Cam'el

My name is Cam'el and this is my camel

As I follow the slow caravan of 

people, noisy, hot, tired, I realized these are the
type of people I despised. The ones who caused me

to be late for the farmer's
market, some actually from my church. I never

understood these gatherings. God is in
your heart, not just some man. Besides, he's 

stealing my customers- I mean,
church-goers. All of this stuck in an almost 

still sea of people just to get there
and stand in the back of the crowd, not able to 

hear a word?  I might as well see
what it's about though.  

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The Priest

s I follow the slow caravan of people, noisy, hot, tired, I realized these are the
type of people I despised. The ones who caused me to be late for the farmer's
market, some actually from my church. I never understood these gatherings. God is in
your heart, not just some man. Besides, he's stealing my customers- I mean,
church-goers. All of this stuck in an almost still sea of people just to get there
and stand in the back of the crowd, not able to hear a word?  I might as well see
what it's about though.  

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Ke'jhanor

Our story begins with a young Sadducee named Ke’jhanor. He was about the age of 

twenty-four, and he was an outgoing guy. Ke’jhanor despised the Pharisee with a passion and joined a gang called the Aaronites. They did such widely activities that ranged from priestly meetings to poker nights. Ke’jhanor followed the Hebrew Bible and rejected the Pharisee’s notion of an oral Torah. Ke’jhanor was a good Sadducee and many priests followed after him.

As a youngster, his parents taught him how evil the Pharisees were and about their teachings. Even in school, Ke’jhanor got teased and picked on by the Pharisee classmates. He would return home from school crying sometimes, and his parents would tell him one thing.” Son, you need to do what you need to do.”

Ke’jhanor: “And what would that be, dad?”

Father: “You have to kick him in the family jewels.”

Ke’jhanor accepted the fact and would try to hit the Pharisee bullies where it hurt.

Next day in school, well..let’s just say young Ke’jhanor had detention that school day. He had an even more unfair punishment, since the principal was indeed, a Pharisee.

He came back that one Wednesday afternoon ashamed and depressed. He went to see his gang fellows, you know, his fellow Aaronites. They gave him advice of how he should forgive and forget, since he is a priest. But when someone treats him like dirt again, you them where it hurts!
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Joshua the scribe

Within all the craziness that was happening, all the action and crowds, their was one man in the midst of all of them, whom no one ever noticed. He was a quiet fellow, but his writings did all the talking. He could paint a picture in your mind so vividly in your mind you couldn’t believe how amazingly descript the writings were. This fabulous writer was called Joshua the scribe. He would analyze a situation and write about it. So during this time, he would sit down and write about it. So during this time, he would sit down and write about what was being done. No one questioned him about what he was doing, they were to busy with their own lives. He would walk around with nothing more than a writing utensil and a paper. Jading down what he saw in his daily life, and for a while this story was his daily life. Because of Joshua the scribe, we have this story today, handed down threw many generations, and given to our own bibl teacher, Sr. Barker. To teach to us, and write in his blog.

THE END

Carson the Zealot

Carson was a Zealot. While going into town, he noticed a large crowd forming around a large body of water. He saw the light and the dove as many others did. Although he could not see who was being baptized at the time he later found out it was the mighty Joshua. But who could have had the great pleasure of baptizing the son of God. I would find out. I later went back to the water spot and found a long line so I waited. And waited. And waited. Until it was my turn to be baptized by the same man as the holy one. He was awaked from his thoughts when someone cut him in line. Of course I could not make of fuss about it on account of I’m a Zealot. We are a bound to not cause a rucess of resort to violence. I continued to stand in line and it was finally my turn. Finally my chance. I’d been waiting for this moment all day. I walked into the water letting my rode get wet. I walked into his hands as he introduced himself to me as John the Baptist. I was dipped into the water and at that moment I knew I was going to be saved.
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Job

There was a scribe named Job he had traveled far and wide to reach Joshua. On Job's journey he preached to the people. He told him about God and and the son Joshua. He helped people believe in something to give them hope and made many followers. Job wrote of the people he has met, the people he helped. The ones who had diseases and needed miracles he tried to help and direct them to the path of God to seek help. All who fully believed began to heal. The power of God was being transferred to Job. He went out to try and find Joshua the son of God. He wrote down the miracles he saw performed. He was in a town and heard that Joshua was going to be baptized in the river by John. He wanted to get there as quickly as possible but he saw a man alone in the dark. He could not leave him and not try to help him. He had something in him something extremely evil. He tried to help but the evil spirit inside the man would not let him help Job was powerless. He went down to the river to seek out Joshua.     There were crowds of people surrounding the river were Joshua was. He tried to get through to the crowds to get to him but he couldn't. So Job decided to yell out to him. Job kept trying and trying the finally Joshua said out to the crowd “let he who calls to me come fourth". Job went to Joshua and told him of the man with the demon inside him. Joshua said to Job "take me to him and I will free him from this demon". They went to the man and he was still in the same place. The man spoke but it was not him whom they heard the demon was the one who spoke out to them. The demon said "you may try to take me out of this man but you will not be able to I am much to powerful for any of you". Then Joshua came forth and the demon froze and began to cower in fear. Joshua went up to the man and said " I am the son of God and no demon is more powerful then my father". Joshua placed his hands on the man and he started to go into convulsions speaking a language no one knew. Then finally it stopped, the demon was released from the man. The man said to Joshua "thank you, thank you so much".
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The Zealot

