- This is the spot, my sons.
Shalom, my friend!
- I-I don't know that word.
- It's something my family says.
It's a greeting of peace.
- You won't find much of that here, I'm afraid.
- I'm Jacob.
- I'm Yassib.
- Yassib, I would offer you something to drink,
but as you can see, we have just begun work on our well.
- You bought this land from the sons of Hamor?
- For only 100 qesitah.
Can you believe it?
- I believe it every time the princes of this land
cheat another foreigner.
You will curse the day you paid that 100 qesitah.
- And what do you think would have been a fair price?
- Zero qesitah, zero goats, zero--
- I have 12 sons to work the land,
and once we strike water--
- You will never strike water.
Yes, recent rain makes the land look lush,
but the underground river runs around the mountain,
not up it.
- Our God takes care of us.
- This is Canaan.
The gods are not nice here.
- We won't be here that long.
We are sojourners.
- Ah, and what are you looking for?
- A land our God promised my grandfather, Abraham.
- Your grandfather?
You ever notice how the gods are always promising us things
but we never really see them happen?
- Sometimes it takes generations.
- Ah, suit yourself.
So, what is this god of yours called, anyway?
- El Shaddai.
- I never heard of Him.
- Not many people have,
but I think someday they will.
- You have no home.
Where's your temple for this god?
- He has no temple.
- Then where do you worship Him?
- We build altars wherever we go.
- You don't carry Him with you?
- No.
There are no carved idols of Him.
- So He's invisible?
- Yes.
Well, usually.
There was one time He broke my hip.
- Oh, no, no!
I've heard enough.
Of all the gods you could possibly choose from,
you pick an invisible God
whose promises take generations to come true,
who makes you sojourn in a strange places
and He broke your hip?
That is a strange choice.
Ah, immigrants...
- We didn't choose Him.
Father!
- He chose us.
♪ Oh, child, come on in. ♪
♪ Jump in the water.
♪ Got no trouble with the mess you been. ♪
♪ Walk on the water.
♪ Oh, child...
♪ Walk on the water.
♪ Got no trouble.
♪ Walk on the water.
♪ Walk on the water. ♪
- You know, when the door opened,
I honestly hoped it was a thief or a murderer,
come to put me out of my misery.
- Sorry to disappoint you,
but there'’s something I need from you first.
- Come closer, I can't see you.
Your hair is matted and your face is red.
Why?
- You know why.
- If you came back to live with me
you could go to the well with the other women
in the cool of the morning.
- You're wrong about that.
I could go with them if I had stayed with Ramin.
- Out with it.
How much do you need?
- I'm not here for money.
I've brought a bill of divorce.
All you need do is sign it.
- Only a man can divorce his wife,
not the other way around, Photina.
- Which is why the certificate is in your name, Neriah.
- On what grounds am I to divorce you?
- I'm living with another man.
- So what?
That's all you did with me, live here.
- You knew why I married you.
- Stability.
The shine wore off quick, didn't it?
- The Pentateuch makes provision for a husband
to divorce his wife if she lies with another man.
- Listen to you, talking about Pentateuch.
- What do I have to do? Bring him here?
- Yes, I want to see the latest shade of drooling tomcat
you've put your spell on.
Hurry before he gets bored like the others.
- Will you sign it or not?
- Give it here.
No.
- Please.
- Please?
You're my property, Photina,
and I don't part lightly with my possessions.
- The way he ran from the Red Quarter!
Nearly tripping on his robes.
- A Pharisee running.
Somehow, I can't see that!
- Shulaaaaaaa!
- I thought for certain he would trip and fall
and I would be arrested.
- Knowing your luck, Rivka, probably would happen, huh?
- I thought for certain Lil was gone forever that day.
- It's Mary now.
- Always was.
- Does anyone want any grapes?
Barnaby, you eat a lot.
- Very observant, Matthew.
- Thank you.
Simon?
- You know, Matthew, when you're not behind iron bars,
you're quite handsome.
- I agree.
