Claudia, Wife of Pontius Pilate: A Novel (17 page)

Jeremiah went on. “My people sinned many times, and the Lord God allowed other people to conquer our land over the centuries.”

“Like the Roman armies?”

He looked away from her. Finally, in a low voice he murmured. “Yes, my lady, like the Roman armies.”

With a deep sigh, he rose from the bench and without another word, walked away. He had not waited for her to dismiss him, and for a moment she was tempted to reprimand him. Then, turning, she instead looked up into the face of her maidservant and saw there the import of his words.

 26 

A
s the coach rolled toward Jerusalem, Claudia had mixed emotions. She was glad to be able to see the city she had heard so much about. She understood only a little more about the Jews. It was the time of Passover and the city would be crowded with pilgrims all flocking to their holy city for one of their most important holy days. She had prayed there would not be any incidents. While Lucius had troops there, she believed they would be outnumbered if there was a riot of any kind. She hoped it would be a peaceful time for both of them. Hotep seemed to enjoy the scenery too, commenting on the beautiful flowers they passed.

Lucius rode on ahead with his troops but ordered a detail to escort her coach into the city. Lucius hadn’t told her much about their quarters, and she wondered if at last they would have their own house.

It was the Jewish month of Nisan, and the barley fields were like seas of golden grain. The spring rains caused the countryside to blossom in green foliage, and along the sides of the road, purple pentagonias and blue lupins vied for space on the hillsides along with the orange vetchling that slipped in around the fields. Fortunately, now that the rainy season had ended, the roads were no longer strips of heavy mud.

The steady rocking of the coach didn’t help Claudia’s stomach, and she was forced to ask the driver to stop several times. Hotep insisted
she try to keep her stomach full with bread. Claudia also sipped a little diluted wine. The detachment of soldiers was patient with the stops, knowing they would answer to their prefect if she did not arrive in good order.

While she had seen little of her husband’s temper so far, mostly in regard to the incident with the banners, Claudia knew he could be harsh. With sudden realization, she hoped she would never be the recipient of his anger.

Along the road, the coach passed hundreds of pilgrims heading toward Jerusalem. Some carried bundles of clothing and baskets of produce—pomegranates, grapes, figs, and vegetables. Some could afford to ride donkeys and a few rode camels, but most walked. Some of the men had a lamb around their shoulders to present for the sacrifice of Passover. Here and there she passed an ox with its horns painted gold. Garlands of flowers were draped around its neck and over its haunches. She didn’t know the significance of this in regard to the Passover ceremonies but enjoyed the sight.

The mass of people gradually moved aside for the Roman soldiers and the coach, and Claudia caught the eyes of some of the people. Some stared openly, others looked away. Some seemed to dismiss her with a glance.

As the coach approached the city itself, Claudia looked out at huge walls that seemed to gleam pure white in the bright sunshine. Streams of travelers entered the gates of the city from as many directions as she could see, and the coach was finally forced to slow down behind the crowd. When the pilgrims heard the shouting of the soldiers and saw the coach, they gradually parted to either side of the road to avoid being trampled by the horses. As the soldiers shouted rudely at the crowd to make way, Claudia shrank back in the coach. This was not going to endear the governor to the Jews.

Once in the city, she was astonished at the size of the magnificent Temple that rose proudly to overlook the city. Its gleaming walls would have enclosed at least ten hippodromes like the one in Caesarea. Gold
covered the sides of the walls, and Claudia felt she had never seen anything like it. She recalled the words of Jeremiah and for a moment could imagine a king like Solomon as Jeremiah had described him, ruling over a city like this and worshiping at a temple of this tremendous size.

Hotep’s eyes were wide as she also saw the Temple. “Oh, Domina, surely their god must be very great to have such a temple!”

They passed through traditional marketplaces full of ambitious vendors and pilgrims haggling over prices of goods and trying to outshout each other. Slaves and servants were busy buying food and necessary provisions for their households. Farmers laid out their fresh fruits and vegetables, spreading them out on rugs for those passing by to examine. Tables were set up to display various goods and trinkets. The din was enough to make both women cover their ears.

They passed the front of the Antonia fortress and Claudia could see a large number of soldiers milling about. The Antonia was the headquarters of the present cohorts of soldiers. Also it held the Praetorium, the civil headquarters of the governor. She looked intently as they went by, wondering if Lucius was there.

The coach continued across to the newer part of the city on the western side and approached another large fortress, the second palace of Herod. She sighed heavily. Another palace to live in and still no quarters of their own.

When they paused in front of the palace, to her relief, Lucius was there to open the door and help her out.

“My dear wife, you have arrived safely. How are you feeling?”

“I feel like a great cow. I am glad to finally be here, Lucius.”

He put an arm around her waist and helped her mount the steps from the courtyard. As she went up the steps a couple of sharp pains in her abdomen caught her, but she did her best to conceal it from Lucius.

From every angle, all she could see were mosaic floors of magnificent colors, marble statues, and fountains. The palace was beautiful and spacious.

They were met by Chuza, the palace steward. He was very tall, slightly stooped, and thin to the point of looking as if a strong wind would blow him away. His hair, peppered with gray, belied a boyish face and eyes that twinkled when he looked at her. He bowed and spread his hand toward the palace. “Welcome, my lady, to Jerusalem.”

