The From Broken to Bold historical fiction series offers fictional backstories for historical biblical figures as well as fictional characters. Apostle Paul figures prominently in the book of Acts, so his story intertwines with those of the female apostles in my New Testament fiction.
Forgotten Followers: From Broken to Bold, Book 1, features stories of Mary of Clopas and Joanna, set in a harmony of the Gospels. I outline in a separate post the fact and fiction for the twelve woman disciples introduced in Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold:
Mara/(Mary, wife of Clopas, a blacksmith)
Maria of Nazareth (Jesus's mother, widow of carpenter Joseph)
Perpetua (wife of fisherman Peter)
Salome (wife of fisherman Zebedee, mother of Apostles James and John)
Joanna/Junia (wife of Chuza, patron and disciple)
Susannah (patron and disciple)
Marie of Magdala (Mary Magdalene, patron and disciple)
Miriam of Bethany (Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus; she sits at Jesus's feet as a disciple and anoints Jesus's head)
Martha of Bethany (sister of Miriam/Mary and Lazarus)
Photini (unnamed woman at the well of John 4)
Mariamne (unnamed one of many women in the Gospels, traditional sister of Apostle Philip)
Veronica (unnamed woman with a bleeding disorder)
Book 1 also has a small storyline for a fictional woman named Nadira, who is an Arab from the Decapolis who marries Manaen, a step-brother of Herod Antipas. Joanna sows the seed of God's word to them about God's acceptance of all ethnicities. Due to their mixed marriage, they leave Galilee and Judea and relocate to Syrian Antioch. Manaen becomes a leader of the congregation in Antioch (Acts 13:1). Nicolas, a deacon in Jerusalem (Acts 6), returns to Syrian Antioch after Stephen is stoned.
Because She Was Called: From Broken to Bold, Book 2, is set in Acts 2-11, roughly AD 35-37. It features Jesus's patrons, Joanna and Susannah, as they go out as apostles. Jesus's mother, Maria, is one of the worship leaders in Jerusalem. John Mark's parents, Mary, and her fictional husband Marcus, host the congregation at their home. Mariamne (Philip's sister) and Nathanael (also called Bartholomew), leave Jerusalem to evangelize in Asia Minor.
Marie of Magdala leaves Jerusalem to testify in Rome. In Rome, we meet members of the Jewish and Greek congregations and discover backstories for Prisca and Aquila, Persis, Tryphaena and Tryphosa, Philologus and Julia, Rufus of Cyrene, and Nereus. The novel also introduces two Roman men who live and work together and are members of The Way.
Susannah moves from Jerusalem to Caesarea where she builds relationships with Romans and Palestinians. Philip becomes and evangelist in Caesarea and Samaria. In nearby Joppa, we meet Tabitha (Dorcas), Simon, the tanner, his fictional wife Carmelita, and a fictional widow named Sarah. By shining the spotlight on women and other minorities, I hope the reader will see how the early church overcame differences and formed one body of Christ.
Joanna of Luke 8 :2-3 and Luke 24:10 is introduced in Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold as a mixed-race heritage wife of Herod's Steward, Chuza, and mother of Adnan. Jesus heals both Joanna and Adnan and Joanna becomes a patron and disciple. In Because She Was Called, Book 2, it is AD 36, and Joanna is 28 and Adnan is 11. Book 2 introduces the idea that Joanna uses the Hebrew name Joanna in Jerusalem and Hebrew areas, but uses her Latin name, Junia, when she travels in Roman territories. The series explores how she may become the female apostle named in Romans 16:7. Junia was outstanding among the apostles, Paul's co-worker and co-prisoner, a relative of Paul's, and she knew Christ before Paul. Some scholars erased this female apostle and other woman apostles, but today’s scholars agree that Junia was both an apostle and a female. Just as Saul uses his Hebrew name in Jewish areas and his Latin name, Paul, in Roman areas, the novel shows that when Joanna leaves Jewish areas and travels in Roman provinces, she uses the Latin version of her name: Junia.