- Rivka!
What is going on?
- May I help you?
- We were just on a walk and we heard voices
and I thought it sounded like...
but surely not.
- And yet it is You.
- Would you like to come in?
- We would never--
never be caught dead in a--
- In a what?
A tax collector's house?
Not only that,
but with... a...
Do you know what she...
and he... they are--
- You seem to be having trouble finding your words, man.
- Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners?
- It's not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
- I must say I am shocked.
She is from the Red Quarter,
much of what is done there
cannot even be spoken by my tongue or cross my lips,
it is so unholy.
The mere mention of it would defile me.
- Sounds like a personal problem.
- But him, and the others he works with,
they betray our people for money.
And they're not even sorry.
- If you're so offended, then leave.
- Let them speak, Andrew.
- They've never offered guilt sacrifices in the temple.
- What?
The priest keeps records.
We check them.
- Tax collectors are not welcome at the temple.
- You would like them better
if they made the proper sacrifices?
- This is not about me, this is about what God wants.
- You are forgetting the scroll of Hosea, hmm?
"“I desire mercy more than sacrifice."”
- There are righteous men on the lookout for you,
and they are weighing every word you say.
- Is that a threat?
- Please let them know this, Yussif.
I have not come to call the "righteous,"
but sinners.
- Is everything under control here?
- Yes, we were just going on our way, centurion.
- That's Primi Ordine to you.
- Primi Ordine.
- You all keep eating.
I will talk to this man.
Gaius.
- You're making a mistake.
You can walk away from this.
- I made my choice.
- Look at that room.
Other than Rom and Jahaz,
whom I know to be law-abiding tax collectors,
everyone else in there... the dregs of Capernaum.
- Gaius, lower your voice.
- The bottom of the barrel.
- Germanic, correct?
Isn't that what you told Quintus?
- Don't change the subject.
- Your people surrendered...
I'm surrendering, too.
Your promotion was well-earned.
You will do well without me-- better, even.
- Mm, how?
You're the one who got me promoted.
- That is untrue.
- Do not play dumb.
You know how this all happened.
- You could say thank you.
- Well, I'm not going to do that.
- Well, if you can't say it,
then there's something you could do to show it.
I will pay you if necessary.
- I don't want your money.
What is the favor?
- You have not rehearsed your speech for me.
- It's nothing.
- They want to honor you
for the great things you have done here.
Give them a thrill.
- My remarks will be extemporaneous.
- You are one of those rare men
who excels in both rehearsed and unrehearsed speech.
- And you are not guilty of bias, are you?
- Those are not my words.
- Oh?
Caiaphas said that about you at our last Shabbat dinner.
- He was just flattering.
- There is no one above the high priest but God.
What has he to gain from you by flattery?
He has never complimented my cooking.
Do you remember, at that final dinner,
when Eliav sang to Havilah?
She was glowing.
His voice the sweeter for the child in her womb?
- Brought tears to my eyes.
- Can you picture Moshe and Gideon,
their little chins resting on the table,
when you say the Eshet Chayil?
That's the way Shabbat
family knit together around a table,
my mother's gilded plates,
your grandmother's candlesticks, may she rest in peace.
- I do miss her.
- If she could see you now,
receiving the highest honor ever bestowed by our order.
She would burst with pride.
- I remember the inscription she had
"Adonai El Roi."
The Lord...
...the God Who Sees Me.
- The words of Hagar.
- She always loved that Hagar was caught up
in something complicated and fraught,
but not of her choice.
And yet God saw her.
He knew the path she was forced to take
would not be an easy one.
- When we stumble onto hard roads,
He finds us and comforts us.
- Or does He call us to them?
- Persian myrrh and camphor.
To commemorate our last day in Capernaum.
- One last day...
- Nicodemus...
I love our life.
- As do I.
- Take me back to it.
- I... I've changed my mind.
I-I will--ahem-- prepare my remarks.
I will need a moment.
Gaius.
- Praetor.
- Just the man I've been waiting to see.
