivered as a cold wind buffeted them.

“This is beautiful but so cold! Is this your world?”

“This is where I came from, Miriam. This is also where you will live with your child. I will now land, so that you don’t have to freeze for too long.” It took Nancy two minutes to fly down to the ground at an angle that would not scare Miriam to death. Pegasus finally landed in front of the Time Patrol headquarters building and trotted up to the main entrance, where a dozen persons were waiting on top of the steps. Nancy pointed them to Miriam.

“These are my friends, Miriam. Some are giants with six fingers per hand but don’t think of them as some sort of monsters: the people of this time period are simply like that, but they are also convinced pacifists incapable of violence. By the way, we are now on Saturday, January 30th of the year 3385. This would translate into the 25th of Tevet of the year 7146 according to the Hebrew calendar.” The persons at the main entrance then ran down the steps and surrounded Pegasus. Mike Crawford glanced quickly at Miriam, then at Nancy.

“Isn’t this Miriam of Magdala, Nancy? Why did you bring her with you? This could be a big breach of our protocols.”

“No protocols were broken and I had very good reasons to act the way I did, Mike: The One, along with Yeshua, asked me to bring her here. Since Miriam disappeared from biblical texts soon after Yeshua’s death, no harm will be done to history. Let’s get inside first, though: Miriam is freezing in this January weather.”

“Uh, of course.”

Jumping off Pegasus, Nancy then helped Miriam down and led her inside, where the young woman welcomed the warmer temperature of the reception lounge. Nancy pointed at Farah Tolkonen, who appeared to have a million questions on her lips.

“Miriam, this is my best friend, Farah Tolkonen, who also is my superior here. Farah, this is Miriam of Magdala. I brought her here for her protection and at the direct request of Yeshua. Miriam is two and a half months pregnant.” The group around her fell silent, stunned by the implications of what she had just said. Farah then looked at Ingrid Weiss ‘B’, who was one of the few persons in the 34th century to speak Aramaic.

“Ingrid, please take charge of our new guest and have her first learn Neo-English, English, German and French. Then find a suite for her and see to her comfort.”

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“I’m on it, Farah.”

As the teenager invited Miriam to follow her, Farah, not looking pleased one bit, faced Nancy.

“Let’s go to my office: we have to talk.”