Hannah and Miriam

The Women Who Founded Christianity A Trilogy
Volume 1
Hannah and Miriam
by
David Linwood



An historical novel of a Judaean family during the reign of Augustus Caesar.

Chapters 1 5

Hannah is a skilled physician and surgeon who maintains a clinic at her home. Her daughter, Miriam, is

apprenticed to Hannah, learning the medical arts, and apothecary skills. Hannahs husband, Joachim, is a timber

merchant.

Because of the incursion of self-serving warlords and bandits in the countryside, Joachim must constantly defend

his ox trains while hauling the timbers to market. Joachim and the Roman Tribune Cornelius join forces to ambush

the principal, notorious bandit Judas ben Hezekiah. After the ambush, Miriam performs difficult surgeries in the

field, and saves the life of a severely wounded friend.

Chapters 6 11

Miriam reveals to Hannah, that she has been visited by the Angel Gabriel. The angel has announced that Miriam

will give birth to a son, Joshua, and that he will be an exceptional child, dedicated to a great purpose.
When Joachim is informed by Hannah of the Annunciation of Gabriel, he immediately warns Hannah that Miriam is in

great danger. Unscrupulous competitors of Joachim in Sepphoris will bring the ultra-orthodox authorities down on

Miriams head if she reveals that she is with child, and not lawfully betrothed or married. The authorities will

laugh her to scorn if she reveals her visitation by Gabriel. They will have her flogged for adultery, and sent to a

madhouse or even stoned.

To protect his daughter, Joachim suggests that a long-time business associate of his, Yosef of Nazareth, a

carpenter and house builder, might be interested in a betrothal. Miriam is apprised of her fathers plan, and agrees

to withhold judgment until she has had a chance to meet Yosef and see what kind of person he is.

Joachim, Hannah and Miriam travel to Nazareth under the pretext of visiting Yosefs medicinal herb garden. The

garden belonged to Yosefs wife, Deborah, who died in childbirth. Yosef welcomes them to his home. He reveals that

he has been visited in a special dream, by the Angel Gabriel, who told him that Joachim and Hannah and Miriam

would be coming to visit, and they would ask him to consider a betrothal with Miriam.

Miriam has been watching Yosef closely since they arrived at his house. She is greatly drawn to him, both

physically as a mature, handsome man, and also as a very spiritual person. She announces that she agrees to be

betrothed and married to Yosef, if he is willing. Yosef is likewise greatly attracted to the young, beautiful girl,

Miriam, and admits he has been so very lonely since his Deborah died three years previously. He agrees to a

betrothal which is a lawful trial marriage that includes the possibility of children and that will protect Miriam

from the ultra-orthodox authorities.

Yosef, with Miriam and her parents, visits Rabbi Shmuel ben Zeroah in Nazareth, to be betrothed.

Chapters 12 16

Yosef with Miriam, and Joachim with Hannah, and their other children, Chavah and Yeshai, travel to Jerusalem for

the Passover Holiday. Miriam and Joseph are wedded in Jerusalem.

Chapters 16 23

King Herod has begun to seize every prominent man in the cities all through Judaea. He has not harmed them but

has imprisoned them. None of the men has opposed Herod in any way. The economy of Judaea becomes greatly depressed

and the flow of taxes to Rome is reduced to a mere trickle of gold. Herod does not care he is dying. He knows th