Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Bronze Bow, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Love vs. Vengeance
Trust, Dependence, and Friendship
Leadership: Power vs. Service
Earthly Hopes vs. Heavenly Values
Summary
Analysis
Daniel bar Jamin, a tall, slender 18-year-old with tanned skin and expressive dark eyes, stands on a mountain path overlooking the sea. He is a Galilean, whose homeland, Palestine, has been conquered by the Romans. Daniel refuses to accept this occupation, however, and won’t recognize the rule of Emperor Tiberius.
Galilee is a mostly rural, mountainous region in the northern part of what’s now Israel. (Throughout the book, characters refer to Galilee as part of the geographical region of Palestine; “Israel” is a religious designation for the nation of the Jewish people.) Beginning in the early 1st century C.E., Galilee was ruled by the Romans under Tiberius. Daniel’s longing for the overthrow of Roman rule establishes one of the story’s primary tensions.
Themes
The olive terraces are filled with signs of spring, but Daniel is focused on two figures moving on the path above him. Preferring to forget life in the valley below, he resents their appearance on the mountain. Yet he’s curious about the boy and girl, apparently brother and sister. He soon recognizes the boy as Joel bar Hezron, with whom Daniel once attended the synagogue school, and Joel’s twin sister, Malthace.
Though Daniel apparently has a connection to a more conventional Galilean life, he wants to forget it for some reason, suggesting his past is complicated. Joel and Malthace’s appearance threatens to bring that past into the present again.
Themes
Daniel used to sit up here and think about his grandmother and sister Leah, living in the village of Ketzah below. He’d stopped thinking about them for a long time, but seeing Joel and Malthace has reminded him. Though self-conscious about his ragged tunic, Daniel emerges from the rocks and awkwardly greets the two. Startled, they hold their ground and soon recognize Daniel as the runaway apprentice of the blacksmith, Amalek.
Having ties in both places, Daniel feels torn between life on the mountain and life in the village—a tension which will persist in the story. Joel and Malthace’s reaction suggests that Daniel has a reputation for rebellious actions.
Themes
Daniel asks for news of his grandmother and sister. Malthace knows of them, but she tells Daniel that Leah never comes out of the house, and nobody has ever seen her. Daniel wishes he hadn’t asked. Joel adds that another apprentice, Simon the Zealot, has opened his own shop now. Daniel remembers Simon as a good man, and he asks Joel to tell Simon that he’s up here on the mountain. Joel agrees, but he asks Daniel why he doesn’t return to the village himself. Daniel points out that even though it’s been five years, he’d still get dragged back to Amalek if he showed his face in Ketzah.
Though it’s unclear why, Daniel’s grandmother and sister are associated with painful memories. Daniel’s choice to run away from Amalek prevents him from seeing his family. Apprentices were legally bound to their masters—in cases like this, virtually enslaved. If Daniel returned to Ketzah, he could be forced to resume his servitude.
Themes
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When Daniel tries to walk away, Joel and Malthace invite him to share their lunch. Wary but hungry, Daniel agrees. He’s surprised when Malthace pours water over Joel’s hands—he hasn’t seen the hand-washing ritual in five years. Though embarrassed, he lets Malthace pour water for him, too. The three share olives, flatbread, and honey cakes. Slowly, Daniel relaxes.
Washing hands before meals was a Jewish ritual, though it is not written in the biblical Law. (This matter comes up again later in the story.) Daniel’s embarrassment suggests that he hasn’t been a religiously observant Jew for years and feels uncomfortable about that fact. Meanwhile, he tentatively begins to trust the twins.
Themes
In answer to Joel’s questions, Daniel explains that he first fled here to hide from Amalek. Hungry, cold, and wounded from Amalek’s recent beating, Daniel wandered until Rosh found and rescued him. He tells Joel that Rosh is a good man, and that he and the other men in the caves hunt for their food. Daniel also made himself a forge in order to continue his blacksmith trade. Joel says he’s studying to become a rabbi, although he’s learned the sandal-making trade, too. Today, he and Malthace snuck up here to explore while they have the chance—soon, they’re moving from Ketzah to the nearby city of Capernaum.
Amalek treated Daniel cruelly, prompting him to run away from village life altogether. This also explains Daniel’s fervent loyalty to Rosh, the man who rescued him and gave him a new life on the mountain.
Themes
Suddenly Daniel notices Roman legionaries further down the mountain. He spits contemptuously. His eyes meet Joel’s, and he sees that Joel hates the Romans, too. Malthace feels left out of the conversation. She looks down at the valley and wants to know where Joshua once marched into battle. Daniel points to the battle plain. Years ago, Rosh had pointed to the same sight, and it gave Daniel something to live for.
Daniel misses no opportunity to show his disdain for the Roman oppressors—it’s his life’s primary passion and motivation. Even though Joel lives a more conventional Galilean life, his feelings are much the same. Part of Daniel’s motivation is his sense of connection to Jewish history (Joshua led the Israelites into the “promised land” in which they now live).
Themes
Joel and Malthace talk about their childhood longing for the Messiah. Joel imagined that he would be the first to see and announce the Messiah’s coming. That’s why he doesn’t want to move to Capernaum—he doesn’t want to miss the Messiah’s arrival. He believes that the Messiah will be ushered in by armed, trained men, and that such men can be found here. A glance at Daniel confirms Joel’s suspicions.
Jews waited for the coming of the Messiah, a divine figure who was expected to restore the nation of Israel from its oppressors and introduce God’s kingdom on earth. Joel believes that the kingdom will be brought about, in part, by military means, a common belief.
Themes
As Daniel leads Joel and Malthace back down to the main road, he regrets talking with them—they’ve stirred up unwanted memories. While Malthace is distracted, Joel whispers to Daniel that he’s heard rumors of Rosh—that he fought in Judas’s rebellion against the Romans—and had hoped to meet him. Unable to restrain his pride, Daniel tells Joel that Rosh is as great as the rumors say. Someday, all of Israel will know about him. Joel longs to join Rosh’s band in the mountains, but he’s afraid to disappoint his father. Daniel wonders what it would be like to have a family waiting for him. But then one of Rosh’s sentries, Ebol, appears on the path.
Daniel is torn between the opportunity for friendship and the possibility that his friends will draw him back into village life in ways he doesn’t want. Earlier in the first century, a figure named Judas of Galilee led a rebellion against Roman taxation. Rosh’s rumored association with this figure would make him a hero in many people’s eyes. Though Joel longs to become part of the rebellious action on the mountain, Daniel feels a wistful tug at the thought of having a family who expects him to come home.
Themes