              I woke up feeling wary and looked out my window. There was a group of Roman soldiers walking by. I felt a flash of anger when I saw them, just like usual. I had a strong urge to get my sword from under my bed and join with the other zealots of the city in a mad riot of attacking any Roman we could get our hands on. But the glorious vision passed, and I got on with my day.

            Walking down the street I thought about the crazy rule of the Romans. Those idolatrous pagans had no right to rule over God’s chosen people! It was so maddening. I lived every day waiting for the moment when the other zealots and I could rise up and go to war. We would fight until we had freedom! Until then, my life felt like it had no purpose.

            I stopped to retie my sandal. As I did so, a man with his wife and children drove by on camelback. Amid the noise of the street, I heard him say to his kids, “We’re going to the wilderness to be baptized…” I couldn’t figure out why those words had been so clear in my ears, or why I wanted to go with them. Before I knew what I was doing, I ran after them calling, “Please, which way are you going?”

            “We’re going to see John the Baptist,” he said slowly. He was obviously unsure of what my response to that would be.

            “Can I come with you?” I asked, still not really sure what I was doing and feeling out of character.

            The man looked extremely relieved that I wasn’t cursing him. “Sure,” he said smiling. I rented a camel from a stand that, coincidentally, was right next to where we were standing.

            I rode behind the family quietly, not wanting to disturb them. I still wasn’t sure why I was going to the wilderness to see a guy that had grown up the son of a priest but wore camel’s hair and ate locusts and honey. I also wasn’t sure why I couldn’t turn back.

            Eventually, we made it to the Jordan River. I stood on the riverbank watching people be baptized. I watched as John pushed people’s heads under the water one by one. Then, a man waded out to where the Baptist was. A look of awe crossed John’s face. He said something to the man. Then, still stunned, he baptized him. As soon as he came out of the water, something amazing happened. There was a booming voice coming out of the sky saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

            I wondered if I had been imagining it. Everything in my mind told me I was going crazy, that I should just turn around and go make a sacrifice at the temple for even coming down here in the first place. But my heart told me something different. I had to follow this man. Maybe there was an answer other than war. Maybe there was something bigger. I didn’t know what, but I was going to find out.
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Bethany beyond the Jordan

    The dromedarian caravan  rolled slowly down the Jericho road toward Bethany,  the one beyond the Jordan. The caravan was chartered in Jerusalem and was carrying a group of potentates from the holiest of cities. The owner of the caravan is Joseph.  He is lost in thought as his band of day travelers lumbers down the steep road that leads from Jerusalem at 2400 ft above the sea to a place of 1300 ft. below the sea level. A place called the Jordan valley. His "cargo" are priests, levites and three scribes, Job, Joshua and Simon, from the Temple. Joseph muses quietly  "They want to see for themselves John the Baptist, Zac's boy. He really has all Jerusalem talking. They are  disgusted that he didn't follow in his family footsteps but put on a camel skin. That is radical even for John. I've ridden these things all my life and they stink! And in this heat man! I was a councilor at the temple school John attended. (laughs to himself) He was funny. Never agreed with the rabbis. Argued all the time with them. One time he replaced the honey with tree resin so when the other boys, as a reward for memorization, got to lick the honey off  the Torah, their tongues got stuck. But that's not the time he got kicked out of school. That was about his cousin Joshua." Suddenly Joseph is interrupted. "What? What Herbie?" Joseph snapping out of his day dream addresses his second in command as he came running up to his camel. "The wife of the Sadducee has to take a pee," Herbie yells.

"We can't stop these camels! Going down hill, are you kidding me? We will lose 2 hours, it will be the third watch before we get them up. The third watch!" Joseph turning red in the face.

"She's pregnant", Herbie insists.

           "Well she is not suppose to be on this trip if she is pregnant.  And besides there could be some of those zealots (Carson the zealot) around. Okay, okay", Joseph relents. He was getting too old for this trip anyway and probably would enjoy a stretch.

