Letters from Adina - #8

Letter VIII. The House of Mary, Martha and Lazarus

The Feast of Mary, Martha and Lazarus

My Dear Father,

My last letter ended with an account of the Roman escort, under the authority of the young Roman centurion who, as I have before written to you, with so much courtesy proffered its protection to our little party.

We soon afterwards reached the summit of the ridge above Bethany, from which eminence we had a gorgeous view of the Holy City of God, with its lofty Temple glittering in the sunbeams. The Tower of Antonia darkly contrasted with its splendor, and the citadel of David frowned over the walls with a warlike majesty that deeply impressed me.

"You should see Rome," said the centurion, who had watched my emotion evidently with surprise. "It is a city of unequalled grandeur. It covers six times more space than this city, and it contains three hundred and sixty-five temples, while Jerusalem contains but one!"

"There is no God but ONE," I answered, impressively.

"We believe there is one God, who is the author of a great multitude of lesser gods, and to each we erect a temple," he said firmly, yet respectfully.

Plucking a blossom from a tree within reach, said:

"It is beneath the dignity of the Father of the gods, the great Jove, to descend to make a flower like this, or shape a crystal, or color the ruby, or create that golden-eyed humming-bird which flutters among yonder fragrant blossoms. He made the sun, and moon, and stars, and earth, but left the lesser works to minor deities.

"Talk to me of thy One God, and prove to me, maiden, that He made all things, and is ONE, and thy God shall be my God."

We now rode forward through the street of Bethany, and soon came to the house of our former friend, Rabbi Abel, who died many years ago at Alexandria, when he went there with merchandise, and after the welfare of whose children you desired me to make inquiries.

They are now grown to the full estate of manhood and womanhood, and still dwell at Bethany. As they are friends of my cousin Mary, it was decided that we should tarry with them to rest half an hour before proceeding on our way.

On hearing of my arrival, there came out a fair young girl of twenty-two, with a face full of love and welcome. She approached me with mingled respect and kindness, and embraced me, while Rabbi Amos pronounced our names. I felt immediately as if I were in a sister’s arms, and knew that I should love her always.

Next came forth a young man of about thirty years of age, with a countenance of & noble cast, full of wisdom and good-will. He looked pale and habitually thoughtful, but a fine friendly light beamed in his handsome dark eyes as he extended his hand to welcome me.

You have already had a full account of him, and of his character, in one of my former letters, and need not be told that it was Lazarus, the son of your friend.

At the threshold Martha, the eldest sister, met me, but with more ceremony, and made an apology for receiving me, into so lowly & dwelling one whom she termed the rich heiress of Alexandria; but I embraced her so affectionately that this feeling at once passed away.

I was much struck with this whole family – each member of it possessed some separate attraction, and in the three I seemed to have found two sisters and a brother.

Mary and Lazarus, sat on either side of me, and asked me many questions concerning Alexandria, and especially if I had ever seen their father’s tomb; and when I told them that at my father’s request I had kept the flowers fresh around it, they both pressed my hands, and thanked me so gratefully, that tears in my own eyes answered to the emotion in theirs.

How shall I describe to you the loveliness of the face of Mary? And yet her beauty lieth not so much in the perfection of features as in the soul which animates them and lends them a charm which I cannot convey in words. Her eyes are of that remarkable colour so seldom seen among our people. Mary’s eyes are as blue as the skies of Judea, and yet possess all the starry, torrid splendour of the eyes of Hebrew maidens.

Her hair, of a soft, golden brown colour, is worn knotted in wavy masses about her finely-moulded neck, Her air is serene and confiding, and she is so little versed in concealment that she lets you read all the secrets of her pure soul in the sweet eyes I have spoken of.

'There is an indescribable pensiveness about her that is most touching and at the same time pleasing.

Martha, the elder sister, is of a more lively disposition, more commanding in her aspect for she is taller, and almost queenly in her mien. Her eyes and her hair are black; the eyes mild and beaming with intelligence, like those of her brother Lazarus, whom she closely resembles.

She has a winning voice, and a manner that leads you to feel strong confidence in her friendship.

She seemed to take the whole management of our entertainment upon herself, - a duty which the quieter Mary left to her as a matter of course, preferring rather to talk with me concerning the land of Egypt, where our fathers were so long in bondage, and which all our young people in Judea invest with imaginary terrors.

Lazarus conversed chiefly with Rabbi Amos, who questioned him with much interest concerning the prophet John of the wilderness, to whom, you will remember I wrote you, Lazarus had paid a visit.

The sisters live by working needle-work for the Temple, and Lazarus makes copies of the Laws and Psalms for the priests.

He showed me his copying-table, and the rolls of parchment upon it, some partly inscribed in beautiful characters, some quite complete.

He also showed me a roll of the book of Isaiah, which he had just finished, and which had occupied him one hundred and seven days. It was exquisitely written.

An incomplete copy was thrown aside, and was destined to be burned, because Lazarus had made a mistake in forming one letter; for if an iota too much be added, the work is condemned by the priests and burned, so strict are they that none but perfect and immaculate copies, of the law shall exist.

Seeing upon the table a richly worked book-cover of silk and velvet, with the letters “ I N.” embroidered in olive-leaves thereon, I asked her if that, being so elegant, was not for the High Priest.

“No,” answered Martha, with brightening eyes, before her sister could reply, “that is for our friend, and the friend and brother of Lazarus.”

“What is his name ?” I asked:

“Jesus, of Nazareth.”

“I have heard John speak of this man,” said my cousin Mary with animation ; and appealing to me, she reminded me how John had repeated what Lazarus had spoken to him of his friend from Nazareth, which I have written to you. “I should rejoice,” added my cousin, to know him also.”

“And from the report I have heard of him,” said I would indeed be pleasant to see him.”   

The two' sisters listened to us with visible interest, and Martha said - “Had you been here a few days ago, you would have seen him. He left us, after abiding with us three weeks, to return to Nazareth.

But he requested Lazarus to meet him at Bethabara, on the third day from this, for some important reason and my brother will go, for he loves him so that he would cross the seas to behold him.”

Humble in station are they, poor, and dependent upon the labour of their hands for their daily bread, yet their household is one that kings might envy, and hath a peace in it which gold nor jewels could purchase.

I left-this blessed abode of fraternal friendship with regret, and felt that I should be perfectly happy if I could be admitted as a fifth link in the chain of their mutual love.

The next day we proceeded to Gilgal alone, the road now being perfectly safe.

My next letter will give you a narration of what I witnessed at Bethabara, and will, perhaps, more deeply interest you than anything I have yet written.

May the hope of Israel not be long deferred and may we receive the Messias, when He cometh, in humble faith, in honour, and in love.

Your affectionate daughter,

Adina.

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LADY DONNA PROGRAM

The new Lady Donna Immersion in Spirituality, Academics and Citizenship @ the "I AM" School will study abridged excerpts of the Letters from Adina taken from Reverend Ingraham's original edited version of 'The Prince of the House of David', published by Cassell & Co. Ltd (1903), that reveal remarkable insights into the Living Etheric Record left by Beloved Jesus's Ministry in the Holy Land.