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Miriam

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by: Suzanne J. Best
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Word Count: 683
Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2009 Time: 1:35 AM
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The Holy Trinity: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. What of the Mother?

What is known of the Virgin Mary's childhood, of her vow to belong to God alone, her marriage to Joseph, her thoughts, and her feelings? George Warner, author of Miriam, from Tate Publishing, explored these questions and offered his fictionalized account of the life of the Virgin Mary. This extraordinary book is a fascinating look at the life of an extraordinary woman.

At the age of three, Miriam's parents brought her to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to serve the Lord. Even as a young child, there was evidence that Miriam was a special child as observed by Zechariah, her priestly mentor at the Temple and his wife Elisheba, Miriam's cousin. As she matured Miriam became aware that love of Yahweh was all consuming and she vowed to keep her love for God first and foremost, above all others. She would live in the service of God and God alone.

Due to her age and physical development Miriam was compelled by law to leave the Temple resulting in her journey to Nazera where she joined her parents who had left the rigors of Jerusalem for the serenity of a small village in northern Galileee. It was there she became shaken when a marriage proposal was presented to her by a village carpenter named Youssef. To her surprise, when she candidly told Youssef of her vow to remain a virgin, he continued to pursue the marriage. The fact of marriage was not to be the most significant event in her young life. Shortly thereafter she was visited by a youthful stranger who later identified himself as, Gabriel, a messenger from Yahweh. Gabriel told her, if she agreed, she was to bear a son; The Lord's Son and was to name him Yeshua. He was to be the Messiah.

"Gabriel remained suspended in the opaque cloud as Miriam reasoned on the fact he had shared with her," wrote Warner. "She had known of the Creator's promise. Their faith comprehended an expectation of salvation through a Messianic presence; the promised gift was Yahweh's final and completing covenant."

Recounting the birth of Yeshua, the deaths of Miriam's beloved father, Mother and husband and the first meeting with Miriam Magdalene, this account of the life of Miriam was entertaining as well as educational. Watching through Miriam's eyes, the childhood of Yeshua and the trials and tribulations of the Hebrews; their lives and their beliefs brought the mother of Christ to life on the page. Her compassion and faith were tested many times, yet remained unwavering. Her consistency in her beliefs helped her through many situations and helped sustain her focus on the task of raising her son.

"They would never be the same, she realized," wrote Warner. "He had, in an instant, established to her who he was: Yeshua the Messiah in a moment of revelation, son and savior. She had given him bodily, earthly existence; he would give her everlasting inheritance."

Warner depicted the everyday lives of Miriam, Youssef and Yeshua with such intense clarity, that it was hard to remember that this was a work of fiction, conjecture, it seemed more like a window into another place and time. The closeness between Yeshua and his cousin Yochanan, childhood friends and playmates, foreshadowed their future relationship. Signs of Yeshua's Messianic nature were told in anecdotes of his adventures as a child.

As he reached adulthood, we saw Yeshua through his mother's eyes. We watched as biblical events unfolded before us, written as though we were truly there, witness to each event, seated at the table of the Last Supper.

Warner followed Miriam and the Disciples through the events that led to the crucifixion of Christ and his resurrection. This fascinating look at the life of Miriam bridges the gap of what is known of this incredible lady and the life she led; the sacrifices she made in the name of her unwavering faith.