The Bronze Bow: Chapter 4 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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.