He led them down the corridors that faintly resembled the palace in Rome and opened the door to a richly furnished room. Herod had spared no expense in the lavish guest rooms of his palace. There was a dining alcove with a table and two chairs surrounded by pots of beautiful flowers that made Claudia want to seek the garden as soon as she was able. A couch with bright silk cushions sat in another alcove by a window.
A wonderful place to work on my embroidery
, Claudia thought to herself. The bed was enormous, with coverings of rich tapestry and silk.

The floors of their room were made of mosaic in shades of soft brown and green, with thick Persian rugs strewn here and there.

Chuza directed the servants to bring in her trunks, then bowed to Lucius, and the servants left the room.

Fortunately she had packed few household goods. Hotep began putting away Claudia’s clothes and personal belongings.

Ignoring the handmaid, who tactfully kept her back to them, Lucius took her in his arms and kissed her. “That is a prelude to a later time, beloved,” he murmured in her ear. “Rest yourself for a while. We will have our dinner in the dining hall. I have invited some guests to join us. I will make Hotep acquainted with our residence while you sleep.”

She stayed in his arms a moment, reluctant to let him go. He gently put her from him and, with another admonition to rest, left the room.

Hotep came and removed Claudia’s stola and sandals and tucked her mistress in the great bed under a warm, thick coverlet. Within moments of lying down, Claudia slept.

When she awoke, she was alone. She wrapped her palla around her and moved slowly over to a window. Though they were high up in the palace, Claudia could still hear the faint din from the crowds of
people moving through the Kidron Valley to the city gates. From her vantage point she was able to see over the city to the Temple. At least they were not in the heart of the city, the noise of which still echoed in her ears. She glanced a moment at a large knoll outside the city walls. A tall post seemed outlined in the light of the setting sun and she wondered what it was.

She contemplated the stories Jeremiah had told her, and wanted to know more about these strange people who worshiped only one God and were willing to die for him. Was there someone in the palace here in Jerusalem who could enlighten her?

With a shrug, she turned from the window and began to explore their new quarters. She opened a door in the wall and found a small room with a bench over a hole to take care of bodily needs. There was a small statue bending over a basin with a spigot for water, and she marveled at the care with which Herod planned his palace. Water from the sink could be poured down a small opening leading to a cistern.

A large pot sat over a stove that could be fed by small branches, heating the water in the pot. She ran her fingers around the copper pot and marveled. She saw no place to bathe and wondered if there were baths here where she could go with Hotep. They were near the newer part of the city. Perhaps the Jews had public baths like the Romans.

Hotep opened the door and smiled to see her mistress awake. “Are you wishing a bath, Domina?”

“I was looking around but don’t see a place here. Are there public baths?”

“Not in the city, but here in the palace, or rather I should say, the tower. There are many towers here, are there not?”

“I don’t remember. All I could think of was seeing Lucius.”

“Come with me, and I will take you to the bath tower.”

Claudia followed her down a corridor and across a stone bridge, and they entered a tiled room with mosaics implanted in the walls in flower patterns. A fountain fed a large stone bowl of water and went out again through a drain. A rectangular bath sat on a dais with
marble steps leading up to it. She reached down and tested the water, finding it was nicely warm.

When she turned to Hotep with her eyebrows raised in question, her handmaid showed her the opening on the other side of the bath that held wood and other fuel. The coals were glowing a soft orange. She lost no time in shedding her clothes and was carefully helped into the soothing water by Hotep. She felt so unwieldy. As she soaked, she marveled at the movements of the child. She smiled to herself remembering the night she was curled up to Lucius’s back and the baby had kicked, startling him. She’d taken his hand and gently laid it on her abdomen where a small foot moved under his hand. His eyes had widened in astonishment.

The warm water soothed the ache in the small of her back. “I could stay here all evening,” she murmured.

Hotep laughed. “I believe your husband expects you at dinner, Domina.”

On the way back from the baths, Claudia looked out at the other towers similar to the one they were in and the one that housed their living quarters.

The towers were extremely tall—she guessed around ninety cubits high. The outer stones of the towers were of white marble, each stone nearly twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide, fitted so close together that they looked like one piece of stone. She stood looking at the towers until Hotep urged her back to her quarters to dress.

Her collection of clothing was considered and several togas discarded until finally Claudia chose a red shawl over a soft white toga and her silver sandals and belt. While Hotep was arranging her hair, Claudia looked at her meager collection of jewelry.

“We must go to the marketplace to see if they have a street of goldsmiths. It will never do for the wife of the governor to wear the same few pieces of jewelry over and over.”

“Mmmm,” murmured Hotep with a silver hairpin in her mouth as she concentrated on a curl.

“Where are we dining? Did Lucius show you where to go?”

Hotep secured the curl with the pin. “It is large enough to have many guests, Domina. I believe the governor could serve half the army in that dining hall.”

She looked over at the table and chairs in the alcove. Just this once, couldn’t they dine by themselves? She was always meeting this one and that one. All important personages, but she had trouble remembering their names.

Claudia sat contemplating her circumstances. She still did not have a villa of her own. The palace in Caesarea was Herod’s and only for their use; now, here in Jerusalem she must live in another of Herod’s palaces. Would he join them here? Would she have to be in submission to Herod’s wife?

“What staff do I have here, Hotep?”

“There are many servants, Domina, for it is a large castle. You have met the chief steward, Chuza. In the kitchen there are three cooks and several other servants. I am told there is another woman who lives here in the palace at present, but she is not a servant. She is the wife of Chuza.”