word. A
live Roman is better than a dead Jew. Why wait we for the cross?"

Turning on her knees before the soldier, Sara caught the upraised sword
saying, "Nay--nay--spare him."

"Wilt thou come with me?"

"Yea--God of my fathers--God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I come! But
ere I leave my home forever, let me have the blessing of my mother
Rachael. Stand thou beyond the threshold lest thy presence pollute the
air."

"Thou wouldst be blessed?" and the soldier laughed. "I await beyond
the threshold," and pushing the other soldier in front of him, he
stepped outside and stood where he could watch the pile of fish nets,
from which came the sound of heavy breathing.

"My blessing," Sara whispered, "_the bitter hemlock_!"

With tears streaming down her withered cheeks while she muttered and
cursed, the aged woman fastened Sara's torn bodice, binding the deadly
herb within easy hand's reach.

CHAPTER II

AT TIBERIAS

A Tyrian merchant-ship manned by three galleys of oarsmen, turned its
high and proudly arched red and gold neck into the harbor of Tiberias.

After the manner of that master builder his father, Herod the Great, in
building Caesarea, Herod Antipas had built Tiberias as a home of luxury
for himself and a fitting tribute to the ruling Caesar. The great
semicircular harbor reared its colossal pillars in a mighty curve
flanked far out in the sea by massive towers of gray stone. On a hill
rising gradually from beyond the harbor stood the royal palace of
Antipas, its polished marble gleaming through the tops of palms and the
lace-like green of shittah trees. Against this background of pillared
stone and shining marble and living green was the shipping in the
harbor. Hugged against the dock near by was a load of silver from
Tarshish. Near it was a ship from Caprus bearing copper. A cargo of
wine from Damascus and a cargo of linen from Egypt rocked side by side;
and a low boat piled with shells of dye fish had just come into port
from the far Peloponnesus, while everywhere ships of different size and
kind from those centers of commercial activity, Tyre and Sidon, were
changing sails and dipping oars.

In the prow of the Tyrian merchant-ship stood Zador Ben Amon, by race
and faith a Jew; by political alignment a Sadducee; by occupation an
importer of precious stones, owner of a number of shops in Jerusalem
where cunning work was done in gold and ivory, and a money-changer in
the Temple. Zad