Relevant
*

A Pioneering Woman 

As the ship drew near to the quay, Priscilla busied herself with gathering the few bundles of possessions which she and Aquila had been able to pack hastily in the turmoil of leaving Rome. A few weeks before, they had joined the stream of other Jews forced out of their homes by a crazed
emperor who was looking for a scapegoat on which to pin the blame for a fire which had engulfed huge portions of the city.

Cohorts of his guard had come storming into the Jewish quarter, dragging people out of their houses, looting and destroying them. Aquila had been alerted already, and he and Priscilla quickly closed their shop, and grabbed the canvas bags which held essentials. Hidden deep inside them, under Aquila's tools, were some small bags of coins. He cast a last look around the courtyard which
had been his home and the centre of his successful tentmaking business. Aquila had been born in Pontus in Asia Minor, but after many years in Rome regarded himself as a Roman. But there was no time for a sentimental farewell.

Pushing Priscilla ahead of him, he locked the door of the house, then piled their bundles onto a small handcart. They crossed the courtyard and went out into the street,
pulled the gate shut and padlocked it. The street was full of confused, angry and frightened
people running hither and thither, shouting, piling up possessions. A child stood crying as a harassed young couple tried to balance their cooking pots on an already precarious load. Another man was trying to urge an old woman to climb onto a wagon, but she was refusing to leave. Further up the street, smoke billowed out of a shop. Broken tiles and bricks lay in the road, and gaping holes bore testimony to the violent entry of hordes of pillaging soldiers.

"Come quickly!" urged Aquila as Priscilla turned to help the distressed old lady. "There is no time!"

The couple set off as quickly as the fleeing crowd would allow. Behind them, they heard the sound of another wall crashing down amid cries and wails of despair. Eventually, they arrived at Ostia on the coast. The harbour was thronged with panicking Jews all trying to escape by sea. Aquila and Priscilla managed to obtain passage on a ship bound for Corinth. It was a miserable voyage. People were distressed at the enforced evacuation. In their hurry, they had had little opportunity to gather their possessions or make decisions about their property, and most were simply taking what
they could carry in bundles on their backs. Many had been separated from family members; some had had to leave behind elderly relatives. Priscilla suddenly found herself grateful that she had no children, as she watched distressed mothers trying to console and care for little ones who were frightened and exhausted. Now in her mid-30s, and married for 18 years, she knew it was unlikely now that she would ever have a family; yet she was grateful for health and vigour, enabling her to be a true partner to her hardworking husband.

As the ship drew into port after days at sea, the refugee passengers gazed apprehensively at the scene. The approach to Corinth was through a long, narrowing inlet. Sailing towards the harbour, they began to discern houses clustered closely on both sides and a massive and precipitous cliff dominating the town. The ship tied up at the quay and the passengers disembarked, dragging their
pathetic bundles. Many simply stood and looked around, uncertainty written on their faces.

Priscilla felt her spirits lift. It was good to get off that wretched boat and stretch her legs. All around her, in the heat of the afternoon, was colour and noise. She picked up and identified words from different languages: Persian and Aramaic, as well as the indigenous Greek, and others
totally unknown to her. She smiled at Aquila and took his hand. "This is an interesting place," she said.

"Let's look for an inn to stay in tonight," Aquila suggested, "and then tomorrow we can begin to find our way around the city."

The next day, they began to look for a suitable place to set up their tent-making business. It took a couple of weeks, during which time they carefully spent as little as they could of their savings. It would cost a fair amount not only to rent or buy premises, but also to buy the skins and other materials for making tents and leather goods. They had to make a fresh start, but at least they had
experience and energy. Aquila had decided to diversify into making bags and other leather goods as well as tents. These required fewer resources to make, and were likely to sell more quickly.

Gradually, they found their way around town, and began to make friends and adjust to the different customs. Much to their joy they found a synagogue, where they were welcomed, and so they became part of the community. Other Jewish refugees had also arrived and the congregation swelled considerably. As time went by, the trauma of their hurried eviction from Rome receded and they settled down to life in Corinth. After the first few rocky months, their business was established, and Priscilla applied herself not only to helping Aquila but also to making their home comfortable and hospitable.