The camels go down precariously forward which almost throws off the fat priest and then they go backward which does lose the wife. She rolls head over heels off the rear of the camel. Herbie runs to give her aid. "I'm okay, I'm alright. But you should warn people about this back and forward business," she said looking at Herbie.

Joseph yells, "The seat rope use the seat rope! Boy that's dangerous, they never listen." He was tired of this business. He used to love it but lately something was eating away at his insides. He couldn't put his finger on it but he wanted more out of life than being rich. He almost felt guilty thinking that. He had all he wanted, except that his poor wife died from a camel fall. He missed her. Since then things had not been the same.  This is my last trip. I am going to turn this over to Herbie and retire to east Jerusalem. I have a place on sweet side of Galgotha, great view, but the view really did nothing for him. There was more, he could feel it, but what?

        As the camel driver walked around waiting on the priest he noticed the throng of people walking and wondered really for the first time what the draw was? After all, he knew John. He even agreed with some of the things he said. But a lot of it echoed the Essenes and he did like their lifestyle. Man how could John have left that cushie job at the temple? Everybody loved him. He broke his old man's heart. But it is a crazy time, look at these people going down to be dunked in that dirty river. The temple is the other way!! for God sake. You can't get your sin forgiven without sacrifice at the temple. Not that I care that much. The Essenes are right about somethings. Just look at this fat priest and his oppulant pregnat never rode a camel wife, Joseph said shaking his head and muttering to himself. what a strange time we live in. Just when the temple is being finished and things look like they are going to be normal this tumult happens.  Just one more ride, then I going back to Arimathaea, maybe that is where I can find what I looking for.

"Let's go. Get on those camels we're burning sunlight." Joseph hollared at everyone.

Herbie turned to Joseph, "Okay the wench is coming now.  Have you seen these signs they have. "Come to Jordan and Join the Throng" sponsored by Locus inc. What is that?"

Joseph replied, "I am not sure, but the other ones kill me."

"You mean the ones that say "Stop, your going the wrong way?"

"Yeah, those the Temple had put up. They even know something is changing because they're going down too. Look at this couple." Joseph motioned to the two Temple elites trying to mount on their saddles squishing the driver's helper.

        The elderly couple were in a hot debate. As her husband struggled to get on the camel saddle, he said to his wife."Remind me again why we are going all the way down here in this increasingly hot hell hole?" The temperature change from Jerusalem to the Jordan valley could be as much as forty degrees. His wife shot over her shoulder, "Hush Saul, this is what you have been talking about for years. Just because it's happening outside the temple and in a different way. You don't know what God is going to do. The Baptist is right about the corruption of the temple. You know that. The people want change. Look at the throng of people parading out to see the Baptist. You can feel that there is change in the air."

"But what?" Overhearing the argument, Joseph answers to himself. God was not in the temple? Is he out here in the desert? Our beautiful new temple. Wow, think of the tradition, the sacrifice, the alter, the holy of holies. Man, what was John saying? He thought of the priest. He is caught in a time of change. Between the alter and the Jordan river.

Having mounted their steeds of the sand they rambled on down the Jericho road toward their destiny at the Jordan.

Jordan near Bethany

            The reeds were high for this time of year where the wadi Gharrar flows into the Jordan. The old timers called these reeds the 'pride of the Jordan". Joseph never knew why. They just made it difficult to get close to where the baptisms were taking place. Often people said that this was a preparation for the coming of something great. The Baptist, who some thought was father Elijah who must come before the "great day", was talking about someone else coming who was greater than he. The baptizer had said. "Whose sandals he was not worthy to untie." Others thought this humorous as they had a low opinion of John the Baptist and what he was doing. They thought he was unworthy to touch a lot of people's feet.

        The caravan stopped along a bluff and Joseph and Herbie peered down the river where they could see John baptizing. They stood there for  a minute while the rest of the team joined them and the elite couple from Jerusalem. As they stood there Joseph felt an urge to get closer and hear more clearly what was being said.

        He pushed his way down the bank, in through the reeds, getting his feet wet. The water felt good after the hot descent into the Jordan valley heat. He waded closer and then just as the reed separated, he felt someone push past him, then two more young men. "Excuse me", said the first man. Something in his voice made Joseph stop and look closer at him. As he gazed, the young man took off his outer garment and was just wearing his tunic. John turned to see him and proclaimed in a booming voice that sounded at once familiar and again louder and deeper than he remembered, "Behold the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world."

"Jesus came to John the Baptist"

by Richard Hubal

       Joseph "The what...?" The words just hung the air while his mouth remained open. John was looking right at this guy. Joseph looked closer. That Lamb was Joshua! That's the guy that got thrown out of Sabbath school! Of course he was visiting from Galilee at the time, but still he thought he knew more than the rabbi. We called him Jr. Rabbi. Now John is calling him the Lamb that takes away our sins!  What does that even mean?

