As Ana prepares to flee to Egypt, she grapples with the sorrow of leaving Jesus and the uncertainty of her future. Despite the looming challenges, she clings to the hope of finding freedom and fulfilling her personal ambitions in this new land. This section marks a pivotal shift in the narrative, setting the stage for Ana's independent journey of self-discovery.
Chapter 66: A Prayer for Egypt
Ana entrusts Judas with the silver she received from Herodias, instructing him to give it to Jesus for his ministry, but to keep her name a secret. She also makes Judas promise to write to her with news and to summon her home when it is safe. As she packs, Ana decides to bring her incantation bowl and scrolls, leaving behind the potsherds memorializing Susanna.
Meanwhile, Jesus's brothers, James and Simon, worry that Ana's actions will bring Roman soldiers to their door. Jesus instructs them to lie and say that Ana has left him and gone away with her brother. The brothers are reluctant, but Mary sharply intervenes, telling them they must help preserve Ana’s life. Alone again, Ana recalls Yaltha’s words—“You have your destiny, too”—stirring her own ambitions and connecting to the theme of The Search for Self and Personal Longing. Using her last bit of oven ink, she writes a new prayer inside her incantation bowl, asking for Egypt, once a land of bondage, to become her land of freedom. This act reframes her flight as a pilgrimage toward her own becoming, tying into the theme of Alternative Faith and Spirituality.
Chapter 67: Little Thunder
Ana awakens before dawn next to Jesus. As thunder rumbles outside, he playfully calls her "Little Thunder," a tender callback to an earlier moment. The lightheartedness quickly gives way to the sorrow of their impending separation. He looks at her and says, “I bless the largeness in you, Ana,” a profound affirmation of her spirit and ambition. She replies, “And I bless yours.” This exchange encapsulates their relationship, built on mutual respect and encouragement, a core tenet of the theme Love as an Egalitarian Partnership.
Standing together at the door, Ana feels she sees the world as Jesus does: "orphaned and broken and staggeringly beautiful, a thing to be held and put back right." After a silent meal, he helps her tie the fragile red thread from their betrothal onto her wrist. They say their goodbyes at the gate where Yaltha, Judas, and Lavi wait. Ana kisses him and says, “May this severing not cut us apart, but bind us together.” Holding her bowl and scrolls, she turns her face toward Egypt, beginning the next chapter of her life.
Chapter 68: The Great Harbor of Alexandria
After eight days of turbulent seas, Ana arrives in Alexandria. As the ship enters the great harbor, her malaise is replaced by awe. Yaltha points out the Pharos, the magnificent lighthouse. Ana is transfixed by the city's grandeur: the white marble buildings, the royal palace of Cleopatra, and the temples to Isis. The sight of girls carrying tablets behind their tutors and women with uncovered heads signals a world starkly different from Galilee, one that holds the promise of intellectual and social freedom.
Yaltha mentions that her family’s papyrus was once proclaimed the finest in Egypt by Cleopatra herself. The sight of the great library in the distance makes Ana’s heart lurch with excitement. The city represents the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, a place of knowledge and possibility. However, Ana’s excitement turns to apprehension as their litter arrives at the house of her uncle, Haran. She knows her lie about having his permission to come will soon be discovered.
Chapter 69: A Gilded Cage
Ana and Yaltha are met by their uncle, Haran, a man who resembles Ana’s father but has cold, “hawkish” eyes. He immediately confronts them for arriving uninvited. When Ana’s deception is revealed, she steps forward and confesses, taking full responsibility to protect Haran’s treasurer, Apion, from punishment. She frames her trickery as a result of her desire to serve Haran as her patriarch. Amused by her shrewdness, Haran agrees to let them stay.
Haran proves to be both perceptive and ruthless. He correctly guesses Yaltha has returned to find her daughter, Chaya, which Yaltha denies. He agrees to house them under two strict conditions: they must pay him a hefty monthly rent (which Ana negotiates down by offering her services as a scribe), and they are forbidden from leaving the house. He threatens to have Yaltha arrested on the old murder charges if they disobey. They are effectively prisoners in his palatial home. They learn from a servant girl, Pamphile, that Haran is a widower and lives alone with his servants.
Chapter 70: The Scriptorium
Life in Haran’s house settles into a routine of confinement. Ana spends her mornings in the scriptorium, where she copies her uncle’s boring business records and more interesting legal documents from the Jewish council. The other scribe, an elderly man named Thaddeus, frequently naps, giving Ana the opportunity to secretly continue writing her stories of the biblical matriarchs. This clandestine work is a vital act of self-preservation and a continuation of her mission to amplify women's stories, a key aspect of the theme Feminism and Women's Voices.
As spring turns to summer, their imprisonment weighs heavily on them, especially Yaltha, who grows quiet and morose. Frustrated by their helplessness, Ana suggests they defy Haran to search for Chaya, but Yaltha reminds her of the severe risks. Ana feels the daily ache of missing Jesus but also the frustration of being unable to pursue her own "birth" in this new land. An idea forms: she can search for clues about Chaya within the house itself. She decides to secretly search a locked cabinet in Haran’s scriptorium, believing it may contain his personal archives and a record of Chaya’s adoption. The chapter ends with Ana beginning her methodical, risky search through the scrolls each morning while Thaddeus sleeps.
Key Events
- Ana gives Judas money for Jesus's ministry and makes him promise to write.
