As they reached the docks the crowd parted and began walking with them past smaller boats. Sarilia and the babies joined their side as well.
“Are you John, one of the disciples of Jesus?” a woman’s voice called out.
“I am!” he replied to her. “Follow us and we will teach you the word of the Lord!”
As they stepped from the dock onto a sandy dirt road John turned to him once more. “Would you be willing to share your story today and tell these people who you are and what the Lord has done for you?”
Lazarus breathed deeply. It was a breath of purpose, of strength. “I can think of no better time than now, with you by my side.”
The dirt road they walked weaved up a hillside covered in vibrant green vegetation. As they reached a plateau of higher ground that stretched out before them, Lazarus marveled at the beauty of the trees covering the land. A ways off he could see a stream weaving through the earth and people gathered around it.
“That is where we go,” John told him. “Believers of Christ have come to be baptized there. Some are from Cyprus and others have fled from Jerusalem in hopes of finding a safer place to be a Christian in Cyprus.”
Birds sang in the trees above them. The air felt calming around Lazarus’ body.
חַי
The crowd parted as John and Lazarus approached. The people spoke in hushed tones to each other, interested in this disciple who had come to their land and curious to see who the man who walked so closely with him was.
“He will bring the words of Christ to the rest of Cyprus,” a man’s voice spoke nearby.
“Surely he’s an imposter,” another man said.
“Do you think he can heal the sick, like they say Jesus did?” Lazarus heard a woman to his side ask.
As he neared the flowing river Lazarus stretched his hands, feeling nervous about what he would soon do. Sunlight streamed through openings in the tree limbs above, reflecting off of the water’s current. A beam of sunlight came to rest on Lazarus’ chest. It warmed him. They stopped walking, turning around to face the crowd.
“Thank you for welcoming us!” John called out to the people. “It is true I am John, a disciple of Jesus, and I have come to Cyprus to help spread the word of the Lord! Tomorrow we will meet in the streets of Salamis to spread the teachings of Jesus to many who do not yet believe! But today we gather at this stream to baptize those who wish to devote themselves to the Lord! Before you come forward, though, there is a man I wish to introduce to you! You should hear his story! This is…”
“Lazarus!” a woman suddenly called to him from the crowd.
The voice was familiar somehow. As he looked to where the voice came from he saw two women forcing their way toward him. “Lazarus, it’s your sisters!” One of the women shouted.
He was stunned. “Mary? Martha?”
Both women ran to him, wrapping their arms around him as tears streamed from their eyes.
Lazarus cried also and embraced the feeling of the tears streaming down his cheeks. “My sisters, how did you come to be in Cyprus?”
Mary stepped back and held his hand. “After the soldiers came to take you we became afraid they would come for us as well. We fled here out of fear.”
“And now the Lord has brought us back together,” Martha spoke through tears as she continued to embrace her brother.
“I love you both so much. I wanted to return to you in Bethany but could not for fear of my life.”
“Lazarus… Lazarus of Bethany?” a man called out from the crowd. “I have heard of the Lord’s miracle through you! They say you were resurrected from death by Jesus of Nazareth! Are you that man?”
Lazarus lifted a hand and wiped tears from his eyes. “What you hear is true! I am the man who was dead, who Jesus called to and brought back from the darkness to the world of the living!”
A woman with a crippled back walked forward with a cane. “Can you heal others through your touch as they say Jesus did?”
Lazarus felt heavy. “No. I am but a man, but I will do what I can to share my story and find a way to help the people I can.”
A man stepped forward. “Would you baptize me? I have never received baptism and I want to do this to show my love and dedication to the Lord.”
Lazarus looked to John. “I…”
“If you want to give this gift from the Lord I believe he would look well on it. You do not need to be a priest to share the Lord’s love, just a man with a caring heart.” John stepped toward the stream and waited.
“Yes, I will baptize you. I am honored to share your experience with you. Come, come into the water and dedicate your life to the Lord.” Lazarus turned and walked into the stream. As the water rushed around his body, through his robe, he thought of his own baptism by John. “What is your name?” he asked the other man as he entered the stream with him.
“I am Markaus. Cyprus has always been my home.”
“Markaus, you wish forgiveness of your sins? Do you believe that Jesus is the son? Do you believe that God is the father and accept him as your Lord?”
“Yes. When I walk in the Lord’s ways I feel stronger. His love warms me.”
“Then come with me, Markaus of Cyprus. Come to my arms so that I may baptize you.”
Markaus waded toward him in the gentle stream. The stream’s current flowed around their forms. As Markaus neared him, Lazarus held a hand to his back. He could feel the warmth of the man against his hand. Please be with me, Lord. Please help me in giving this gift. Help me to share your warmth and love. “May the Lord’s love flow into you and may he work through you for all your days.” Lazarus leaned Markaus back, dunking him into the stream.
