Budding young writers learn a lot by using historical fiction as prompts for writing and by incorporating many topics that form a unit of study. To demonstrate this, we will use The Bronze Arch by Elizabeth George Speare, who lived from 1908 to 1994. This book won the 1962 Newbery Medal.

Literature and Vocabulary: Students must learn that historical fiction has a story that arose from the author’s imagination in a historical setting. For The Brazen Arch, we need to know that a small town in Palestine near Capernaum during the lifetime of Christ forms the SETTING for the time and place of the story.

CHARACTERS in The Bronze Bow include: Daniel, his sister Leah; Joel and his twin sister Thacia, Joel and Thacia’s father, a leading rabbi; Simon the Zealot (Luke 6:15), Rosh, Samson; Marcus, the young Roman soldier and Jesus. According to the Bible, we know that Jesus lived and history refers to that Jesus. Simon the Zealot, a disciple, followed Jesus in the Scriptures and in history. Most of the other names appear often in Scripture or general historical writing, but Speare probably used them because they fit the setting.

TITLE and THEME come from Psalm 18:33-35, “He makes my feet like deer’s feet, And sets me on my high places. He teaches my hands to make war, That my arms may stretch out the bronze bow. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has sustained me, Your kindness has magnified me.”

According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, ZEALOT, a noun means “a person who has strong feelings about something (such as religion or politics) and who wants other people to have those feelings.”

Furthermore, according to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, a fanatic is: “A sect of Jews originating with Judas the Gaulonite (Acts 5:37). They refused to pay tribute to the Romans, on the grounds that this was a violation of the principle that God was the only king of Israel. They rebelled against the Romans, but soon dispersed and became a lawless band of mere brigands.”

Other topics that one can address with this book include mathematics (talk about the distances between the town and Capernaum); Occupational Education / History (explore about occupations of the time – blacksmith, rabbi); Science/Health (explore healing practices of the time), Art/Music (make a model of the area; explore the music of the Jews of the time), and Physical Education (walk 3 miles to see how long it would take to get from town to Capernaum).

the bronze arch

by Elizabeth George Speare

Elizabeth George Speare opens The Bronze Arch with our main character on the mountain with Rosh, a fan. When the Romans killed Daniel’s parents years before, he decided to join a band of Zealots under the leadership of Rosh. This young man followed Rosh believing that when the time was right, they would defeat the Romans. Throughout the book we see how Daniel progresses in his understanding of how the Jews would be freed from the Romans. During the story, we follow Daniel, as a follower of Rosh, the Zealot on the mountain; as a resource for Rosh, in the town and Daniel, as a follower of Christ, in the town.

Daniel meets Joel and Thacia while exploring the dangerous mountainous area before his family moves to Capernaum. He warns them to stay away from this area. Joel remembers that Daniel had left his blacksmith apprenticeship in disgrace. Daniel is a strong believer in Rosh’s mission to restore Israel’s self-rule without the Romans who had killed Daniel’s parents. Also, Joel promises Rosh that when the time comes he will take advantage of Rosh for the mission. After they’re gone, Rosh senses Daniel on his first solo job to capture a slave who would answer only to Daniel in the end. Many did not like Rosh’s stealing and capturing to allow them to mount the attack at the Rosh deemed the right time.

We then learn that Daniel’s grandmother dies and he must return to town to care for his sister, Leah. She never leaves her house and cannot tolerate visitors. Daniel is now free to return because the blacksmith he had apprenticed with had died. Simon the zealot, also a blacksmith, wanted to follow Jesus, so he gave his tent and his house to Daniel. That allowed Daniel to work and take care of Leah. Daniel and Joel have jobs to do for Rosh while still living in their respective homes. Thacia and the youths meet and make a pact using the verse from the Psalm as their motto, “That my arms may stretch out a bronze bow”, though they did not fully understand it. Surprisingly, Thacia and Leah become friends. Much sacrifice ensues as Daniel continues to believe that under Rosh’s leadership, the Israelites will drive out the Romans.

Daniel, Thacia and Joel find many opportunities to hear Jesus speak. At first they have a hard time understanding what he teaches. Finally, Daniel, Leah, Joel, and Thacia understand and recognize that the kingdom Jesus spoke of was spiritual, not physical. Jesus heals Leah physically and everyone spiritually. Rosh didn’t have the answer, but Jesus did.

Elizabeth George Speare does an excellent job of putting the reader into the story and the setting. We see how Daniel and others progress from hatred to revenge and finally to reconciliation. Jesus changes lives.