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[Illustration: Cover]




JOEL: A BOY OF GALILEE.




Works of

ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON


The Little Colonel Series

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Each one vol., large 12mo, cloth, illustrated

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       Giant Scissors," and "Two Little
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    Big Brother                                   1.25


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    The Giant Scissors                            .50
    Two Little Knights of Kentucky                .50
    Big Brother                                   .50
    Ole Mammy's Torment                           .50
    The Story of <DW55>                             .50
    Cicely                                        .50
    Aunt 'Liza's Hero                             .50
    The Quilt that Jack Built                     .50
    Flip's "Islands of Providence"                .50
    Mildred's Inheritance                         .50


Other Books

    Joel: A Boy of Galilee                       $1.50
    In the Desert of Waiting                   Net.50
    The Three Weavers                          Net.50
    Keeping Tryst                              Net.50
    The Legend of the Bleeding Heart           Net.50
    The Rescue of the Princess Winsome         Net.50
    The Jester's Sword                         Net.50
    Asa Holmes                                    1.00
    Travelers Five Along Life's Highway           1.25

    THE PAGE COMPANY
    53 Beacon Street        Boston, Mass.

[Illustration: "'THEN TAKE YOURSELF OUT OF MY SIGHT FOR EVER'"

    (_See page 96_)]




_NEW ILLUSTRATED EDITION_

JOEL: A BOY OF GALILEE

By

ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON

    Author of "The Little Colonel Series," "Big Brother,"
    "Ole Mammy's Torment," "Asa Holmes," etc.

    With Pictures by L. J. BRIDGMAN

    [Illustration]

    BOSTON
    THE PAGE COMPANY
    PUBLISHERS




    _Copyright, 1895_
    BY ROBERTS BROTHERS

    _Copyright, 1904_
    BY THE PAGE COMPANY

    _All rights reserved_

    Eleventh Impression, October, 1910
    Twelfth Impression, March, 1915
    Thirteenth Impression, March, 1918

    THE COLONIAL PRESS
    C. H. SIMONDS CO., BOSTON, U. S. A.




PUBLISHER'S PREFACE


IN this volume, it has been the purpose of the author to present to
children, through "Joel," as accurate a picture of the times of the
Christ as has been given to older readers through "Ben Hur." With this
in view, the customs of the private and public life of the Jews, the
temple service with its sacerdotal rites, and the minute observances of
the numerous holidays have been studied so carefully that the
descriptions have passed the test of the most critical inspection. An
eminent rabbi pronounces them correct in every detail.

While the story is that of an ordinary boy, living among shepherds and
fishermen, it touches at every point the gospel narrative, making Joel,
in a natural and interesting way, a witness to the miracles, the death,
and the resurrection of the Nazarene.

It was with the deepest reverence that the task was undertaken, and the
fact that the little book is accomplishing its mission is evinced not
only by the approval accorded its first editions by so many, from Bible
students to bishops, but by the boys and girls here and in distant
lands.




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


                                              PAGE

  "'THEN TAKE YOURSELF OUT OF MY SIGHT FOR
      EVER'" (_See page 96_)            _Frontispiece_

  "HE LOOKED DOWN AT PHINEAS, AND SMILED
      BLISSFULLY"                               34

  "'I PEEPED OUT 'TWEEN 'E WOSE-VINES'"         82

  "NOT A WORD WAS SAID"                        104

  "'WE TALKED LATE'"                           139

  "'YOU BUT MOCK ME, BOY'"                     184

  "A DARK FIGURE WENT SKULKING OUT INTO THE
      NIGHT"                                   203

  "'THE STONE IS GONE!'"                       233




JOEL: A BOY OF GALILEE.




CHAPTER I.


IT was market day in Capernaum. Country people were coming in from the
little villages among the hills of Galilee, with fresh butter and eggs.
Fishermen held out great strings of shining perch and carp, just dipped
up from the lake beside the town. Vine-dressers piled their baskets with
tempting grapes, and boys lazily brushed the flies from the dishes of
wild honey, that they had gone into the country before day-break to
find.

A ten-year-old girl pushed her way through the crowded market-place,
carrying her baby brother in her arms, and scolding another child, who
clung to her skirts.

"Hurry, you little snail!" she said to him. "There's a camel caravan
just stopped by the custom-house. Make haste, if you want to see it!"

Their bare feet picked their way quickly over the stones, down to the
hot sand of the lake shore. The children crept close to the shaggy
camels, curious to see what they carried in their huge packs. But before
they were made to kneel, so that the custom-house officials could
examine the loads, the boy gave an exclamation of surprise.

"Look, Jerusha! Look!" he cried, tugging at her skirts. "What's that?"

Farther down the line, came several men carrying litters. On each one
was a man badly wounded, judging by the many bandages that wrapped him.

Jerusha pushed ahead to hear what had happened. One of the drivers was
telling a tax-gatherer.

"In that last rocky gorge after leaving Samaria," said the man, "we were
set upon by robbers. They swarmed down the cliffs, and fought as
fiercely as eagles. These men, who were going on ahead, had much gold
with them. They lost it all, and might have been killed, if we had not
come up behind in such numbers. That poor fellow there can hardly live,
I think, he was beaten so badly."

The children edged up closer to the motionless form on the litter. It
was badly bruised and blood-stained, and looked already lifeless.

"Let's go, Jerusha," whispered the boy, whimpering and pulling at her