Afterword
Lazarus stayed in Cyprus for the remainder of his life, preaching the Lord’s word in the city of Salamis. He grew to love Sarilia and together they raised her child and the boy he rescued from the Dead Sea.
He grew to understand it was not what God gave him that made him a better man, but instead was what he did to spread the Lord’s word and help others that enriched his life.
Fact and Fiction
Thoughts from the Author
The resurrection of Lazarus of Bethany is something that has fascinated me from a young age. The idea that Jesus brought a man back from death gives an idea of God’s true power and compassion. It shows that God truly can do anything and that Jesus was his son.
As a child a question lingered in my mind after learning of Lazarus’ resurrection. How did returning from the world of the dead effect Lazarus? How did he feel about the miracle that was performed? This book is my attempt at answering that question.
Facts
There was not much written of Lazarus after his resurrection but we do know some things. Here are the parts of Lazarus, Man which we know occurred.
- According to the Bible, Lazarus of Bethany was resurrected by Jesus of Nazareth. He exited his tomb and was met by his sisters, Mary and Martha, and Jesus as well as a crowd who gathered to witness the miracle.
- Six days before Passover Jesus and his disciples returned to eat a meal in Lazarus’ house where Mary bathed Jesus’ feet. Judas questioned her for using her ointment on Jesus’ feet instead of selling it and donating what denarii she received to the poor.
- Caesar demanded Jesus and Lazarus be hunted down and tried, forcing Lazarus and his sisters to flee their home in Bethany.
- Jesus was tried by Pontius Pilate at the temple mount and much of the conversation in this part of the book through Jesus’ crucifixion was taken directly from the Bible. Jesus’ freedom was offered to the crowd but the group chose to free Barab’bas instead. All accounts involving the Pharisees are accurate as well.
- After his trial at the Temple Mount Jesus was taken to a seat on a mosaic stone area where he was declared guilty and given over to the mob for crucifixion.
- Jesus carried his cross through the streets of Jerusalem toward Gol’gotha, a hill where he was crucified alongside two common criminals. Dur
ing this journey Jesus could no longer carry his own cross and so a foreign man, probably with black skin, who was passing through, was pulled from the crowd.
- Hours before Jesus died darkness covered the world. Jesus died as light came back to the world and after his death there was a great earthquake.
- Jesus was buried in a tomb not far from Gol’gotha. After three days and three nights he was raised up from the dead and over the course of 40 days to come he appeared to Mary Magdalene, his disciples and others.
- His disciples would begin spreading the word of Christ throughout the world.
- Cyprus is one of the possible places Lazarus was rumored to have fled to with his sisters. It is believed that he spent the remainder of his life preaching the word of God.
Fiction
We may never know what happened in between the time when Lazarus fled and his time preaching the word of God. Did he separate from his sisters? What went on in his mind? Did he encounter Jesus’ disciples again?
It is my hope to capture some of what Lazarus may have experienced. We know him as a story, a miracle that was performed. I hope to show him as a Man, something we can personally relate to.
Characters
Barbacus – a leper living by the Dead Sea
Barab’bas – the criminal Pontius Pilate freed when Jesus was crucified
Caesar – the dictator of the Roman Empire, including Jerusalem, during Jesus’ time
Eli’jah – according to the Book of Kings, Eli’jah defended the worship of God over that of the more popular Baal. He raised the dead and brought fire down from the sky.
Jesus – the Son of God
John – one of Jesus’ disciples
Judas – one of Jesus’ disciples
Lazarus – the man Jesus resurrected from the dead
Markaus – a man in Cyprus
Martha – Lazarus’ sister
Mary – Lazarus’ sister
Mathious – a blind beggar in Antioch
Matthew – a leper living by the Dead Sea
Messiah – the savior and redeemer of humanity
Nicholas – a leper living by the Dead Sea
Pharisees – religious leaders and fundamentalists in the Jewish society at the time of Jesus who focused on strict observance of Jewish laws, ceremonies and traditions.
Pontius Pilate - the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, the judge at Jesus’ trial and the man who authorized Jesus’ crucifixion
Rock-Rabbit – one of the few creatures that live by the Dead Sea
Sarilia – the midwife in John’s caravan
The Lord - God
Thomas – a man from Zeboiim, Matthew’s brother
Places
Antioch – a city along the east of the Mediterranean Sea
Bethany – a village to the east of Jerusalem where Lazarus’ home is
Bethlehem – the birthplace of Jesus
Cyprus – an island in the Mediterranean Sea
Gol’gotha – the site outside of Jerusalem’s walls where Jesus was crucified
Jericho – a city of Israel
Jerusalem – Israel’s largest city and the location of Jesus’ conviction
Judea – a territory within the land of Israel whose boundaries were variously defined at different stages of bible history
Nazareth – the childhood home of Jesus
Salamis – a city in the east of Cyprus
Selencia – one of Antioch’s ports along the Mediterranean Sea
Temple Mount – the place where the crowd gathered to witness Jesus’ trial in Jerusalem
The Dead Sea – a salt lake that the Jordan River feeds into, to the east of Israel
The Jordan River – the river serving as the eastern border of Israel which flows into the Dead Sea
The Mediterranean Sea – a sea which connects to the Atlantic Ocean and is to the west of Israel
Zeboiim – the last city along the end of the Dead Sea
Things
חַי – the Hebrew symbol for “living”
Praetorium – an officer’s quarters or judgment hall
Also by Scott J. Toney
Thomas, the young King of Havilah, is drawn to a forest beyond his lands. Here he discovers seven figs, fruit from the long forgotten Eden.