This post outlines the facts and fiction on the biblical figures I introduce in Because She Was Called: From Broken to Bold, Book 2, A Novel of the Early Church:
Prisca
Facts (in the period of this novel AD 35-37)
Aquila, a Jew, a native of Pontus in the northeast area of Asia Minor, working as a tentmaker; Aquila and Prisca (Priscilla is the diminutive form) are married and live in Rome until Emperor Claudius orders Jews out (Acts 18:1-3).
Prisca and Aquila later teach and plant churches in Corinth and Ephesus (Acts 18:18-20).
Prisca and Aquila teach Apollos, another teacher (Acts 18:24-26).
Prisca and Aquila are Paul’s co-workers; patrons who risked their lives for Paul and all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them; they host a church in their home (Romans 16:3-5).
Aquila and Priscilla host a church in their house in Ephesus and greet the Corinthians warmly when Paul writes to Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:19).
Aquila and Priscilla are greeted in Ephesus (2 Timothy 4:19).
Fiction/Tradition
Peter is traditionally the founder of the church in Rome, and since residents of Pontus and Rome were in Jerusalem for Pentecost (Acts 2:9-10), I imagine Prisca and Aquila became followers of Jesus after Peter preached and baptized them. Peter may have hidden in Rome, calling it Babylon (1 Peter 5:13).
I portray Prisca and Aquila hosting a congregation in their home in Rome because later, they plant churches in Corinth and Ephesus and host them in their home. During the period of the novel, I show disturbances between The Way and the established Jewish religion because later, emperor Claudius will cite these disputes in ordering all Jews to leave Rome. When Emperor Nero ends the edict expelling Jews from Rome, Prisca and Aquila return (Romans 16:3-5).
The novel shows Prisca unveiling to reflect the first-century debate about unveiling (1 Corinthians 11:5-15). Veiling and unveiling were not symbolic of male authority but of class or marital status. In her book, Women and Worship at Corinth, Lucy Peppiatt discusses Paul quoting and refuting incorrect Corinthian thinking. Paul confirmed all believers will judge angels and a woman ought to have authority over her own head (1 Corinthians 11:10). The veil separated Moses from God, but Jesus removed the veil (2 Corinthians 3:12-18). The veil can also refer to the curtain that separated people from the Holy of Holies which Jesus tore away (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45). Jesus broke the dividing wall between peoples (Ephesians 2:14).
Jewish Congregation of The Way in Rome (hosted by Prisca and Aquila)
During Book 2, members of The Way obey the Jewish laws which prohibit eating with Gentiles. They may not meet together to share the Last Supper ritual.
Julia and Philologus - A married Jewish couple.
Nereus and his sister are Jewish believers in Rome.
Marie of Magdala joins this congregation for a time.
Greek Congregation of The Way in Rome (hosted by Persis)
Persis, Gentile from Pontus and Tabriz (Persia), a non-Jew, freedwoman (former slave), widow, and mother of two daughters, Lysandra, age ten, and Aria, age eight. She is from Pontus and makes Tabriz carpets. and is a hard worker who hosts a Greek-speaking assembly of The Way in Rome.
Tryphena and Tryphosa, twin sisters, Greek ladies of high social standing, petite women with delicate constitutions, members of The Way.
Narcissus, a freedman, attends the Greek-speaking assembly of The Way
Rufus of Cyrene (today's Libya) is Jewish but cannot attend the Jewish synagogue because he is Black. His mother is active in The Way; his father, Simon of Cyrene, is deceased.
Congregation in Damascus
Damascus is in Syro-Phoenicia, north of Galilee, a six-day journey on foot from Jerusalem. It is on the Silk Road/Via Maris and King’s Highway trade routes. Ample water from both the Abana River and Pharpar River. Crops of vineyards, fruits, grains, nuts, cotton, wool, silk, olives, tobacco.
Judas, a Jewish nobleman, hosts The Way in his home on Straight Street (Acts 9:11)
Ananias, a Jewish elder of The Way (Acts 9:10-31)
Fictional characters:
Zander, Greek, Joanna’s father, and his wife, Aisha, an Arab from the Decapolis.
Caleb, a Jewish farmer.
Naomi, Jewish woman of The Way.
Malik, an Arab member of The Way.
