The Writers' Circle

1.

	In the house of Joseph, his family and their friends sat at the table fully clothed and wearing sandals. In the dim interior, the smell of roast lamb still hung in the air.  The blood had dried on the door posts and the lintel. They were waiting for the Angel.
	"Jacob, you are a first born?"
	"As are you Isaac."
	"Ah, but I am a God fearing and honest man; while you are a common criminal, an adulterer, and a thief.  It will be interesting when he comes." Jacob smiled and stroked his beard.
	"If there is such an angel, he will not touch me. Is that not the blood of a lamb on the door way?" Isaac sucked at a bad tooth.
	"If you do not believe, why are you here? I am sure Joseph followed the instructions to the letter, however; the Death Angel may make an exception in your case."
	The first wails of the grief stricken broke the still of the warm desert night.
	 "Only a fool takes unnecessary chances." Isaac raised his hands and spread thick powerful fingers. "I could strangle you this very night and your Angel could do nothing.  He cannot pass the blood of the lamb."
	"Let us have enough of this bickering. Have you no ears?" Joseph shifted his staff to a more comfortable position. 
	The morning dawned clear and desert crisp and the only sounds were the wailing of the bereaved and the rumble of the heavy carts carrying bodies.

                                                              2.
Sepitmus scowled at the man lying on the ground next to the heavy cross timber.  
 	"It must have been quite a circus we missed." He motioned to his second in command, Giaus. 
"They used the scourges well." Giaus nodded his approval.  
Septimus bent down, looked the man in the eyes, and breathed in through his nostrils. 
"There is nothing like the smell of sweat, blood, and leather.  I'm afraid the circus is not over for you my friend."  A cruel smile crossed his face.
	The Roman took off his helmet and mopped sweat from his eyes.  Half dozen soldiers gathered around.
	"We were cheated out of out a circus today.  Look at what they have done to this man. And the crown, they have made him a king. What do you think Giaus? Is using a filthy rope to tie him on to the cross any way to crucify a king?"
	Giaus shook his head. "I heard he was a carpenter's son?"
	The people who had come to witness, huddled in small groups well away from the Romans. A hot breeze stirred the dust.
	"You there," Septimus called to the man nailing the sign upon the upright of the cross.  "Bring me a half a dozen of those spikes. If the King of the Jews is a carpenter, we will make him king of carpenters.  Shall we nail him to the cross?"
	The soldiers cheered and went to work.  They spread the man's arms onto the cross tree and Septimus handed a nail and heavy mallet to Giaus.
	Sepitmus raised his sword.  
	"Men, King of the Jews, citizens of this fair city, let the games begin."
 	The soldiers stood around the bruised and bloodied man and cheered as he screamed with each blow of the hammer.
	When the show was over, Septimus saluted the man on the cross. 
	"You have provided many hours of sport for the soldiers of this legion and you will die with honor. I Septimus, will see to it that you do not suffer the degradation of having your arms and legs broken.  Longinus, before this man is taken down, run a spear through his heart." 

                                                            3.
	The young boy sat before the old man trying his best not to cry.  The tears welled making his eyes shine like polished onyx. 
	"Why did they nail him Grandfather?"
	 Each year the old man told this story, and each year he wiped a tear from his own eye.
	"You remember what Isaac said to Jacob?"
	"You mean that the Death Angel cannot pass the blood of the lamb?"
	"With the nails and the crown of thorns, the blood of the Lamb of God was placed on the posts and lintel of the doorway to our time."  
	"So the Death Angel can't come in."
	"The cruel and heartless Romans were really performing a service and fulfilling a prophecy."
	"What prophecy, Grandfather?"
	"It was the one that said: No bone in his body would be broken."