Get in here.
- What methods are we using to quell and disperse mobs
that obstruct traffic?
- Regular patrols, mounted officers...
when necessary, force--
- Not enough force.
And what use are mounted officers
if the people have never seen anyone trampled?
- Praetor?
- Herod's envoy was delayed.
He was a childhood rival-- you were there.
I asked Matthew,
he said show him some infrastructure plans.
- I hope it was effective, Dominus.
- Very.
Until Silvius was delayed by a stampede on his way out.
I had to endure a very smug lecture.
Don't let that happen again!
- Yes, Praetor.
- Mmm...
I see you are alone.
I assume that means you've found a replacement
to watch our little friend.
- A new soldier has been trained and installed.
- Good.
- And I am reviewing applications
for a new publicanus for that district.
- What district?
- The collection district previously assessed by Matthew.
- Why are you doing that?
- Matthew left.
He quit, Dominus.
- What do you mean, he quit?
Why would you let him quit?
- He is a contractor.
I-I had no recourse.
- Quit to do what?
- He is to become a student.
- Of what?!
Don't make me keep asking questions, Primi.
- He is to study the Jewish God.
He left to follow a holy man, the man from the eastern ghetto.
That--that is all I know.
- Oh, I really don't like that man.
Brothers!
Extra food from my eema, and she made more.
She's convinced we will starve along the way
with six days of walking, huh?
- Three.
- Three?
- Are we going to run all the way to Jerusalem?
- That won't work for Simon... he's a terrible runner.
- Well, I have bad shins.
- Well, maybe if you didn't get in fights
with Abe and Jehosaphat every week--
- Easy... easy, boys, huh?
- My fighting days are over.
- Simon, you seem quiet this morning.
- We have a long journey ahead.
- Apparently only half as long as we thought.
- I'll explain later.
Simon, what troubles you?
- Nothing, just excited for the trip,
you know, I...
- You can tell me the truth.
- You're telling me
You don't already know what's in my head?
- That's a conversation for another time.
But for now...
- I'm the only one among us who is married.
- Ah!
So you think I should have only called single people?
- Of course not.
And I'm glad you didn't.
But...
Eden will be alone with her eema.
- You're scared things could get worse
and you wouldn't be there.
- See?
That's what I mean, You already know anyway.
- Simon, everyone here knows what you're thinking
most of the time.
It does not take God's wisdom.
Hmm?
- Congratulations on your profound contribution, Rabbi.
We are forever in your debt.
- Praise Adonai.
The ceremony was glorious, teacher.
Your acts of faithfulness and discernment
have been duly recorded for all history.
- Thank you, Shmuel.
I am grateful for your service as well.
- Thank you.
- I foresee you will be an important leader in our order
for many years to come.
- Maybe not just here in Capernaum, Rabbi.
Perhaps, I will one day teach across Judea.
Maybe even in Jerusalem.
- Perhaps you will, Shmuel.
- It's not such a ridiculous notion, is it, Rabbi?
I have studied under your venerated tutelage, after all.
As your reputation grows, so, too, do my own prospects.
- I think it is, perhaps, bold to assume outcomes.
Our work is for God.
He chooses where it takes us.
- You're right, as always, Rabbi.
But under your guidance...
I've found a matter of law I'm deeply passionate about.
One that resonates with many others,
even as far away as Jerusalem.
- I'm delighted to hear your fervor, Shmuel.
Tell me, what is it that you've become so passionate about?
- False prophecy.
When I heard the Man from Nazareth
tell the paralytic his sins were forgiven,
I thought, "“Only God can forgive sins."”
At that very moment, He turned to me and recited my thoughts
as if reading them from a scroll.
I felt the same.
Did He use divination, I wondered?
But it's obvious--of course, I would think this thought.
He called Himself the Son of Man--
as if from the prophet Daniel-- here, in the town of my order.
- He comes from Nazareth, not heaven!
- "...to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
"that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him--"
- He's simply a man.
I don't understand it any more than--
- "His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
"which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed."”