In the land of Cush, Princess Lilya suffers under the rule of her father, until the day when young King Thomas of Havilah invites her away to his lands. There, she hopes to find peace she has never known.
But Thomas has been drawn to a foreign land, to figs he hopes are from Eden and the Tree of Life. When he eats them to heal his wounds things change within him, distorting him in ways he could not predict.
Now Lilya must make a decision. Does she stand by Thomas' side or act to dispel the evil consuming his soul? Amidst this world Lilya has befriended a dragon. There are secrets within the beast that could determine all their fates.
“…utterly believable and yet simultaneously fantastical! This is not unlike the styling of C.S. Lewis. It is an epic, fantasy tale that will hit home with all readers, and when the last page is reached, leave them with a thirst looking for more of Scott J. Toney’s writings!”
– Laura A. Diaz, author of They Call Me Blanca
1
The Fruit
Dense mist draped around Thomas, the young king of Havilah, as he rode his steed through an overgrown trail of serpentine vines and luscious vegetation. The gray air smelt of ash and honey. Flowers bloomed through the land’s mists and fog. His personal guards; Pine, Juniper and Cypress, rode steadily behind him. Their horses had hair the color of coal.
“We should turn back sire,” Juniper spoke to his king as his horse neighed and threw its head, trying to dislodge its reigns. “There is nothing here but dense woods.”
“No, just a short distance further,” Thomas called back to his men, wiping dampness from his face. Why was it that he felt pulled to this land? He did not know what it was that had made him desire to leave his kingdom, but he had felt something unknown pulling him toward this foreign land for many days. He had sailed on the Pishon River to another river and then to this forest of great beauty and mists. But for what?
His horse stumbled on a decaying log and he had to force its head up to stop it from bolting. It picked its way through the roots and vines littering the ground. Thomas looked around him. There were no birds here, no animals of any kind that he could see. As he rode his horse farther, the lure he felt to this place grew. Some unknown attraction called to his soul from the earth below and the taste of ash grew in the air.
He was here.
He dismounted. His leather boots sank into a swamp-like mud. A sucking sensation tickled at their soles. Cautiously, Thomas stretched his cloaked arm into mists drifting about the ground next to a decaying tree. The tree’s bark was charred and its crooked, rotting form leaned to the side. He felt around the cool air and moist soil until his hands touched on something firm but malleable. As he withdrew his hand from the mists there were three shriveled, greenish-brown objects in his palm.
“Figs sire?” Pine called to Thomas as he rode near. The guard’s horse stomped its hooves in the swampy earth.
“Are they not wondrous,” the king said. ''They rival any growing in our gardens and here they grow wild, without care.” A surge of strength pulsed through Thomas’s hand. They feel like sacks of skin, he thought. “I don’t know how I know, but these are what we’ve come for.”
“We should have care, my lord,” Juniper said. “It shall be dark soon.”
“Yes,” he wondered at the figs. “We should make haste.” Thomas collected seven figs from the ground and placed them in a sack strapped to his steed’s side before remounting her. Eerie warmth exuded from the fruit as he turned his horse and headed back toward their ship. He felt grateful to have found what he had come for.
As the group of four rode quickly from the dense woods, leaves from trees around them become brittle and fell. Thomas and his g
uards reached the unknown river and the young king turned his steed around so that he could better see the land. Darkness hovered over the place and he suddenly saw shadows moving restlessly through the trees. “Board and pull up the plank quickly,” he instructed his men.
Once their horses were safely led below deck Thomas helped lift anchor and secure the rigging. The rope braids burned against his hands as he worked them. There was something inherently wrong about this place and he didn’t want to find out what those shadows were.
Below deck their horses whinnied as the men and their servants released grand white sails into the winds and began directing the vessel back to the river Pishon. At the port side of the bow of his ship, Thomas stood leaning against the sturdy wood of the railing. He listened to the sound of the sails catching the wind. He shivered as he watched the shadows leaping through the trees along the shore where they had come from. Beastly howls came from the shadows and the woods.
A cool nervousness ran up his spine.
2
First Sight
In the dark of her room, tucked warm beneath her covers, Princess Lilya of Cush shook with fear as someone beat against the outside of her room’s door.
THOOM! THOOM! The noise echoed across the room’s chilled stone walls. Lilya imagined the wood flexing with each beating.