Amalek

Amalek is the blacksmith to whom Daniel had been sold for a period of ten years. Amalek may be fairly well-to-do, because he has at least two indentured servants working for him, Daniel and Simon. Although Amalek has had some financial success in life, he dies without “a relative to his name, nor friend either.”

Daniel bar Jamin

Eighteen-year-old Daniel has escaped slavery by living in the hills above Galilee. When Daniel meets Joel and Thacia, it has been five years since he has seen anyone from his hometown. He has been estranged even from the sole survivors of his family—his grandmother and his younger sister, Leah.

Throughout most of the novel, Daniel is motivated solely by his consuming hatred for the Romans who have killed his father and his uncle. He also blames the Romans for his mother’s death from exposure and grief, for his own enslavement, for his sister’s madness, and for the eventual death of his grandmother. Daniel’s hate is so strong that he makes a solemn vow to God to avenge his parents and to work toward freeing Israel from Roman occupation for as long as he lives.

When Daniel meets Rosh, the rebel insurgent leader, he thinks he finds a kindred spirit. He wants to believe that Rosh is the leader for whom the Jews have been waiting, the promised messiah who will come to liberate the people of Israel from their captivity.

Daniel enlists the help of Joel and Thacia in his fight for freedom, but he continues to be motivated by hatred. Gradually, however, he hears a different message from Jesus. The words and actions of this decidedly unorthodox preacher begin to affect Daniel’s heart. He sees Jesus feed the hungry, heal the sick, and minister to the soul. Daniel begins to compare the characteristics of Jesus as a leader to those of Rosh’s alleged leadership.

When Joel is imprisoned because of actions directed by Rosh, and Rosh steadfastly refuses to intervene, Daniel makes the final break with the false leader. As Daniel grieves the loss of his friends Samson and Nathan, he remembers Jesus’s words of caution: “He who lives by the sword dies by the sword.”

After Jesus brings Leah back from the brink of death, Daniel is ready to make a leap of faith and follow the true messiah. By the end of the novel, he learns that “only love can bend the bow of bronze.”

Ebol

Ebol is the young sentry who works as lookout for Rosh. He is not largely drawn but still wields a bit of passive-aggressive power. In chapter 10, Ebol waits three days before giving Daniel the message that Daniel’s grandmother is dying. In Rosh’s world, where there is little room for personal expression, Ebol may be trying to wrest some power of his own. His actions are indicative of the self-serving attitude that pervades the camp.

Grandmother

Daniel and Leah’s grandmother takes in the children after their parents die. Little more than a peasant herself, the grandmother cannot provide for her growing grandchildren, so she feels that she must sell Daniel to the local blacksmith, Amalek, in order to survive. Her story is quite pitiable. To support even Leah, each day the grandmother follows along behind the threshers and collects the grain that they leave behind.

Despite her financial hardships, however, it is clear that their grandmother loves both of her grandchildren. When she is dying, she asks for Daniel to come home and hangs on long enough to see him one more time.

Jesus of Nazareth

The unlikely preacher who may be the long-awaited messiah, Jesus exemplifies the power of love. He offers his message of tolerance and kindness to men, women, and children alike. It also does not matter to Jesus if the people who come to hear his message are Jews or not. Most people, Daniel included, are horrified that he would offer the kingdom of heaven to non-Jews, and the people are further startled that women receive not only his blessing but his attention as well. Not even children are excluded from his personal connection and love. He listens to them “as if they have something to say.” Jesus preaches that love is not just the way to redemption, but the only way into God’s kingdom.

Jesus’s model of leadership is contrasted throughout the novel with Rosh’s. Unlike the rebel leader, Jesus always acts selflessly. He tends to the poor, ill, and wounded even when he is exhausted. Jesus proves his love for his followers, and for all people, by ministering not only to their spiritual needs but also to their bodily requirements. Jesus knows that bellies must be full or at least satisfied before his message can be heard, so he miraculously feeds the thousand who come to him hungry. Furthermore, Jesus connects with his followers on a personal level. When Daniel must make the final leap of faith, Jesus is present in person, asking, but not demanding, Daniel to choose love over hate.

Joel bar Hezron

Also eighteen years old, Joel is the son of a rabbi. He has long lived a scholarly life, but like Daniel, Joel is tired of waiting for his people to be released from Roman occupation. He wants action and is willing to compromise his principles at first. He must lie to his father in order to hide Daniel and to pursue Rosh’s plans for vengeance. Joel endangers both his own life and his twin sister’s life when he follows Rosh.