She was stirring an appetizing stew one evening, when Aquila came in with a stranger. The man looked tired and travel-stained, Priscilla thought. He was slightly shorter than average for a male, in fact about the same height as Priscilla herself. She judged him to be in his mid-50s, although later she found out that he was about ten years younger. His travels had included some gruelling
experiences which had aged him.

"This is Saul, from Tarsus," Aquila announced. It seemed that Saul had been standing outside the shop fingering some soft leather, when Aquila came out and they started talking. Saul soon divulged that he also was a tent-maker by trade, so they had a lot in common. He was also a Jew.

"My friends call me Paul," he said and invited them to do the same. They smiled, recognizing his nickname as a play on the Latin paulus, meaning "small". His voice was cultured, with a Hebrew accent. He spoke fluent Greek and Latin, although his native tongue was Aramaic. Priscilla and Aquila were more at home in Latin but were improving steadily in Greek. He seemed to have been
travelling widely around the Mediterranean, and had only just arrived in Corinth.

Naturally, Priscilla and Aquila urged Paul to share their meal and, by the end of it, they all felt very easy and relaxed with one another. Priscilla and Aquila were a bit puzzled by some of the things he said, but since they were persuaded that he was, or had been, a Pharisee, they thought he must be orthodox. They told him where the synagogue was so that he could go there on the Sabbath.

It suddenly occurred to Priscilla, remembering their own first night in this city, that Paul might not have lodgings. She tried to catch her husband's eye, but he was already ahead of her.

"Are you going to an inn?" Aquila asked. "Because if you have no other arrangements, you can stay with us."

Gratefully, Paul accepted, and so began a long and fruitful friendship.

The next morning, it seemed natural for Paul to apply his skills in the couple's shop. He worked for Aquila for several months, and continued to lodge with them. He needed to earn some money, and Aquila was appreciative of his expertise.

On the Sabbath, they all went along to the synagogue. As a visitor, and especially as a former rabbi, Paul was invited to read the Scriptures and comment on them. This he did, but took the opportunity to explain that all that was written in the Mosaic Law and the Prophets was pointing toward the coming of the Messiah. The grey heads of the elders in the circle of men nodded solemnly, their fingers stroking their long beards. This much was known.

Paul's next words electrified them: "The Messiah is none other than Jesus of Nazareth whom I serve. He was a rabbi in Galilee, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil. Wicked men, jealous and angry, opposed him, saying he was a blasphemer. They took him to the Romans who gave him an unfair trial and had him executed by crucifixion. He died. But,
like a sacrificial lamb, he was without sin, yet carrying our sin! He was buried in a tomb, but after three days was seen by many people, alive from the dead. I also am a witness, for he appeared to me, and forgave me all my sin. He is the Son of God!"

There was a stunned silence, then pandemonium broke out.
"Blasphemy!"
"How can this man say such things?"
"Be quiet and let him finish!"
"I don't want to hear any more of this."
"Well, I do - I want to know how he can be so sure
he's telling the truth."
"The truth?"

Priscilla, sitting above in the women's gallery, watched transfixed as the normally sedate men, gesticulating wildly, yelled at each other. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, arose and managed to make himself heard.

"Men! Brethren! Calm yourselves! Let us not be hasty! As our visitor has said, the Scriptures do indeed speak of the coming Messiah. How can we know whether this man Jesus is the Messiah or not? Let us take time to examine these things! If it turns out to be nonsense, then we will act accordingly, but if not, we must be prepared to have open hearts." Crispus's words carried weight and the congregation dispersed.

Paul went home with Priscilla and Aquila, where they questioned him eagerly on the claims he had made, until late in the evening. Eventually, Aquila yawned. "We must go to bed; we have work to do tomorrow," he said. "But we'll talk more about this!"

In bed, Priscilla was far too excited to sleep. Aquila was soon snoring at her side, but she stared into the darkness, turning over in her mind the things Paul had spoken of. Perhaps this was their destiny, the reason they had come here: to meet Paul and hear about this man Jesus of Nazareth.


Wendy Virgo is co-founder with husband Terry of Newfrontiers International and has an extensive speaking ministry.

© 2009 Monarch Books
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