In The Bronze Bow, how many boys join Joel and Daniel's group?

In Chapter 12 of The Bronze Bow, Daniel begins to use his blacksmith shop as a meeting place for young men who want to unite together to fight against Roman oppression. First Joel brings Kemuel to meet Daniel, then Nathan joins them. They agree that they have to be selective about who they let into the group. They choose the bronze bow as their secret sign by which they can identify the men who are dedicated to their cause, which they feel is "war." After just three weeks' time, the group of four grew "to seven, then to nine--twelve--sixteen." The maximum number they eventually achieve is twenty-one. Several times later in the book, it refers to the group of nineteen men. This can be confusing, but can be reconciled by realizing that the originators of the group, Joel and Daniel, are not counted in that number. The band decreases in size when Joel is arrested by Romans and several of the group die in an attempted rescue.

How many boys were in Daniel's gang in The Bronze Bow?

The Bronze Bow is a children's historical fiction novel written by American author Elizabeth George Speare, originally published in 1961. It tells the story of Daniel bar Jamin—an eighteen-year-old stubborn and determined Jewish boy who desperately wishes to avenge the deaths of his parents, who were killed by the Romans. He awaits the arrival of the Savior of the Jews, hoping that he will lead the people in a war against the Romans and thus give Daniel an opportunity to finally get his revenge. However, the Messiah (Jesus) has no intention of fighting the Romans whatsoever, and he teaches Daniel that vengeance and hatred won't bring his parents back, nor will they bring him peace. With the help of Jesus, Daniel realizes that love, patience, kindness, and empathy are the true virtues of life.

Daniel and Joel form a small gang in order to discuss the possible "revolution" against the Roman tyranny. At first, there are only four boys in the gang: Daniel, Joel, Nathan, and Kamuel. After that, the gang gradually begins to grow, as more and more people start to support Daniel's patriotic agenda. In the end, there are exactly twenty-one members; however, Speare often mentions throughout the book that there are nineteen boys, excluding Joel and Daniel.