- Ana prays to Sophia, dedicating her journey to Egypt to her own "birth."
- Ana and Jesus share an intimate farewell, where he blesses the "largeness" in her.
- Ana, Yaltha, and Lavi arrive in Alexandria.
- Ana’s uncle, Haran, confines them to his house under threat of arrest.
- Ana secretly writes her stories of the matriarchs in Haran's scriptorium.
- Ana begins a clandestine search of Haran's archives for information about Yaltha's daughter, Chaya.
Character Development
- Ana: She demonstrates courage, pragmatism, and agency in orchestrating her escape and securing funding for Jesus. Her arrival in Alexandria marks a new phase in her search for self, though her initial hopes for freedom are dashed by her confinement. She proves resourceful and resilient, finding a way to continue her writing and beginning a dangerous search for Chaya.
- Jesus: His willingness to have his family lie to protect Ana showcases his pragmatism and deep love for her. His blessing of her "largeness" is a pivotal moment, cementing his role as a supportive, egalitarian partner.
- Yaltha: Her return to her home city is fraught with pain. The hope of finding Chaya is quickly stifled by Haran's cruelty, causing her to retreat into a morose silence.
- Haran: He is controlling, vengeful, and shrewd, embodying the oppressive patriarchal authority that Ana and Yaltha must navigate. His confinement of them establishes the central conflict in Alexandria.
- Judas: He is positioned as a loyal friend to both Ana and Jesus, acting as the crucial link between them.
Themes & Symbols
Themes
- The Search for Self and Personal Longing: This theme is central to Ana's flight to Egypt. She explicitly reframes the journey in her prayer to Sophia as a quest to be "born." Despite being physically confined, she continues this search by secretly writing and plotting to uncover family secrets.
- Feminism and Women's Voices: Ana's determination to bring her scrolls to Egypt and to continue writing the stories of the matriarchs, even while in hiding, underscores her commitment to this theme. Her work is an act of defiance against a world that seeks to silence women.
- Love as an Egalitarian Partnership: The farewell between Ana and Jesus is the epitome of this theme. His blessing of her "largeness" is not just acceptance but a celebration of her ambition and spirit.
Symbols
- The Incantation Bowl: The bowl, already a symbol of Ana's private spiritual life, is transformed when she overwrites an old prayer with a new one. It now represents her conscious choice to pursue her own destiny and rebirth.
- Alexandria: The city initially symbolizes freedom, knowledge, and opportunity. However, it quickly becomes a gilded cage, representing the frustrating reality that external freedom means little without internal and personal liberty.
- Haran's Locked Cabinet: The cabinet represents the secrets of the past and the patriarchal control over family narratives. Ana’s decision to pick its lock and search its contents is a symbolic act of reclaiming knowledge and uncovering truths that men like Haran have tried to bury.
Significance
This section marks the novel's most significant transition, moving the narrative from Galilee to Alexandria. This geographical shift accomplishes several crucial goals:
- Separates the Protagonists: By separating Ana and Jesus, the narrative tests the strength of their bond while allowing Ana's character to develop independently.
- Introduces a New Central Conflict: The escape from Herod Antipas is resolved, but a new conflict arises with Haran.
- Develops Ana's Personal Quest: Her arrival, though fraught with peril, places her in the environment she has always longed for, setting the stage for the fulfillment of her personal ambitions.
Analysis
Sue Monk Kidd uses this section to pivot the novel's focus squarely onto Ana's journey. The contrast between Galilee and Alexandria is stark. Galilee is depicted as a land of rustic faith, oral tradition, and communal living, while Alexandria is a city of marble, papyrus, and Hellenistic intellectualism. This environmental contrast mirrors Ana's internal state.
Haran is established as a powerful foil to Jesus. Where Jesus preaches liberation, forgiveness, and the uplifting of the lowly, Haran enforces imprisonment, vengeance, and patriarchal control. His house, a luxurious prison, is a microcosm of the societal structures Ana has always fought against. The situational irony of Ana praying for Egypt to be a "land of freedom" only to be immediately incarcerated is potent, highlighting the theme that true freedom is an internal state that must be fought for, regardless of one's physical location.
The narrative pacing shifts dramatically. The frantic escape from Sepphoris gives way to the slow, tense, and claustrophobic atmosphere of Haran's house. This change in pace allows for a deeper exploration of Ana's interior life—her longing, her fear, and her unwavering resolve. Her secret work in the scriptorium becomes the central action, emphasizing that for Ana, the act of writing is as thrilling and dangerous as any physical confrontation.
Key Quotes
“I bless the largeness in you, Ana.”
This quote, spoken by Jesus as Ana departs for Egypt, is a powerful affirmation of her ambition and spirit. It encapsulates the egalitarian nature of their love, where each partner encourages the other to pursue their individual dreams and aspirations.
“May this severing not cut us apart, but bind us together.”
This poignant farewell encapsulates Ana's hope that their physical separation will not diminish their emotional and spiritual connection. It speaks to the enduring power of love and the belief that true bonds can withstand distance and adversity.
“You have your destiny, too.”
Yaltha's words resonate deeply with Ana, spurring her to embrace her own ambitions and desires. This quote serves as a catalyst for Ana's journey of self-discovery, reminding her that she is not merely an extension of Jesus but an individual with her own unique path to follow.