John Mark
Facts (in the period of Book 2, AD 35-37):
John Mark is the son of Mary, who hosts the Jerusalem congregation in her home and has a servant named Rhoda (Acts 12:12-13). John Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark and is Barnabas’s cousin (Acts 12:12, 25, 13:5, 13, 15:37, Colossians 4:10).
Fiction/Tradition:
John Mark is mentored by Peter and writes Peter’s memoirs. In this novel, John Mark’s father is Marcus, a Pharisee. Their home contains the upper room where Jesus had his last supper and where The Way often meets for prayer and worship. John-Mark was about twelve in Forgotten Followers and about eighteen in Because She Was Called.
Barnabas
Facts (in the period of Book 2, AD 35-37):
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, is called Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement”. He sold property and gave the money to the apostles (Acts 4:36). Barnabas is a cousin of John Mark and a nephew of Mary. Barnabas earned money by working, not from donations (1 Corinthians 9:6). Barnabas vouches for Saul (Acts 9:27).
Fiction/Tradition:
Barnabas may have been a student with Saul under Gamaliel. The Levite tribe did not own or inherit land, but some individual Levites had property in cities. Levites typically served in the temple and were supported by other tribes. In this fiction he is a Levite working on building maintenance for the temple.
Saul/Paul
Facts (in the period of Book 2, AD 35-37):
Saul is his Hebrew name; Paul is his Latin name. He was from Tarsus, the tribe of Benjamin, and studied under Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). He was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25), Pharisee (Philippians 3:5), tentmaker (Acts 18:3), and had a sister and nephew (Acts 23:16). His sister's husband may have been a temple treasurer. Paul appears to be a distant relative of Andronicus, Junia (Romans 16:7), and Herodion (Romans 16:11).
Saul’s movements Acts 2-11 (per Walvoord, John F., et al. “Acts.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures)L
Jerusalem: Saul arrested and imprisoned both men and women (Acts 8:3, Acts 9:1-2, Galatians 1.23). Saul cast his vote to imprison or execute men and women (Acts 26:10).
Damascus (Acts 9:3-22). Saul converted on the road, healed of blindness by Ananias, gets baptized and spends several days with believers in Damascus and began to preach at once.
Arabia (Galatians 1:17). Saul did not go to Jerusalem but went directly to Arabia.
Damascus (Acts 9:23-25, Gal. 1:17, 2 Cor 11:32-33). Saul escapes from agents of King Aretas of Nabatea in Damascus.
Jerusalem (Acts 9:26-29, Gal 1:18-20). Three years after conversion and preaching in Arabia, and escaping from Damascus, Saul went to Jerusalem and stayed fifteen days with Cephas/Peter. The apostles were afraid of Saul but Barnabas convinced them Saul had truly converted.
Caesarea (Acts 9:30). This is the large port from which Saul could sail to Tarsus.
Tarsus (Acts 9:30, Gal 1: 21-24). Saul went to Syria and Cilicia (Tarsus is his home city in the province of Cilicia, today's Turkey).
After Saul left Jerusalem for Cilicia and Arabia, the congregations in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace (Acts 9:31).
In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul describes escaping from Damascus in a basket over the city wall because King Aretas of Nabatea seemed to have ordered the governor of Damascus to guard all the city gates.
Damascus was a city in Syro-Phoenicia near the territory of Philip the Tetrarch. Philip died in AD 34 and Emperor Tiberius did not name a new ruler for that territory. Between AD 34-36 Herod Antipas and King Aretas of Nabatea warred over territories, aggravated because Antipas had divorced Phasaelis, princess of Nabatea, and married Herodias. During these border disputes, Nabatea allied with fugitives from Philip the Tetrarch against Herod Antipas. Nabatea covered the territory east of the Jordan River and parts of Philip the Tetrarch's territory. When Caligula became emperor in AD 37, he named Agrippa ruler over Philip the Tetrarch's territory. King Aretas died in AD 40.
My novel assumes that King Aretas had agents in Damascus in AD 37 and that is when Saul re-visited Damascus after his three years preaching in Arabia and escaped the city in a basket over the wall. Some historians say that Saul escaped the Nabatean agents in Damascus in AD 34-36 and some say that Saul escaped Damascus twice.
