Entry Fifty-One:
I have an unexpected visitor. It is the king himself. Elizabeth ushers him into the room where I am seated. I make an attempt to stand but he urges me to remain seated. He is an impressive man…severe and stern…larger and more powerful than I had imagined…and yet, I see fear in his eyes. I ask him to sit and call for refreshments. For a while, neither of us speaks. The servants come and leave.
Herod clears his throat and begins to explain the purpose of his visit. He tells me of things I already know, thanks to Elizabeth. He grunts as he tells me that he now pays the Egyptian an exorbitant sum of money to lease land that he had initially bought for himself. He clears his throat once more. I say nothing. Is he expecting me to respond to something? He now tells me he has heard of my troubles…how my community has rejected me and hounded me for what my son has done. I cannot help but think that his presence in my home will not exactly help to ease the tension between me and the townsfolk.
The king leans forward, as if he wishes to tell me a secret. He lowers his voice, but it is not a secret…it is a proposition. Would I care to tend his land? He will require the proceeds so that he may pay the fee he owes Cleopatra, but…he pauses and then adds…he knows the Jubilee law and is willing to abide by it. But the Jubilee year is imminent, I remind him. He nods and for a while he says nothing more. Again he leans forward as he tells me that he does not wish Rome to know about his dealings with the Egyptian. Ah, so that is the fear I see in those steely eyes. He is afraid that Octavian may triumph over Mark Antony…he is the king of Israel, but he is the king because he is able to strategize and thus lessen his risks by keeping all possibilities open.
I watch him leave. Sovereign God, is this possible…?
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