The Man claimed to be God and you said nothing.
I will petition Jerusalem,
requesting permission to search the archives
for all matters pertaining to such false prophecy.
Will you oppose my petition, Rabbi?
The question on the mind
of every man who reads my account
will have to be, "What did Nicodemus do?"
- So, it's all about politics and promotion for you, isn't it?
It's not to serve God.
- On the contrary, Teacher, it's about the law.
And the law... is God.
If I'm rewarded for that,
it's because I learned from the very wisest.
- I will not oppose your petition.
And, Shmuel...
you have learned nothing from me.
- Where is Simon?
Can he build us a fire?
- He's away, Eema.
- Fishing?
- No, something else.
Lie still.
Eden.
- Jesus?
I-I wasn't expecting you here.
- People usually aren't.
- Can I get you something warm to drink?
I was just stoking the fire...
- You saw it first, you know?
- What do you mean?
- What I see in Simon.
You were the first person to notice, when no one else did.
That connects us.
- My mother said I was drawn to his wildness
and that I would regret it.
I wonder what she would say now?
- We're going into town to sell these nets,
we'll be right back.
- Stay here a moment, Simon.
- I just want to leave some extra money behind
for Eden and Eema while I'm away.
- Put your nets down, and go sit with your mother-in-law.
It's all right.
I told Simon to make sacrifices and leave things behind
in order to follow me.
You are one flesh with Simon.
He cannot make sacrifices that are not also yours.
You have a role to play in all of this.
- Do I?
- You will know in time.
I can't make everything about this easier for you.
- That wouldn't be our people's way.
- No.
It has not been...
nor will it continue to be.
But I see you.
Do you understand?
I know it is not easy to be at home
when your husband is out doing all of... this,
even when you're excited about it and proud of him.
So, I wouldn't ask you to do this
without taking care of a few things.
- You mean--
- Plus, normal Simon is difficult enough,
you think I want to travel with a worried Simon?
- No.
- No, I do not.
- The fever's spiked.
Her forehead burns my hand to the touch.
- We should get a doctor.
- There is no need.
Leave her!
- Who are You?
This is Jesus of Nazareth.
- You've never met Him before.
- Welcome to my son-in-law's home.
- Thank you.
- What am I doing lying here--
- You had a terrible fever.
- --and all of you staring down...
- Dasha, don't--
- No one move.
I'll be right back with some drinks.
Andrew, be a dear and come stoke this fire.
- Coming.
Let's see-- rye and butter for Simon,
pomegranate arils...
- Thank You.
- ...goat cheese.
- Thank You.
- Does your friend like goat cheese?
- Yes, I love goat cheese.
Maybe I should... yeah...
see about the goat cheese.
- Thank you.
- Me? For what?
- For obeying and following Him.
It brought Him here.
Simon! Nectarines or plums?
- Ha-ha! You're a liar!
I know you are, I know that...
We don't serve your kind here.
- And what kind is that?
- You know what you are.
- Well, lucky for you...
I can serve myself.
You know, to stop me you'd have to look at me.
- Take down this decree in Aramaic, Latin and Greek,
so no one can plead ignorance.
"By order of Rome,
"and punishable by detention and imprisonment...
"religious gatherings outside the synagogue and Hebrew school
"are strictly prohibited.
"The teacher known as Jesus of Nazareth
is sought for questioning."
- This should be everyone.
- Everyone's here?
- Yes, this is all of us.
- Is there anyone else?
- Look at this.
- What is it?
- I don't know, let's find out.
- Gold.
- A friend of mine left that for us.
- It's enough for two weeks of food and lodging.
- You came so close.
- What do you mean?
- We need to go,
if we're to make it to a camp in Tiberias by nightfall.
- Simon is correct.
Let's go.
- You gonna wear that... on a trip?
- These are my clothes.
Should I have others?
- Ayy...
- Hello.
Elisheva, who is it?
A Roman.
- What's wrong?
What happened?
