I had a sudden urge to jump up and down and cheer that must have shown on my face, but Joseph’s stern glance quickly calmed me. He accompanied me to the bench and sat on the other side of James while Shem continued to pace back and forth nearby, his awesome presence a perfect buffer to any strangers who might happen to come too close.

I had little expectation of learning anything about the last days in the life of Jesus, or where his body was hidden, from James. From all I had read, he had been in Nazareth during that entire final, fateful week, and anything he told me would be hearsay. I wanted only firsthand accounts. However, following the plans of my fictional Christ Commission, I needed the background of the early years, not only to have a complete picture of Jesus but also to rummage among the events of his youth in the hope that somewhere I might find a clue or two that would help me to better understand his motivations and later actions—actions that led him unswervingly to the cross, a fate he could have avoided so easily.

“Proceed with your questions, historian,” James urged. “Since God is always my witness, be assured that I shall not lie to you.”

I exhaled and began as tritely as any rookie detective or reporter. “What is your age?”

“I am in my thirty-ninth year.”

“My information is that your parents are no longer living.”

James nodded, clasping his hands loosely in his lap. “My father has been dead for many years, and my beloved mother was laid to rest, here in Jerusalem, only a year ago.”

“You have other brothers and sisters?”

“Three brothers, still alive, and two sisters.”

“They are still in Nazareth?”

“Or nearby there.”

“Jesus was the oldest child, was he not?”

James’ eyes widened with surprise that I would know such a relatively unimportant detail, but he nodded and replied, “Yes, he was my elder by three years.”

I could sense that he already was becoming more relaxed and his guard was gradually lowering. Now it was up to me to keep him talking with as little prompting as possible. The truth always surfaced faster when that happened. I asked him what he could recall of the early years of Jesus.