Chapter 34: A Betrothal in the Dust
The crowd, incited by Chuza, is ready to resume the stoning when Jesus steps forward. To assert his right to speak for Ana, he declares, "I will soon be her betrothed." Ana is shocked, unsure if it's a genuine intention or a tactic to save her. The crowd hesitates, weighing the word of a local craftsman against that of a steward for the despised Herod Antipas. Jesus delivers a final challenge: "Let the one who is without sin cast the next stone." The stones drop, and the crowd disperses.
Jesus walks Ana home, the silence heavy with the unspoken question of his declaration. Ana explains the mosaic, her brother Judas, and Antipas’s intentions. At her gate, she thanks him, assuming they'll part as friends. Jesus expresses disappointment, clarifying his proposal was genuine, though he admits he overstepped. He reveals his long-held belief that he had a divine calling that might preclude marriage, but confesses his doubts, feeling the weight of duty to his family after his father's death. Ana challenges him, fearing she is merely a fulfillment of duty. Jesus admits duty is a factor but insists he is also compelled by his heart. Ana lists reasons she is unsuited for him—her ambition, willfulness, rebellious nature—testing his resolve. He calmly states, "I know all of this," and asks, "The question is whether you will have me." Feeling a sense of destiny, Ana accepts. This chapter explores Love as an Egalitarian Partnership and The Search for Self and Personal Longing as both characters negotiate their desires and duties.
Chapter 35: A Contract of Betrothal
Ana returns home to her parents' fury. Her father, Matthias, has been demoted by Herod Antipas as punishment for Ana’s refusal to become his concubine. Her mother wishes Ana had never been born. The next morning, a courier delivers a final humiliation: the tetrarch mocks Matthias for offering his daughter after she was publicly shamed. Defeated and disgraced, Matthias learns from Ana that Jesus, the man who saved her, has proposed marriage. Seeing no other path forward, he asks if she welcomes the match. She replies, "With all my heart."
When Jesus arrives, Matthias quickly agrees to the betrothal. The terms are stark and simple, reflecting the family’s fall from grace and Matthias’s desire to be rid of the situation. There will be no ceremony. The bride-price is a humble thirty shekels. The wedding will take place in thirty days, and Ana’s aunt, Yaltha, will be permitted to live with them. The wedding will not even be held in Matthias’s house—a final insult to Jesus’s family—as Matthias fears further angering Antipas.
Chapter 1 (Part Two): Nazareth
Ana and Yaltha arrive in Nazareth in a cart drawn by a royal horse, a final, ostentatious gesture from her father that immediately creates a cultural and class divide. They are met by Jesus’s family: his mother, Mary; his brothers, James and Simon; and James’s pregnant fifteen-year-old wife, Judith. The reception is awkward and tense. Judith immediately makes a sharp comment about their possessions, and James calls Yaltha impertinent. Jesus acts as a peacemaker, but the friction is palpable. Ana is shocked by the humble, three-dwelling compound, a stark contrast to her life in Sepphoris.
After settling in, Ana prepares for her wedding, which is to be nothing more than the consummation of the marriage at sunset. She and Jesus meet in their new room, which has been prepared with her rugs and belongings. She nervously points out her incantation bowl, with its graven image of a goddess, expecting condemnation. Instead, Jesus reads the Greek inscription aloud: "When I am dust, sing these words over my bones: she was a voice." His acceptance of her deepest longing, a core tenet of Feminism and Women's Voices, moves her deeply. In that moment of profound understanding, they become husband and wife.
Chapter 2 (Part Two): The Goat Named Delilah
Ana’s first morning as a wife is a rude awakening. She is roused by Jesus’s morning prayers and Judith’s insistent calls for her to milk the goat. It dawns on Ana that she is now expected to perform chores for which she has no skills. Jesus is playful and loving, teasing her about her inexperience before he leaves for work in Sepphoris. He ties the red thread from their first meeting onto her wrist, a symbol of their connection.
Judith, however, is relentlessly critical. She instructs Ana on milking the goat with sighs and derision. Over the first few months, Ana struggles with every domestic task, earning Judith’s constant scorn. Mary tries to teach and protect her, but Judith’s resentment is a constant presence. Ana’s only success is in caring for the goat, whom she names Delilah and who becomes her quirky companion. She feels an affinity with the rebellious animal. Jesus’s brothers, James and Simon, mock Ana and Jesus’s open affection for each other, which Jesus takes in good humor.
Chapter 3 (Part Two): The Mikvah and a Secret
On a sweltering day, Mary suggests she and Ana go to the village mikvah (ritual bath) to cool off. At the pool, Ana is met with whispers and hostile stares from the other women, her reputation for promiscuity and thievery having followed her from Sepphoris. The women refuse to enter the water after her, deeply humiliating Ana and paining Mary. On the walk home, Mary comforts Ana by sharing her own past suffering, revealing the town’s malice toward her and the rumors that Jesus was conceived out of wedlock. This confession of shared experience forges a deeper bond between them and touches on Alternative Faith and Spirituality by highlighting how those who deviate from social norms are often judged.
Mary then reveals the source of Judith’s bitterness. Before Ana, Jesus’s father had arranged for him to be betrothed to Judith. Jesus, however, refused the match, believing at the time that he was called by God to a life without marriage. To save face for both families, his younger brother James married Judith instead. Judith was publicly slighted, forced to accept the second son after being rejected by the first. Mary tells Ana this story not to upset her, but to help her understand Judith’s envy and pain. Ana is unsettled that Jesus kept this from her, but she resolves to accept that, just as she has her own inner world, he is entitled to his.
