ed only long enough for them to draw water to
drink. Farther south they entered the narrowest part of the Jordan
Valley. The road followed the brink of low limestone cliffs which
overhung the Jordan. The swift water was cutting into the banks;
whirlpools and rapids swirled below them. Occasionally they had to walk
around places where the river had undermined a section of the bank and
caused a cave-in.

Even though the river constantly washed away portions of their farms,
the people raised heavy crops. The farmers lived in crowded villages
along the road. Between the wheat from the rich soil and the sheep that
grazed on the hills above, the people were quite prosperous.

For two days Jesus pressed forward without a rest. As the group
approached the borders of Judea, the valley gradually widened until the
mountains across the river were blue in the haze that hung heavy in the
air. The damp heat had nearly exhausted the travelers, but some inward
force seemed to drive Jesus faster every hour. In the afternoon of the
second day they crossed the first of the streams that flowed from the
highlands behind Jericho. Ahead of the disciples, clear to the foot of
the distant hills, lay green fields of wheat, fig orchards, and
vineyards. Beside the road were rows of stately palms.

"There is Jericho!" Everyone looked ahead. The city stood on a low, flat
hill. Its walls rose high above the trees. The Galileans could see very
clearly the beautiful theater built thirty years before by Herod the
Great, father of Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee. Beside it stood the
massive fortress which he had built to defend Jericho. Dominating both
city and plain stood the square stone tower of Cyprus; from this high
lookout Herod's soldiers could easily see any enemy who might dare
attack Jericho.

Jewish pilgrims crowded the road. "They must have waded the Jordan at
the ford where we first heard John the Baptizer," commented Andrew to
John.

"The way we came is shorter," answered John, thinking of the many loads
of salted fish he and Andrew had brought to Jerusalem on the road east
of the river. The disciples saw the Galilean pilgrims on the road
staring at Jesus and murmuring to one another. At length one man came up
to John.

"Wasn't your Rabbi in Tiberias a few days ago?" he asked. John nodded.
The man and his friends joined the group with Jesus. Others followed.

"This is not good," observed Andrew.

"It certainly would be better not t