At that a soft respecting applause filled the room. Then murmurs and finally roars of approbation.
Joseph went on, arms still raised.
"Show the Governor your fervor, yes. Jason, show your eloquence, if you will, yes. Speak to this man in your perfect Latin, yes. But walk and talk in peace, do you hear me? I tell you once the glittering swords of the Romans are unsheathed, they will cut down all of us. A Roman army will make the way straight to this village."
Jason turned to face him and then clutched Joseph's right hand as if they were in agreement.
"As the Lord lives," Jason cried out. "They will take down those ensigns or drink our blood. It's their decision."
One voice of wild accord rose to answer him.
Jason jumped down from the bench and marched forward, pushing everyone out of his path, and soon the whole assembly was trying to get out of the door and into the street to follow him.
Benches rattled and clattered and babies sobbed.
The Rabbi sat down wearily and leant his head against my shoulder. My nephews Shabi and Isaac escaped from James' hands and squeezed past others to run after their brother Menachim.
I thought James would go mad.
Jason turned in the door, reemerging from the angry sea of those around him. He looked back as all streamed past him.
"And will you not come with us, you above all?" he demanded. He flung out his pointing finger.
"No," I said. I shook my head and looked away.
The sound of my answer hadn't carried in the din, but the shape of it did, and he was gone and all the younger men with him.
The street was so full of torches it might as well have been the night of the Exodus from Egypt. Men were now laughing and hollering as they dodged in and out of their houses to get their heavy woolen robes and wineskins for the trek.
James caught his young son, Isaac, and when Isaac, a boy of no more than ten, struggled, Avigail suddenly seized him and demanded fiercely, "What, would you leave me here alone? Do you think no one has to take care of this village?"
She held fast to him in a way that his father could never have done, because Isaac wouldn't fight her. And she rallied to herself the other young boys, all that she could see. "You come here, Yaqim, and you too, Little Levi. And you, Benjamin!" Silent Hannah took up the exhortations.
Of course other women, young and old, were doing the same, each dragging out of the march any whom they could handle.
And into the village came more men from the countryside, farmhands, men of the villages near and far that everyone knew, and I saw finally even the soldiers, Herod's soldiers from Sepphoris.
"Are you with us?" someone shouted.
I covered my ears.
I walked on into the house.
Avigail all but dragged Isaac in with her. James was too angry to look at him. Menachim and Shabi were already on their way out as we entered, and Menachim looked once at James as if he would cry, but then he said, "Father, I have to go!" and off he went as James turned his back, and let his head sink on his chest.
Little Isaac began to cry. "My brothers, I have to go with them, Avigail."
"You will not," Avigail said. She reached for her ducklings. "I tell you, you will stay here with me." She held six or seven of them in thrall.
My mother helped Joseph to be seated near the fire.
"How can this all begin again?" asked Cleopas. "And where is Silas!" he suddenly demanded. "Where is Little Joseph?" He looked around in panic. "Where are my sons!" he roared.
"They're gone," said Avigail. "They came to the assembly ready to go." She shook her head at the pity of it. She held Isaac by his wrist, though he struggled.
Avigail's father, Shemayah, came into the room, hulking, breathless, out of sorts - he saw Avigail with her children, and making a disgusted gesture walked out and home before anyone could offer him a cup of wine or water.
Avigail sat amongst the boys, most of them ten or eleven years old, and one, Yaqim, who was twelve. She held fast to Yaqim's hand just as she held Isaac's hand. Yaqim had no mother, and in all likelihood his father was drunk in the tavern.