Key Events
- Jesus Saves Ana: Jesus halts Ana's stoning by declaring his intent to marry her and challenging the crowd: "Let the one who is without sin cast the next stone."
- The Proposal: Jesus confirms his genuine proposal, and after a discussion about his calling, duty, and love, Ana accepts.
- The Betrothal: Ana’s disgraced father agrees to the marriage, and a simple contract is signed.
- Move to Nazareth: Ana and Yaltha move to Jesus’s humble family home, receiving a tense welcome.
- The Wedding: Ana and Jesus marry through a private consummation. Jesus affirms Ana’s ambitions by reading from her incantation bowl.
- Conflict with Judith: Ana struggles with domestic life and faces hostility from Judith.
- Mary's Revelation: Mary reveals Jesus was once meant to marry Judith, explaining Judith’s resentment.
Character Development
- Ana: Ana transitions from victim to agent by accepting Jesus's proposal. She leaves her privileged home for poverty in Nazareth. Naive but resilient, she finds companionship and demonstrates empathy, even as she grapples with family conflict.
- Jesus: Jesus is a man of action, courage, and spiritual authority, but also shows his human side, confessing his conflict between calling and earthly desires. As a husband, he is loving and accepting, but the revelation about Judith shows he has a past.
- Mary: She is introduced as a kind, wise, and empathetic mother-in-law, taking Ana under her wing and sharing her own painful history.
- Judith: She is introduced as a sharp-tongued and resentful sister-in-law. Mary reveals she was publicly humiliated when Jesus refused to marry her, leaving her with envy toward Ana.
- Matthias: Matthias is broken by his fall from grace, agreeing to Ana’s marriage out of defeat, wanting only to rid himself of her.
Themes & Symbols
Themes
- Feminism and Women's Voices: Ana’s incantation bowl symbolizes this theme. When Jesus reads its inscription—"she was a voice"—he validates her identity. This contrasts with Nazareth, where Ana’s value is measured by chores.
- Love as an Egalitarian Partnership: Ana and Jesus’s marriage is built on respect. Jesus accepts Ana’s flaws, and she accepts his spiritual wrestling. Their first morning is filled with equality, setting their relationship apart from James and Judith's strained union.
- The Search for Self and Personal Longing: Both Ana and Jesus are on a quest for self-discovery. Ana chooses a path to pursue her longings, even if it means sacrificing wealth. Jesus grapples with his purpose, torn between calling and his love for his family and Ana.
Symbols
- The Incantation Bowl: The bowl represents Ana’s soul—her ambition and spirituality. Its placement in her new home and Jesus’s acceptance symbolize that her core self will not be suppressed.
- The Red Thread: The thread, tied openly on Ana’s wrist by Jesus, symbolizes their bond becoming a public reality.
- Delilah the Goat: The rebellious goat is a reflection of Ana. Like Ana, Delilah is out of place and defiant, but endearing to those who understand her. She is Ana’s first friend in Nazareth.
Key Quotes
“Let the one who is without sin cast the next stone.”
Jesus's powerful statement challenges the crowd's hypocrisy and ultimately saves Ana's life. It highlights the theme of forgiveness and the idea that no one is perfect, subverting the rigid judgment of the community. This moment solidifies Jesus's role as a compassionate figure who stands against injustice.
“When I am dust, sing these words over my bones: she was a voice.”
This inscription on Ana's incantation bowl encapsulates her deepest longing to be remembered for her intellect and spirit. Jesus's reading of these words aloud signifies his acceptance of her ambitions and his commitment to supporting her voice, a radical act in a patriarchal society. It becomes a defining moment in their relationship, establishing a foundation of mutual respect and understanding.
Significance
This section marks the novel's turning point, resolving Ana’s forced betrothal by uniting her with Jesus, shifting the story’s direction and tone. The narrative moves from Sepphoris to Nazareth, establishing the central relationship and the new conflict: Ana’s struggle to find her place and preserve her identity within Jesus’s family and village life. These chapters lay the groundwork for Ana’s future, defining the love that will sustain her and the challenges that will test her.
Sue Monk Kidd uses these chapters to pivot from a story of rebellion against patriarchy to an exploration of partnership within it. The proposal scene is a theological debate between two equals weighing duty, destiny, and desire. This complex foundation defines their marriage as a meeting of minds as much as hearts. By revealing his doubts about his divine purpose and his past refusal to marry Judith, Kidd presents Jesus not as an infallible deity but as a man burdened by expectations, shame, and difficult choices. This makes his love for Ana feel more earned and profound; he chooses her not out of divine mandate but out of a human heart. Furthermore, Kidd creates a nuanced portrait of female relationships. The immediate contrast between Mary’s maternal acceptance and Judith’s sharp-edged hostility establishes the complex dynamics of the female world Ana has entered. The scene at the mikvah is particularly potent, illustrating how patriarchal shaming is often enforced by women themselves. Mary’s subsequent confession serves as a powerful act of solidarity, suggesting that shared vulnerability is the antidote to communal judgment. This sets up a crucial alliance between Ana and her mother-in-law, positioning them as kindred spirits in a world that often misunderstands them.