emptied into the lake at this point, and there
were often large fish to be caught. Spawned and fattened in the many
tiny streams that flowed into the upper Jordan, they came down the river
to feed on the weeds that grew thickly in the swamps at the river mouth.

Philip glanced up at the sun. It was well past noon, time to be leaving.
Philip drew his net into the boat, set the oars into their crude
notches, and rowed steadily toward Bethsaida, about a mile distant. He
would have just enough time, he reflected, to clean up, get back to the
boat, and row across the lake before the Sabbath Day commenced at
sunset.

Philip landed and drew his boat a short distance up on the beach.

"Say, Philip! Why don't you pull it up farther?" Philip looked around
and saw a friend cleaning a net. Without pausing he replied, "I am going
to use it again."

"Are you going far?" But the question was not answered; Philip was
already hastening up the narrow street toward his home. An hour later,
he returned. Anxiously he glanced toward the sun, now nearing the
horizon.

"Where are you going?" asked the fisherman. Philip kept his back turned
to the curious man. After he had launched the rowboat and was pulling
away, he called out, "Across the lake." He knew the man had asked only
to find out if he would be back before the Sabbath started.

Nevertheless, Philip rowed hard for Capernaum; he was conscientious and
did not want to break the Sabbath if he could help it. The white walls
and small domed houses of Capernaum were only a quarter of a mile away
when Philip heard a sound that told him he had left Bethsaida too late.

The minister of the synagogue at Capernaum had blown his trumpet. Philip
twisted around and saw that the mellow note had come just as the red sun
sank behind the hills west of the lake. There were two more long blasts.
From this moment, the Sabbath rest began.

The minister laid the trumpet down on the flat roof of his house. No Jew
worked after this signal. The women had already brought a full day's
supply of water into their houses and were forbidden to carry any more.
Fishermen were not supposed to clean nets or row. The market place was
silent, for no buying or selling was permitted. The minister did not
even carry his trumpet into the house. He would wait until sunset on
Saturday when the Sabbath ended and then he would put it away.

He lighted the great synagogue lamp. This was part of Sabbath worship
and did not