The Prisoner in the Third Cell by Gene Edwards

Chapter 1
    Elizabeth opened the door to her home, there to be greeted by a young kinsman from Bethlehem.
    â€œI have an urgent message for you from Joseph and Mary.”
    â€œCome in,” responded Elizabeth. At that moment Zachariah entered the room carrying a young three-year-old boy in his arms.
    â€œI have a message and a small package, both from Joseph and Mary.”
    â€œPlease,” said Elizabeth. “My eyes have long since lost their ability to read such small letters.”
    The young man broke the wax seal of the small scroll, cleared his throat, and began.
    â€œStrange things have taken place in our lives of late, events as unusual as those that brought forth the birth of your son and ours. We had a visit from three Babylonian astrologers just yesterday. Then, last night, Joseph had a dream, a very disturbing dream. In it, our son was seen in grave danger from the wrath of that monster, Herod the Great. We are departing Bethlehem at this very hour. Joseph and I are going to Egypt, there to remain until this dreadful danger, whatever it is, passes.
    â€œBut our son is not the only one in danger. We fear that John is, also. Perhaps all the young firstborn children in Judea are in danger. Elizabeth, we urge you and Zachariah to leave Judea immediately. Go where you wish, but your nearest, safest hiding place is the desert. With this letter we are sending a small package. If I do not explain, you will wonder forever what a poor carpenter and his wife are doing owning gold. The Babylonian astrologers gave several gifts to us. One of them was a casket of gold coins. We are sharing them with the three of you. Please, in the name of our God, flee Judea today. Tomorrow may be too late. We will try to find you on some better day when, hopefully, we return from Egypt.”
    The letter was signed by Joseph and Mary.
    With that, the young man handed a small leather pouch to Zachariah, which he quickly opened. Inside the pouch were several gold coins. For a moment no one spoke.
    Elizabeth, ignoring the gift, broke the silence. “I am not surprised about Herod. The enemy of God would do just such a thing. We must leave immediately.”
    Zachariah now addressed the young courier.
    â€œGo. And tell no one of this.” With those simple words, the youth bowed his head in respect and departed.
    â€œYou are right, Elizabeth. We must leave for the desert immediately.”
    â€œHow can we survive out there? In order to be completely safe, we must go far into the desert. Can anyone survive out there?”
    â€œElizabeth, it will be a difficult thing for all of us, to say the least. But the Essenes survive out there. They have families; they have children; they have homes out there. Our son will survive.” Zachariah then chuckled, “Perhaps you and I may even survive there, at least for a little while.”

Chapter 2
    The winds were deadly. The heat was more than Zachariah or Elizabeth ever imagined. Canyon walls were like a furnace. Even the blowing sand scalded the face, trying, it seemed, to destroy anything that dared walk into that living furnace. Water was scarce, food nonexistent. In the midst of murderous heat, Zachariah had fainted on several occasions.
    Finally, after a week’s journey into that boiling hell, the three wayfarers arrived at one of the Essene villages. After several days of rest, they penetrated even deeper into this oven of sand and rock. At last they came to the largest of the Essene settlements.
    The three were received with gracious reserve by the sober-faced Essenes. Within a few weeks the elderly couple and their young son had become a part of this strange community of religious stoics.
    Zachariah became ill almost immediately. Nowhere in this inferno could he find a hiding place from the all-pervasive temperatures. The old man knew his death was but a matter of days. His last hours were spent being cared for by women of the village who