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 awakens to a silent Sabbath morning. Soon, Simon knocks on the door and invites Daniel to join him for the synagogue service. He says there’s going to be a visiting preacher from Nazareth. Though Daniel is reluctant, Simon has brought Daniel a clean cloak and shoes to wear. This persuades Daniel to go along.
Carrying a bundle of clothes on the Sabbath would be considered work—against the Jewish laws governing the day of rest. Because Simon carried clothes for Daniel anyway, it shows that he takes this invitation very seriously, and Daniel feels obligated to accept.
Themes
As they walk to the synagogue, Daniel tells Simon about his homecoming—his grandmother just sleeps nowadays, and Leah remains demon-possessed. He explains that when Leah was five, she started hiding in the house and hasn’t come out since. He is somewhat cheered, though, when Simon tells him that Leah does good weaving, which is sold in a nearby city.
Leah’s weakness and withdrawal are interpreted as demon-possession, a condition that’s understood to cut her off from God and from the normal rhythms of community life. Yet Leah is still capable of contributing something worthwhile, suggesting she isn’t as lost as she seems.
Themes
Simon explains that the preacher, Jesus, is the son of Joseph, a carpenter. Jesus has left carpentry and begun traveling between towns, proclaiming the arrival of the “kingdom.” In his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus was nearly killed. The people of Ketzah crowd into the small synagogue. Anticipation builds during the reading from the Torah, which is given in both Hebrew and Aramaic.
Aramaic and Hebrew are from the same linguistic family. Aramaic would have been spoken by Jews in Palestine in Jesus’s time; thus, an Aramaic paraphrase of the Hebrew Bible passage would be offered.
Themes
When the stranger mounts the synagogue platform, there’s nothing especially striking about his appearance. He is dressed simply. Yet when Daniel gets a glimpse of his face, he’s stirred by the look of intensity. He feels that Jesus is “one of us,” a fighter.
Outwardly, there’s little about Jesus to suggest that he is anything special. But his expression makes Daniel think that Jesus must be on his side—a Zealot.
Themes
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When Jesus reads the Torah passage, which begins “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” he actually recites it from memory. His confident voice is both gentle and powerful. When he finishes reading, he tells the congregation that God’s kingdom is now at hand, and therefore they must repent and believe. But when Jesus says nothing more, Daniel feels let down. Why didn’t Jesus tell them to rise up against the Romans?
The passage quoted here is from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. Jesus’s reading suggests that the prophecy is coming true here and now—yet he doesn’t explain how. In the New Testament, a scene like this occurs in three of the Gospels, only it takes place in Jesus’s hometown of Nazareth.
Themes
As they leave the synagogue, Daniel, disappointed, asks Simon if Jesus is a Zealot or not. Simon doesn’t answer directly. Instead he tells Daniel about the attempt to kill Jesus in Nazareth. People thought Jesus was calling himself God’s anointed messiah, even though everyone knew he was a local carpenter’s son. He isn’t sure how Jesus escaped. Just as the crowd was about to push Jesus over a cliff, they fell back. Then Jesus walked away, calmly and fearlessly. Daniel again feels disappointed. He wishes Jesus had fought back.
Daniel doesn’t know what to make of his first encounter with Jesus. It’s not clear whose side Jesus is on, or whose views he aligns with. Either way, Jesus stirs up controversy wherever he goes. To some people, Jesus feels like a threat, hence the assassination attempt. Yet, to others like Daniel, Jesus falls short of their hopes. His role in the coming of God’s kingdom remains a puzzle.
Themes
As Daniel wanders home toward his grandmother’s house, he hears a trumpet blaring. People scramble out of the street. A small group of Roman cavalry and foot soldiers march past. Daniel feels filled with hatred, especially when he sees that some of the soldiers are Samaritan mercenaries. He yells, “Infidels!” but two men yank him out of the way, covering his mouth. When the men release him, they call him a troublemaking Zealot. When they hear Daniel’s name—bar Jamin—they say he ought to have known better.
The people of neighboring Samaria were racially mixed, both Jewish and Gentile. Because of their assimilation to aspects of Gentile culture, Jews often looked down on Samaritans as people who diluted and betrayed Judaism. Being a mercenary (fighting for the Romans for money) was even worse. But Daniel’s scorn threatens to bring down the soldiers’ wrath on everybody. The men’s comment hints that there’s more to Daniel’s family background that hasn’t yet been revealed.
Themes
That night, Daniel retreats to the rooftop soon after dinner. He overlooks the village with disdain. The people of Ketzah seem oblivious to their oppression and unwilling to act. At first, it seemed like Jesus was different, but he, too, offered only words. Daniel knows that Rosh and his army will someday act, and Daniel will be with them. After that, he’ll be able to take care of his grandmother and Leah properly. He climbs down from the roof and heads back up the trail toward the mountain cave. When he gets there, he’s greeted by Samson’s beaming smile.
Daniel doesn’t feel he belongs in the village. He looks down on the villagers for not standing up to the Romans. They don’t even seem sufficiently angry about their oppression. Daniel feels that even Jesus is a disappointment in this regard. He returns to the mountain, where at least he knows exactly where he fits in.
Themes