Although he makes mistakes along the way, Joel is a caring person and a progressive young man. It is he who argues for Malthace’s inclusion in the vow to fight the aggressors. Joel also helps Daniel when he is injured. He proves to be a good and loyal friend and brother.

Another of Joel’s struggles is accepting Jesus’s way over the Law that he has grown up with and understands. He has to weigh everything he has ever known against what he has seen in Jesus. Ultimately, Joel—like Daniel, Thacia, and Simon before him—chooses to follow Jesus.

Leah bar Jamin

Leah is Daniel’s now fifteen-year-old sister. When she was just five, Leah witnessed her father’s crucifixion. Just a few weeks later, her mother died; later she lost her brother, first to slavery and then to Rosh in the mountains. Her screams in the night and subsequent agoraphobia caused the superstitious villagers to believe that Leah had become possessed by demons.

Despite her psychological trauma, Leah manages to emerge from her shell. Daniel’s return to the family helps, but Thacia’s tender care helps even more. Their interest in her welfare helps Leah see herself as valuable. When she builds up a little self-esteem, Leah is able to tentatively reach out to the Roman solider Marcus, who shows an interest in her.

The power of love is perhaps most strongly realized in Leah’s character, for love alone is able to transform her from a cowering, isolated girl into a welcoming and beautiful young woman. Furthermore, it is Leah who is able to reach out beyond the prejudices of her culture and extend love as Jesus does.

Malthace “Thacia” bar Hezron

Malthace can be considered one of the three protagonists of this novel. Her character speaks for the power and purpose of women in the kingdom of God. Malthace is intelligent and fearless, and she consistently presents herself as an equal. Thacia also acts selflessly when she ministers to Daniel’s injuries and Leah’s emotional needs, and it is she who correctly interprets the passage from David regarding the “bow of bronze.”

However, Thacia is not perfect. She initially shuns Daniel when he arrives at her wealthy home in Capernaum. She is the one who comes up with the plan to fool the slaves of the wealthy landlords, which ultimately lands her beloved brother in jail. But she recognizes her mistakes, repents, and asks forgiveness, proving she is capable of emotional and spiritual growth.

Marcus

Marcus is the first Roman soldier Daniel must perform work for in Simon’s shop. Marcus represents the dreaded “other,” the physical manifestation of those who are not Jews but are nonetheless accepted into God’s kingdom. Marcus proves his strength of character through respect for Daniel and his gentle and consistent wooing of Leah. He is not weak; he answers Daniel’s anger with stoic resolve and continues to pursue the woman with whom he has fallen in love.

Marcus will prove to be the ultimate test for Daniel, who, after accepting the way of Jesus in word, must prove it in action. When the two men finally come together, the hope and promise of peace in Israel becomes a more tangible reality.

Rosh

The rebel leader who finds Daniel and trains him to fight the Romans, Rosh earns his moniker of “outlaw” for good reason: he lies, cheats, and steals his way to personal spoils. Rosh regularly has sheep stolen from Jewish residents and orders the plunder of their crops. He claims that those stolen from should be grateful to donate to the cause and that “no real Jew” would begrudge the leader and his men sustenance.

As a leader, Rosh is pointedly contrasted to Jesus. Whereas Jesus is constantly among the people, Rosh is secluded. Jesus cares intimately for the spiritual and bodily needs of his followers, but Rosh makes sure only his own needs are taken care of. He does not care in the slightest for those who opt to follow him. While it is possible that at one time he had purer intentions, Rosh’s hatred and lust for revenge have warped his soul and distorted any original values he may have possessed.

Samson

Samson is the mute giant rescued from the prison galleys by Daniel. Samson may be the most pure character in the novel, for he has no other motivation other than love and gratitude. He follows Daniel around constantly and watches out for him incessantly. It is Samson who provides the living, and dying, example of Jesus’s maxim that “no greater love has a man than this, that he should lay down his life for his friends.”

Simon the Zealot

Simon has left everything he has known to follow Jesus. And like Jesus, Simon does not beg or demand that others join him in following God’s love. All people must be free to choose grace on their own. Like Jesus, Simon leads by example. He asks Daniel probing questions about Rosh’s true nature, but he does not comment after Daniel fails to follow Jesus.

Like Daniel, Simon has endured the brutality of slavery. He needs money but does not value it above following Jesus. Simon closes his shop and gives away everything he has in order to be with Jesus.