Researching “Raised for a Purpose”

Look at my newest literary baby! Raised for a Purpose is one of Guideposts’ “Ordinary Women of the Bible” books, about the 12-year-old daughter of Jairus who died and was resurrected by Jesus. Read more about the book here.
Writing this book was both a challenge and a gift. A challenge because in the Bible the 12-year-old girl Jesus resurrected in Capernaum doesn’t even have a name. We know nothing about her except her age and that her father, Jairus, was a leader of the synagogue. How do you tell a story about someone everyone has heard of, but no one knows anything about? The answer, of course, is RESEARCH.
 
I started by researching the timeline of the early church. I looked at tons of maps of Capernaum, Israel, the Sea of Galilee, and a bunch of places in those vicinities. I pinned maps all over my wall. Then I marked the places where the Bible mentioned anyone in those areas. The healing of the bleeding woman, feeding the five thousand, Jesus calming the storm. I looked at pictures of the ruins of Peter’s house in Capernaum, and the synagogue, and sketches of the items used in services. I consulted Biblical and Jewish scholars. I researched the duties of synagogue leaders and studied the details of worship services held there. Before I knew it, Capernaum and the people who lived there came to life in my mind.

 
That’s where the gift comes in. That time period in the Bible became realer to me than ever before. I was able to clearly see how the activities of the early church had a dramatic impact on everyone, no matter how far from Jerusalem they lived. I felt the fierce conflict between the Jews who believed Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah and those who didn’t. After that, it was easy to figure out what a young woman who’d had a unique and powerful encounter with Yeshua might feel and think and experience. 
 
Of all the books I’ve written, Raised for a Purpose is one of my favorites because I was able to step into a tumultuous and exciting period of history, one that has had an impact on millions of people for thousands of years. I hope you’ll travel back to the first century with me, and that you enjoy the trip.
 
Raised for a Purpose is available from Guideposts in hardcover or eBook. Or if you’d like to purchase an autographed copy, contact me!