        As Joseph pondered this, John and Joshua said a few words and John baptized Joshua. The water was all stirred up from previous baptisms and all Joseph was able to think was, "that water is muddy".  As these thoughts muddled around in his head, a voice resounded from the clouds, "This is my son, in whom I am well pleased"! And just as odd, a bright light rested on Joshua. With that sound and light Joseph fell backwards on his butt in the shallow water. Not conscienous of the fact that he was sitting in mud he stared at Joshua. A strange glow was beginning in his heart. A warmness he had never felt. Immediately Joshua turned and headed straight for him. The words came back to him "whose sandals  I am not worthy to untie". The 'lamb/son" was looking straight at him. His eyes were intense yet soft. Joshua stopped right in front of him and extended his hand. Joseph stared at it for the longest time until Joshua said, "let me help you up." It was then that Joseph realized that that distant wet feeling was because he was sitting in the river water. Joseph quickly gave him his hand and as he did a jolt went through his whole body. He fell down again.

       This time Joshua and his followers all laughed. One said "That's happened before. Remember at Tiberias?" The other rough looking guy said, "Yeah and it scared the hell out me." They all laughed. Getting up again with help from one of the guys, Joseph stood and watch as Joshua and company headed out the east side of the river, still talking and laughing.

       Joseph had felt something happening in him that he had never experienced before.  He stood there dripping as he watched the trio until he could not see them any more.

     "Hey Joe. Hey Joe!" Suddenly a voice broke the spell and Joseph turned towards its source. Herbie was waving from the bluff.  Then he motioned for Joseph to come up.

When Joseph reached the top of the bluff, Herbie said, "Wow, did you hear that thunder and see the lightening? It scared the camels, especially sophie. And the fat priest ran to hide under that palm. His wife told me she heard a voice. She said it was amazing."

"Herbie where is she?" Inquired Joseph. Herbie pointed down toward the river. In the background he could hear Herbie asking about his brown, muddy butt, but it was just background noise. Joseph could not believe his eyes. There she was standing in line in that muddy river water in her beautiful dress.  Then it hit him like lightening.

     Joseph realized that God was moving HERE on the banks of the Jordan. That the voice he heard was God's voice! Somehow he knew! It was very clear to him. God had called Joshua his son!! The son of God. The thought as real and truthful as any he has ever had, seem wildly exciting. Could..., was this the Messiah? From the bluff he could still see Joshua like tiny figures headed in the direction of the desert. Where were they going?

        Herbie, in a kind of mocking tone said, "She and her old man got into a fight". "She said this could be the one. I told you that it was a time of transition.' What did she mean by that?"

"Herbie."

"Yes."

      "I am not going back to Aramathea. I am going to get baptized by John. Then.. well I don't know. You take the caravan business like we talked about. Do it now. Take the fat guy and his wife back, if she'll go. Tell Martha that I am not waiting. I am retiring now. She a great secretary. She knows about the biz."

    Herbie did not understand why his boss was doing this. But he saw a look in his eyes he had never seen before. Excitement. Joy. Wildness. Freedom. Something was different. "Okay, you're the boss, well techniquely I guess I am now the boss. You'll get your money, don't worry."

Joesph was not even looking at Herbie any more. He patted him on the shoulder as he headed down the bluff, "I know, I know, I can trust you and I'm not worried about the money, I have found something I have been looking for my entire life."

Simon the Scribe

Back a long, long, long time ago there was a scribe named Simon.  He was very young when his dad would take him to places where there were historical events happening.  He would write down everything that he saw.  As he grew older he had a room filled with all of the scribes that he had written down.  He would try to write down every little thing that happened.  His parents got very mad at him because he would write down every little thing that they would say and they would have to keep spending money on ink and paper. 

Finally they told him that if he wanted to keep writing he would have to get a job.  He went to try out for a writing job, of course.  They told him that if he wanted to get this job then he had to be able to spell very well, know proper grammar and to keep up with the latest historical events.  The job that he had to do, to prove that he was worthy enough to keep the job and to maybe get a raise, was to get the story of John the Baptist down by the Jordan River. 

He went and met up with Joseph to go down to the Jordan River to see John the Baptist baptize people in the river.  While he was on his way to meet up with Joseph he stopped by his parents house to tell them what he was going to do.  They said that they were very proud of him and that they would see him when he got back.  He met up with Joseph and they headed out on their way. 

They got out to where John the Baptist was and his hand was so sore when he got down there from writing the whole way there he was unable to write any more when he got there.  He took a little break from writing and once his hand was better he was able to write down all of the things that he had seen there.  This is how we are able to read about the historic happenings with John the Baptist down by the Jordan River.
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