The Queen's Handmaid (43 page)
So I had lots of history and a sympathetic character through whom to witness it, but my character herself had no story. All of the considerable and factual excitement was happening
around
her. She needed something to be busy about herself. It was not long after this point in the story development that a closer reading of the book of Daniel showed me something I had never seen before. The last few chapters of the book are concerned chiefly with “the time of the end” and in chapter 12, verses 4 and 9, the angel Michael, speaking to Daniel, tells him to “roll up and seal” the words of the scroll until the time of the end. What were these words, I wondered. If only the book of Daniel itself, then it was apparently unsealed before the time of the end. Is it possible that
other
words, other scrolls, exist somewhere still sealed with unknown prophecies? It was enough of an intriguing idea that I decided to place these scrolls in Lydia’s hands, and charge her with returning them to the guardians who had lost them generations before.
With the major elements in place, it was time to decide which historical events and characters to include. As I mentioned, this story relies more heavily on true events, of which there were many. The Maccabean revolt that placed the Hasmonean family on the throne occurred 120 years before the start of
The Queen’s Handmaid
, and eventually that feuding family invited Rome into the conflict in hopes of settling it. Instead, in 63 BC, the Roman general Pompey nearly destroyed Jerusalem and made Israel a client kingdom of the Roman Republic. Pompey restored the Hasmonean Hyrcanus (Alexandra’s father) as High Priest, but placed the Idumean Antipater (Herod’s father) on the throne as king. The Idumeans had been forced to convert and incorporated into Judaism years before but were still resented.
Antipater was a shrewd politician, a friend to Julius Caesar, and he paved the way for his son Herod to eventually become king. Factions within Jerusalem were still supporting the dethroned Hasmoneans, in the person of Hyrcanus’s nephew Antigonus. In 37 BC, with the help of the Romans who had already declared him king, Herod defeated Antigonus in Jerusalem and took Judea for himself, hated by nearly everyone but his close friend Marc Antony.
Meanwhile, back in Rome, Marc Antony and Octavian, two of the three members of the Second Triumvirate, were falling out. The marriages and divorces outlined in my story are factual, but in the end these alliances solved nothing, and Marc Antony’s growing allegiance to Cleopatra alienated him from Octavian and from Rome. By the summer of 30 BC, he and Cleopatra were both dead at their own hands.
There are too many incidents of history woven through
The Queen’s Handmaid
to detail here. Suffice it to say that much of the
story, like the attempted escape of Aristobolus and Alexandra in coffins, the drowning of Aristobolus in Herod’s swimming pool, the murder of Cleopatra’s various family members, the murder of the Sanhedrin members, the deaths of Cleopatra, Marc Antony, Hyrcanus, Joseph, Sohemus, Caesarion, and Mariamme are all factual. The circumstances of the death of Ptolemy’s brother, king of Cyprus, is factual, but details of his wife’s identity are unknown, and I fictionalized her connection with Judea.
I have taken one liberty, which I hope my readers will forgive for the sake of the story. It concerns the timeline. From the start of the story in 39 BC, through to the point where Lydia’s identity becomes known, the story follows a strict timeline. At that point, however, I needed to account for four years until the death of Mariamme. Originally, I wrote a chapter to cover this span, in which Lydia hides out in Rome with Antony’s wife Octavia, biding her time while the major players battle it out. But my editors and I agreed that it slowed the story too much, and needed to be trimmed. So in that section you will find Lydia impatiently waiting for history to unfold, with the amount of passing time unspecified, but nothing like four years implied. During these four years a major earthquake occurred in Judea, but I needed to skip that event as well. By the time of her death, Mariamme had given Herod four children, but in my truncated version, I was only able to fit in two.
I have been privileged to travel to most of the locations in this story—Alexandria, Rome, Jerusalem, Masada. I hope you’ll join me on my website,
www.TracyHigley.com
, to read more about the locations of the book, to see travel photos, and to read stories of my adventures. There is also a place for you to check up on my next story and even give input to what you’d like to see included!