Acts shows many times when Paul was persecuted, but specifies just four times when he was put in prison (in bold). I plan to show Junia in prison with Paul, possibly during one of these occasions.
Acts 9:23 Damascus. Paul escaped through the wall.
Acts 9:29 Jerusalem. Jewish conspiracy to kill Paul but he left the city.
Acts 13:50 Pisidian Antioch. God-fearing women of high standing incited Jewish leaders against Paul and Barnabas
Acts 14:5 Iconium. Paul learned of a plot to mistreat them and stone them.
Acts 14:19 Lystra Jews from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium convinced the crowd in Lystra to stone Paul and they dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.
Acts 16: 23-40 Philippi. After Paul frees a slave girl from a demon and he is imprisoned.
Acts 17:1-9 Thessalonica. A mob started a riot and searched for Paul and Silas at Jason's house. Not finding them, they took Jason and other believers to city officials.
Acts 17:13-14 Berea. Jews in Thessalonica learned Paul was preaching in Berea and they followed and stirred up the crowds but Paul left.
Acts 18:12 Corinth. Jews of Corinth attacked Paul and brought him to the place of judgment.
Acts 19:26-29 Ephesus. A riot led by the tradesmen
Acts 21:27-33 Jerusalem. Jews stirred up a crowd at the Temple and seized Paul and he was imprisoned
Acts 23:12-13 Jerusalem. Plot to kill Paul.
Acts 23:35. Caesarea. Imprisoned under guard.
Acts 28 Rome. Imprisoned under house arrest.
Fiction/Tradition
Since Saul/Paul was advancing beyond his peers as a Pharisee (Galatians 1:14), he would have been expected to marry and have children. It is likely that he married young and became unmarried before travelling for evangelistic work. He addresses unmarried and widows together, including himself in that category (1 Corinthians 7:8). He addresses the never-married and virgins separately (1 Corinthians 7:25). It is quite likely that his wife died in childbirth since this was common, and he had no children. It is also possible that Paul and his wife separated when he became an outcast from Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 7:8-16, 9:3-5). He may have been referencing his marital separation when he wrote he had lost all things for Christ’s sake (Philippians 3:8).
The name Paul means ‘small of stature.’ The Acts of Paul and Thecla describe Paul as “a man small of stature, with a bald head and crooked legs, in a good state of body, with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat hooked, full of friendliness”. Saul’s thorn in flesh may be poor eyesight (2 Corinthians 12:7, Gal. 4:15, Gal. 6:11, Acts 9:9, 18). It is also possible he had a speech impediment since he confesses he was not an eloquent speaker (2 Corinthians 10:10, 11:6). Or it could refer to persecution and hardship against Paul.
It is possible that Saul was one of the great grandchildren of Herod the Great’s sister, Salome I, and her husband, Costobarus. He was personally related to Herod Antipas, Herod Agrippa, and Drusilla (wife of Governor Felix), and was a highly educated Roman citizen.
From Broken to Bold continues!
In books still to come as the series progresses, we will meet Timothy's mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois. As the female apostles travel, we will develop the backstories of Apphia in Colossae and Nympha in Laodicia. In Philippi, we will encounter Lydia, Euodia, and Syntyche. We will come face to face with opposition from prominent women of Thessalonica and in Berea. We may meet a distinguished woman of Athens named Damaris. Later, Prisca and Aquila relocate to Corinth and meet Chloe, and in nearby Cenchreae, Phoebe. Eventually, Prisca and Aquila move to Ephesus where they plant a house church. They are there when Chloe's report arrives and Paul responds with his letter to the Corinthians. Later still, Phoebe will go from Corinth to Rome and greet Joanna/Junia and other believers as she presents Paul's letter to the Romans.
Click here for the complete list of Women in the New Testament.
Watch this space for updates on my biographical fiction set in biblical times!
Elaine Ricker Kelly Author is empowering women with historical fiction about women in the Bible and early church and Christian blogs about women in leadership, church history, and doctrine. Her books include:
Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold, Book 1
The Sword A Fun Way to Engage in Healthy Debate on What the Bible Says About a Woman's Role
Because She Was Called: from Broken to Bold, Book 2, A Novel of the Early Church, imagines Mary Magdalene's trip to testify before the emperor
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