What did it mean-- "Follow me?"
- That is all He said.
Matthew did not hesitate.
- Follow Him where?
- Look, I'm sure he will come to his senses.
- His senses?
Do you know my son?
- Do you?
At the moment he believes this Man to be a prophet.
- The Man who healed the paralytic at Zebedee's house!
- I'd be careful with that word "healed."
We don't know what sort of trickery or illusion
may have been involved.
- Matthew has no interest in illusion.
- Nor in your God... or so I thought.
- Matthew upended his life to be with Him.
His wicked life!
- He does not make decisions lightly.
- That is true.
- When I saw him two days ago,
he did not seem himself.
But I never would've guessed that he was preparing for this.
- He asked me to deliver to you
some of his personal effects.
- Adonai in heaven...
- The key to his house.
- Luxury bought off the backs of my people...
I will not accept it!
- He suspected as much.
Sell it, give it away, burn it down--I do not care.
Don't burn it down.
- Hmm.
- The other is just outside.
- Matthew!
- What?
Why?
- Matthew said thieves forced you
to close your business?
- Yes, but...
- And you've been taking long journeys for your business?
- Yes.
I have all my permits.
- Don't you get it?
The roads are dangerous.
Your wife is left for long periods of time alone.
People with bad intentions hate him.
- I...
How does it work?
- One last thing--
if you hear from him or receive any word of his whereabouts,
contact me immediately.
- Is he wanted?
- Not officially.
But if Jesus of Nazareth returns to Capernaum,
the Praetor would like to... question Him.
It would be in everyone's best interest if you contact me.
- We understand.
- And I just want you to kn--
Well...
I know some people that were mildly fond of your son.
- Mmm.
- Hungry?
Almost there.
- What city's that?
- Jezreel.
The southernmost town in Galilee.
From there we veer east to the Jordan River.
- Rabbi, where are you going?
- Do you need something?
- This way, friends.
- I'm sorry, but the map shows
that Jezreel is two miles southeast of here,
and is met by a road east to the Jordan.
We need to adjust our course 30 degrees to--
- We're not going to the Jordan.
We're going through Samaria.
- Are you telling a joke?
- There's a place I want to stop.
Plus, it makes our journey shorter by almost half.
- And our odds of violent attack more likely by double.
- Is that an exact figure?
- Forgive me, Teacher, but it's safer to go around Samaria
by way of the Jordan in the Decapolis.
- Did you join me for safety reasons?
- But, Rabbi, they're Samaritans.
- Good observation, Big James.
What's your point?
- Rabbi, these were the people that profaned our temple
with the dead bones, they hated us.
- They fought against us with the Seleucids
in the Maccabean wars.
I've never even spoken to a Samaritan--
- And we destroyed their temple 100 years ago.
And none of you here
were present for any of these things.
Listen...
if we are going to have a question-and-answer session
every time we do something you're not used to,
it's going to be a very annoying time together for all of us.
We'll be fine.
And if we get attacked,
Simon will be happy to show us what to do.
- Absolutely!
- Right, so follow me.
- We ate the last of Salome's bread last night.
- Master, we need to go into town for food.
- We can use the gold that was left for us at the fountain.
- Very well.
- There's a town about a mile west, Sychar.
- You all go.
I'll wait here.
- Someone should stay with you... in case.
- I'm all right.
Meet me at that well when you come back.
- Would you give me a drink?
Did you hear me?
- That bad, huh?
- What?
- You, a Jew,
ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan?
And a woman?
- I'm sorry.
I should have said, "Please."
- You know, it's not safe for you to be alone out here.
- Nor you.
Why haven't you come with others?
And why so late in the day?
Don't women go to the wells in the cool of the morning?
- Yeah, well,
none of them will be seen with me,
so I have to come at noon in the heat,
as you have so kindly reminded me.
- Why won't they be seen with you?
- Long story.
- I'd still like a drink of water,
if you can spare it.
- Amazing what a parched throat will do.
Aren't I unclean to you?