And what of the story beyond the story? As hinted in the
final pages, after Mariamme’s execution, Herod’s obsession with her led to increasing insanity. Historians tell us that Herod had been a master politician, charming, and well-liked. The madness we see in him twenty-five years later at the birth of Jesus apparently began in this moment, at the death of Mariamme. Not long after, he has Mariamme’s mother, Alexandra, executed as well. Herod will continue to terrorize Judea for many years to come, his sister, Salome, at his side, and come to be known as “Herod the Great,” mostly due to his extensive building projects in Judea, including the Temple Mount that still stands today. Octavian becomes Caesar Augustus, the first emperor of the newly forming Roman Empire. The New Testament contains a confusing mix of Herodians, but of highest interest are probably one of Herod’s sons (by a wife after Mariamme), Herod Antipas, who kills John the Baptist; Herod Agrippa, his grandson, who arrests Peter; and Herod’s great-grandson, Agrippa II, who listens to Paul’s defense in Acts.
So I leave this story in 29 BC with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and zealots arguing and the city in poverty under the reign of a madman. With the prophets silent for centuries and the rabbis despairing that their Redeemer will ever come to break their bondage. With a star, rising unknown on the horizon and the Chakkiym watching in the East. There will still be two decades of sorrow, suffering, and questions. But the darkness will not last forever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
1. This story contains a wealth of historical anecdotes and facts. Did you enjoy learning some of the history of Cleopatra, Marc Antony, Octavian, and Herod as you read? What were some new things you learned?
2. Lydia struggles throughout the book with issues of identity and feelings of worthlessness. Do you relate to her struggle? In what way?
3. The story references the scrolls of Daniel mentioned in Daniel 12, which the angel told Daniel to seal up until the “time of the end.” Had you ever considered what this passage might mean? What did you think of the author’s speculation that these scrolls may still have been sealed hundreds of years later? Do you think it’s possible they still exist somewhere?
4. This story spans the globe, taking in Egypt, Rome, and Israel. What did you learn about these locations?
5. In what ways do you feel the author’s travels through these countries and other ancient lands have informed her writing? Which of these locations would you most like to visit? Why?
6. How did you feel about the relationship between Simon and Lydia, which took years to develop?
7. With what character did you most identify? Why?
8. The story did not end happily for everyone. How do you feel about this? Did the ending leave you thinking about the coming of the Messiah not many years later?
9. How do you feel about the author’s portrayal of spiritual darkness in the story? Do you believe that people like Salome may have been in touch with evil powers at this time in history? How about now?
10. Lydia enjoys feeling needed by others in her life, but she also learns that she can’t center her life around what others think. Is this a struggle in your life?
O
nce again, an idea has made its way from a tiny seed in my often-strange brain to the story you hold in your hands. And once again, the evolution of that first idea did not happen without the help, support, and encouragement of many.
First, a thank you to my readers. Many of you joined me on my website to give input into this book as it was taking shape—asking questions and inspiring me with ideas. I am, of course, hard at work on something new, so please visit again and share!
The fiction team at Thomas Nelson has been a joy. Thank you to Ami McConnell for such wise guidance in the writing and editing phases. Thanks to Kristen Vasgaard for the fabulous cover, and for all the folks there that work so hard to bring a book to print and get it out to readers.
Julee Schwarzburg, you are amazing. As I read the final product I know that it is my story and my voice, somehow made much better by your skillful editing.
To my agent, Steve Laube, the dedication of this book is heartfelt. I have loved having you in my corner on this publishing journey. Thank you.
And as always, my family continues to support, cheer, roll their eyes at my insecurities, and make me feel they are proud of the work I do. Ron, Rachel, Sarah, Jake, and Noah—I’d probably be a crazy person without all of you to keep me sane. I love you all very much.
Photo courtesy of Mary DeMuth
T
racy L. Higley started her first novel at the age of eight and has been hooked on writing ever since. She has authored nine novels, including
Garden
of
Madness
and
So
Shines
the
Night
. Tracy is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Ancient History and has traveled through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Italy, researching her novels and falling into adventures. See her travel journals and more at
TracyHigley.com
.