Just Finished Re-Reading... How Far To Bethlehem by Norah Lofts

 

This is one of the books I’ve found lurking on the shelves in my old bedroom. I took it home for a re-read and was pleasantly surprised to find it still very readable. Norah Lofts wrote a lot of general historical fiction, but this is one of a couple of Biblical themed books, the other one I know about being Esther, a novel about the Jewish girl who married a Persian king and saved her people from a planned pogrom.

This one is about the journey of the Three Wise Men, each of whom has his own biographical chapter. Only one of them, Gaspar, is actually a king, and that’s only because he conquered a city state and settled down there with his Horde. He is a Mongol.

 Melchior is Korean and an astronomer/astrologer. He was once a wealthy man, but sold everything to set up his tower to observe the stars and has since lived with one slave, a woman who has loved him since their youth, but never managed to get the attention of her nerdy master. He is the first to set off, to warn the child of destiny’s parents of his danger.

 Balthazar is African, an escaped slave. He has had a few visions too, mainly of the future, in a polished surface. He is an accountant by trade, which is just as well, because the other two are naive in everything except their own special areas. Gaspar is a bit like Twoflower, the Discworld tourist who is carrying around a lot of gold coins that he doesn’t know are worth a lot outside his country. They are, in fact, valuable coins that brides receive to wear on their foreheads till needed. Balthazar, horrified at how many have been spent, takes over the  finances of the group. 

So - only one actual king - and his gift of gold is the crown of the last king of his city. The frankincense was meant to be an offering in Gaspar’s city, but was handed to him as he was leaving. He hates the smell, so  gives it to Melchior. The myrrh is a healing ointment. 

Not only the Magi have biographies - there is one for the innkeeper and even one for one of the shepherds in the stable!  By the time the stable scene happens you know everyone in it, including the main actors, Mary and Joseph.  Even Herod gets a viewpoint! 

The language is plain, modern English, but not colloquial. I liked that. Admittedly Nazareth feels like a small English village and I’m not sure all the animals and plants described were to be found in that country at the time. But I found it easy to suspend disbelief.

 Hopefully you will too, if you can get hold of a copy.