Won't you be defiled by this vessel?
- Maybe some of my people say that about your women,
but I don't.
- Yeah?
And what do you say?
- I say if you knew Who I am,
you'd be asking Me for a drink.
- Really.
- And I would give you living water.
- Would...
except that You have nothing to draw water with,
and this is a deep well.
Besides, what do You need from me
if You have Your own supply of "“living water"”?
- Long story.
- But Jewish water is better than Samaritan water, hmm?
- That's not what I said.
- Are you a better man than our ancestor, Jacob,
who dug this well?
Your water is better than his?
- I know Jacob.
And everyone who drinks this water will thirst again.
But whoever drinks the water that I give him
will never be thirsty again.
- Wouldn't that be nice.
- The water I give will become in a person
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
Really.
- Yes, really.
- Prove it.
- First, go and call your husband, then come back.
I will show you both.
- I don't have a husband.
- You are right.
You've had five husbands...
and the man you're living with now is not your husband.
- Ha-ha-haa!
I see.
You're a prophet.
You're here to preach at me.
- No.
- Usually the one good thing about coming here alone
is I can escape being condemned.
- I'm not here to condemn you.
- I've made mistakes... too many.
But it's men like you who have made it impossible for me
to do anything about it.
- How?
- Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain,
but you Jews insist Jerusalem is the only place for true worship.
- They say that because the temple is there.
- Yeah, exactly where we're not allowed.
- I'm here to break those barriers.
And the time is coming when neither on this mountain
nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
- So where am I supposed to go when I need God?
I've never received anything from God,
but I couldn't thank Him even if I did.
- Anywhere.
God is spirit.
And the time is coming, and is now here,
that it won't matter where you worship,
but only that you do it in spirit and truth.
Heart and mind.
That--that is the kind of worshiper
He's looking for.
It won't matter where you're from...
or what you've done.
Do you believe what I'm telling you?
- Until the Messiah comes,
and explains everything and sorts this mess out,
including me, I don't trust in anyone.
- You're wrong
when you say that you've never received anything from God.
This Messiah you speak of.
I am He.
The first one was named Ramin.
You were a woman of purity who was excited to be married,
but he wasn't a good man.
He hurt you,
and it made you question marriage
and even the practice of your faith.
- Stop it.
- The second was Farzad.
On your wedding night his skin smelled like oranges,
and to this day,
every time you pass by the oranges in the market,
you feel guilty for leaving him,
because he was the only truly godly man you've been with,
but you felt unworthy.
- Why are you doing this?
- I have not revealed Myself to the public
as the Messiah.
You are the first.
It would be good if you believed Me.
- You picked the wrong person.
- I came to Samaria just to meet you.
Do you think it's an accident
that I'm here in the middle of the day?
- I am rejected by others.
- I know...
but not by the Messiah.
- And you know these things
because you are the Christ.
- I'm going to tell everyone.
- I was counting on it.
- Spirit and truth?
- Spirit and truth.
- It won't be all about mountains or temples?
- Soon... just the heart.
- You promise?
- I promise.
- This Man told me everything I've done!
Oh, He must be the Christ!
- Hey, wait!
- Your water!
- You forgot your--
- Come see a Man who told me everything I ever did!
- Uh, Rabbi, we got food; what would You like?
- Ah... I have food to eat that you do not know about.
- Who got You food?
- Wait a minute.
You told her?
- Mm-hmm.
- And she can tell others?
- What food?
- My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me
and to accomplish His work.
- You told her Who you are?
- Mm-hmm.
-So does that mean...
- It means we're going to stay here for a couple days.
It's been a long time of sowing,
but the fields are ripe for harvest.
- And so, it's time?
- Let's go.
Yes!!!
♪ Throw me like a stone in the water ♪
♪ Watch the mud rise up
♪ Dress me like a lamb for the slaughter ♪
♪ Pour me in your cup
♪ Should've known we'd bring trouble ♪
♪ Trouble gonna find you here
♪ Trouble
♪ Trouble ♪