Jerusalem's Queen: A Novel of Salome Alexandra by Angela Hunt

Author:Angela Hunt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biblical Fiction;Salome Alexandra;139 B.C.–67 B.C.—­Fiction;Christian fiction;Biographical fiction;FIC042030;FIC042040;FIC027050
ISBN: 9781493416073
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2018-09-13T00:00:00+00:00

Kissa mouthed words as her finger moved from right to left across the scroll. “‘Then he believed in Adonai,’” she read aloud slowly, “‘and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.’”

She looked up. “Abram believed?”

I lowered the scroll I’d been trying to read. “Yes.”

“What did he believe?”

I blew out a breath. Kissa had made great strides in reading Hebrew, but she struggled with understanding why we Jews felt so strongly about keeping the Law. “He believed Adonai’s promise to make him a great nation and give him the Promised Land.”

Kissa’s gaze returned to the scroll. “And your God was happy with simple belief?”

“Yes. Abram was counted as a righteous man.”

“If belief makes one righteous, then why do you live by so many rules?”

“Because later Adonai gave Moses the Law. Those who would be righteous keep the Law.”

“But do they believe?” Kissa lifted a brow. “Because I am your handmaid, I have lived by your laws for years. I remain inside when I am bleeding, I rest on the Sabbath, and I do not eat forbidden foods. Am I righteous?”

Something in her tone made me stop. Was she? She did keep the Law as I did, but she did it to avoid offending me, not Adonai.

I bit my lip and looked at her. “Do you believe in Adonai?”

She stared into space for a moment, then shrugged. “I do not know.”

I floundered, not knowing what else to say. If she did not believe in Adonai, then keeping the Law was of no benefit to her. “I am glad you keep the Law,” I said, carefully feeling my way, “though I know you do it for me and not for Adonai.”

“There is so much I do not understand,” she said, turning to face me. “I have read your Torah three times, and each time I am more confused.”

I straightened, confident in my years of Torah study. “Please explain. I don’t understand why you are confused.”

“Here.” She pointed to a section of the scroll. “Moses gave Israel the Law and said they would break it and go into exile. You have told me that your people did go into exile in Babylon.”

“That is right. Moses was a prophet as well as a leader.”

Kissa shrugged. “If your God knew the Law would be broken, why did He give it to you?”

I closed my eyes and fervently wished that Simeon ben Shetah were sitting beside me. He would have an answer.

“The Law was broken,” I said, “and Israel was exiled. But at the end of the seventy years prophesied by Jeremiah, we were allowed to return. Now we live in the land promised to Abraham—not all of it, but Uncle is working to reclaim the rest of Israel’s territory.”

Kissa lifted both brows and nodded slowly. “So now you all endeavor to keep the Law even though you could not keep it when it was first given to you.”

“That is true.” I was dismayed to hear a note of uncertainty in my voice. “Because if Israel keeps the Law perfectly, HaShem will bless us.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.